Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2 is a distinctly Pixar like offering from a non-Pixar source. By weaving in a dark backstory about the podgy hero, Po (who is chosen as the dragon warrior in the first movie) and a villain who commands terrific screen presence, it packs in wit, wisdom, action and fun before you can say noodles. Po (voiced outstandingly by Jack Black whose understated irreverence shines through) and the Furious Five are having a peaceful time in the valley after the defeat of Tai Lung. But now they have to confront Lord Shen, an evil peacock who has designs on taking over the entire of China with his deadly new weapon for which kung fu is no match. 

The film has all the elements you loved the first time around – well-timed jokes, clever little spoofs which serve as homage to classic kung fu movie scenes and of course, scintillatingly choreographed kung fu. The soul of the film is the reverence and respect it holds for the art of kung fu despite the liberties you can take in an animated film and the tenderly told backstory of Po. All the familiar characters reprise their roles superbly but towering over them is the sinister Lord Shen, and Gary Oldman does pack a punch in lending Shen’s antagonistic villainy a delicious dark shade.

China’s colours are nicely captured in the animation, the 3D effects are a special bonus and the experience is completed by Hans Zimmer and John Powell’s background score. It might sound very clichéd to say this, but Kung Fu Panda 2 can be enjoyed by children and adults alike on so many levels.