Title: KUNG FU PANDA 2 (2011)
There is no real reason for Kung Fu Panda 2 to be any good, and by some stretch of the imagination, it isn't really all that great of a film. When it comes to the story, this panda is about as old as an original Volkswagen Beetle. You can see it's charm, but it's overpowered by how worn and grimy it look. Thankfully a ratty, and thin script can be brushed aside when a film looks, sounds and is fused with as much enthusiasm as this film is.
The film opens a few years after the end of the first entry, and we find the Dragon Warrior & Co. have been rather busy building up their name and reputation. Quickly we are treated to updates on Po's father's Noodle Shop, the peaceful status of Master Shifu (Dustin HoffmanO, and more importantly, we get to see the Furious 5 & the Dragon Warrior in battle. It's here, in the first of many action sequences, that PANDA earns it's keep. Beautifully choreographed martial arts, snippets of humor are all blended in with each of the 6 characters signature traits. Beyond this though, making it all brilliant, and almost worldly, is this: Po is still a bumbling fool. The key to however many Kung Fu Panda films we get (and there will assuredly be more, based on the ending set-up), is squared solely on Po (Jack Black) never losing track of who he is. Sure he is the Dragon Warrior, capable of kicking all kids of ass (and he does, on numerous occasions), but he is also a klutz, highly excitable, and a fanboy. These are all things that allow the audience to engage with Po in an easier manner. He is the kid inside all of us, who finally gets to live his dream, without losing sight of what is important. It goes without saying, one of the best running gags in the film is Po's insistence to calling out all of his and the team's "special moves" as they occur in battle.
The story moves quickly from set-up to set-up, with plenty of pizazz to cover up it's thin-ness and plot holes. Mostly of this sadly is thrown at the feet of Gary Oldman's Lord Shen, a white peacock with serious unresolved parental issues. Shen is glorious to look at, his design is brilliant and cut so fine, the colors a stark contrast in such a colorful film. It's even more intriguing to notice the fine delineation as to where blade are concealed amongst his feathers. There isn't much more to Shen than that though, the exile son of a rich dynasty, the majority of Shen's story is one that has been been done in a myriad of other Period Martial Arts films: the end of kung fu, by guns.
Truth be told, the other narrative thread is equally weak, that of Po wanting to learn more about what happened to his family before he came to the noodle shop, as well as his battle with "inner peace". Thankfully the film glosses over most events by keeping things moving briskly, often engaging in a series of bombastic action pieces. Panda 2 has more fights, certainly more harrowing and impressive than the original, with ounces of extra flair to boot. The joy, as previously stated, is the fact that while Po is very very adapt to beating up everyone in close proximity, his inner-fanboy causes him to misstep often, getting too caught up in the moment. Fists, feet, fur and feathers fly in all directions, and it's hard for any member of the audience, regardless of age to not get caught up in the moment. Action though, can only get you so far, and seeing as how this is a family animated feature, one has to bring up the humor. The team behind the feature have an interesting ear, and a knack for making a toilet humor joke one moment, and a more absurd low brow joke a second later. Of particular note is Mantis's running gag concerning the mating ritual of what else, a praying mantis.
Sadly, besides all the action, colorful animation, and variety of humor, there is a lack of depth in one of the most important departments of an animated feature; voice acting. With the exception of Jack Black and Seth Rogen, everyone else seems involved either due to contractual agreements, or need of a check (I'm looking at you Jean Claude Van Damme). Lines don't necessarily fall flat, as much as they merely are, and being keenly aware of how many voice actors exist out there, the question is, why pay top dollar for more than 2-3 big names. Jack Black as Po is clearly as good the second time around. It lends body and soul to an already lovable goof of a panda, and it's hard to imagine anyone besides Black having the tenacity needed to pull off such a character. Seth Rogen, on the other hand is an interesting exception. It's a little beguiling to wonder if Mantis's part was enlarged in this film due to Rogen's popularity, Matis's popularity, or if the writer's were in love with the character that much. The remainder of the Furious 5 are kind of a wash, Angelina Jolie's Tigress is given the most to work with out of them, and it falls horribly flat.
Animation is an interesting and fickle genre. Often relagated to children's features without much merit, the last 2 decades have seen a changing of the time. As readily as CGI animated features came to the forefront, there was the subtle decision to let adults enjoy these films along side there kids. From this new direction, Disney decided to crown a prince, whose voice and leadership would direct all to a bright future. In the following years the price took his rightful place on the throne, and thus far, his reign has been more then well received, barely tarnished at all. Yet, within the last few years, the black sheep of the CG Animated world has found it's rightful place as a Duke. One who is garnishing much attention rather quickly, waiting for the moment when the king becomes complacent, and the crown be removed........
**** out of *****
What does this have to do with Kung Fu Panda 2? At the end of the summer, take a look at the money vs critical acclaim when it comes to this movie and Pixar's Cars 2. A change may be coming again.
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