Kung Fu Panda 2

There are two big sequels opening over the holiday weekend, and of them, Kung Fu Panda 2 is the one that takes the most chances. More than a mere rehash in a different setting (like The Hangover 2), this is a film that continues to explore the characters and the world they live in, and actually takes some surprising changes. There's a lot more heartfelt emotion here than in the first Panda. The gags are also funnier, the action bigger, and the scope of the adventure is wider. For the first time, I'm thinking Dreamworks Animation just might have the advantage over their long-time studio rival, Pixar.

The original movie introduced us to Po (once again enthusiastically voiced by Jack Black), a charming and rotund panda who became the unlikely student of the martial arts master, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). Po was eventually able to earn the high title of Dragon Warrior in his training, and now leads the Furious Five - a group of kung fu animals that act kind of like superheroes, protecting the surrounding villages from any danger or threat. The Five take a much smaller role in this film, with Tigress (Angelina Jolie) getting the most screen time, due to the fact that she's the strongest, and seems to have the deepest relationship with Po. Speaking of our panda hero, he's been haunted by nightmares that seem to be a forgotten memory connected to his birth. If you'll recall, the original movie established that Po was raised by Mr. Ping (James Hong), a goose who runs a noodle shop in a nearby village. That movie chose to ignore the issue of how a goose could be a father to a panda, but this movie takes that issue head on, and ends up being all the better for it.

Po's past, it turns out, is directly connected with that of the vile Lord Shen, a crazed peacock with the voice of Gary Oldman, who once held power over the kingdom with his ruling family, but was exiled when the warnings of a soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh) caused him to perform diabolical acts in a desperate attempt to hold onto the power he held. He has now returned with an army of loyal wolf and gorilla warriors, seeking revenge, and has developed a massive cannon weapon that is powerful enough to destroy anyone and anything that tries to stop him. If that fails, he also has knife-like feathers that he can throw with pin-point accuracy. We know that the two rivals will eventually meet, and the past will be explained. What took me by surprise is how dramatic and surprisingly tragic the film treats the material. While Kung Fu Panda 2 is mostly all about fun (it's funny, energetic, and full of beautiful animation), there is a sad undercurrent to the film that lifts this film above the first, as we feel much more for the characters.

Director Jennifer Yuh makes some smart choices here. She gives the movie a distinctive style by using different kinds of animation throughout - While most of the film is done with modern CG, the flashbacks and dream sequences for Po are done in traditional hand drawn animation, and are really quite lovely to look at. Once again, a 3D version is being forced upon audiences, and once again, my advice is to seek out the 2D version, so you can get every last color and detail. This is a beautiful movie, and the last thing it needs are dark glasses muddying everything up. More than the visuals, it's the script that impressed me here. Po has gone from being a lovable underdog, to a fully rounded character that we can sympathize completely with. Even the evil Lord Shen gets at least one moment where we almost feel sorry for the guy, which proves he's not just a generic cartoon villain. He's probably one of the more interesting villains I've come across in a recent animated film.

Dreamworks has a long history of casting celebrity names in their animated films, and while this sometimes works against them, it works quite well here. Jack Black is once again filled with boundless energy as the likable Po, but gets to explore some other sides of his character too, this time around. Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, David Cross, and Lucy Liu are back as the Furious Five, and while their roles are reduced, they still get some individual moments to stand out. Another returning actor who makes the most of a reduced role is Dustin Hoffman, who knows how to get some big laughs out of his wizened master character. The movie has been cast extremely well. Nobody sounds out of place, or seem like they've been cast just to put another famous name in the voice credits. It would also be a crime not to point out James Hong as Po's adoptive father, who not only manages to get laughs, but is also quite sympathetic here.

So yes, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a lot of fun, and much better than the first. It's also the first big summer movie that manages to truly satisfy. When the inevitable Kung Fu Panda 3 comes along, I hope they remember the lessons they learned here, and continue to let these characters grow. It would be a shame to see the story advancements this film makes go to waste.

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