Kung Fu Panda 2 - (May 26th, 2011): PG
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #2 with $47,656,302
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $114,880,000
Gross Revenue: $264,705,545
Budget: $150 million
Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Despite the undoubted popularity of the original, DreamWorks still spared no expense to build up its marketing campaign for Kung Fu Panda 2, investing $100 million in promotional partnerships. Merchandised toys from Mattel and a licensed videogame from THQ to accompany nationwide release can always be expected for a children’s film, but partnerships with McDonald’s, AT&T, Best Buy, and General Mills ensured that Po and his fellow martial arts enthusiasts were everywhere before the finished product actually hit theaters. I myself was just thrilled that big names like Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, and Seth Rogen, were willing to return so that almost the entire original cast returned for the sequel…Ian McShane couldn’t make it, but that is because his character, Tai Lung, suffered the fate of the Wuxi Finger Hold at the end of Kung Fu Panda. The animation lent to this franchise has always been impressive, but Paramount only sweetened the deal by deciding to release the sequel in 3D…maybe the few extra bucks attached to the ticket price would actually be worth it this time. I could care less if I was the oldest one in the theater by about 12 years, I was ready for an overweight animated panda to teach me the secrets of Zen and inner-peace!
Kung Fu Panda 2 begins by looking into the past and setting up the villain for this sequel…years ago, the peacock Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) learned of a prophecy that predicted his defeat at the hands of a warrior of black and white, and in response, he had all the giant pandas of mainland China exterminated; as punishment for his actions, Shen was exiled, but he promises his return and swears revenge. Fast forward to present day, and everyone’s favorite panda Po is embracing his role as the Dragon Warrior, working to protect the Valley of Peace alongside the Furious Five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Crane (David Cross). Unfortunately, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) soon brings news that Lord Shen has returned, with a new destructive weapon that is capable of obliterating the entire kung fu tradition. Matters are only further complicated by the fact that Po is haunted by memories of his past, and nothing his father, Mr. Ping (James Hong) can say is able to satisfy his curiosity concerning his true origins as one of the last pandas in China. With the help of Master Shifu, the Furious Five, and new allies such as the wise prophet Soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh) and the kung fu masters Storming Ox (Dennis Haysbert) and Master Croc (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Po must find a way to stop Lord Shen, uncover the secrets of his past, and save the time-honored practice of kung fu.
With the sheer volume of characters from the original film returning for the sequel, easily the best part of Kung Fu Panda 2 is watching familiar faces return with new jokes and impressive kung fu moves. As far as the animation and graphics go, everything from the establishing shots to the action sequences is absolutely jaw-dropping, and though it is a rarity these days, seeing the film in 3D actual does help enhance the overall visual appeal. Where the original Kung Fu Panda could have best been described as a fun and silly adventure, Kung Fu Panda 2 matures the overall tone of the series considerably, tugging at audience heart strings by tackling very mature elements; paint it any way you want, Lord Shen’s extermination of the pandas was a form of ethnic cleansing genocide, and despite surviving the ordeal, Po has post-traumatic flashbacks that continually remind him as a status as an orphan…these mature themes were handled smoothly and with a surprising amount of sensitivity and style. Don’t worry, parents, Jack Black ensures that Po still gives off the vibe of an overly enthusiastic fan-boy who can’t believe his own skills, providing for many jokes that will have you rolling in the aisles. Still, it is nice to see the character imbued with some depth; a touching, new characteristic that is especially apparent when the story decides to expand on Po’s friendship with the usually stoic Tigress…think about the interaction between Toy Story’s Woody and Jesse, add some kung fu, and you’ll have some idea of what I’m talking about. Not necessarily better than the original, but definitely different, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a highly entertaining family adventure that continues to proves DreamWorks’ prowess in the animation genre…your move, Disney.
In all honesty, there really isn’t that much to complain about concerning Kung Fu Panda 2; if anything, audiences should just be prepared for the fact that the sequel is more mature and just not as much fun as the original. While I enjoyed the return of the original voice cast, for a franchise of this caliber, the new characters should have been far more entertaining; with the exception of a few, most of the fresh faces on screen were almost instantaneously forgettable. Don’t get me wrong, Gary Oldman shined as the maniacal, bitter, and slightly comical Lord Shen, but Michelle Yeoh stole the show as the absolutely hysterical Soothsayer, and the interaction between the two easily provided the biggest laughs. As for some of the other voices, Danny McBride, Dennis Haysbert, and Jean-Claude Van Damme were grossly underused…I realize that you can’t keep stuffing characters into a franchise, but had I not known beforehand about the new additions to the cast, I doubt I would have recognized some of the famous voices. My nitpicking aside, Kung Fu Panda 2 is still a thoroughly solid animated film, and the positives more than outweigh any negatives that audiences might notice.
Though Kung Fu Panda 2 clearly deserved top spot its opening weekend, I could have easily told you that it didn’t stand a chance against The Hangover: Part II. Still, even though an opening weekend of over $47 million is nothing to scoff at, I can’t help but feel that an established family series should have done better over the holiday weekend. As much as I would like to predict that Kung Fu Panda 2 takes the title of top-grossing animated film during the 2011 Summer Movie Season, I fear that the title might go to Disney-Pixar’s Cars 2, which opens on June 24th. Po may be a more popular character than Lightning McQueen, but Po had considerably stronger competition at the box-office; DreamWorks had to go up against the sequel to the top-grossing R-rated comedy of all time, while the juggernaut that is Disney-Pixar only has to bypass the heretofore unproven Cameron Diaz comedy, Bad Teacher. Suffice it to say, DreamWorks and Paramount still have a highly lucrative franchise on their hands, and with the story leaving the door wide open for a sequel, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear about Kung Fu Panda 3 coming down the pipe in the near future. Far more than a cheap laugh for kids, Kung Fu Panda 2 has a deeply entertaining and humorous story that is complemented by stunning visuals, so sit back and enjoy…skadoosh!
Overall Recommendation: Very High
