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| Kung Fu Panda 2 DVD Review |
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| Monday, 12 December 2011 09:02 | |||
 Kung Fu Panda 2 is a movie that will not only entertain you, but also make you "feel", which in my opinion, is the hallmark of a good film. DVD Review
Film: Kung Fu Panda 2
Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Studio/Distributor: Dreamworks
Principal Cast: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, and Jean-Claude Van Damne
Running Time: 90 Minutes
DVD Release Date: December 13th, 2011
Rated: PG
  Reviewed by Sonja Jackson
Kung Fu Panda 2 kicks the bar even higher than the first instalment with more action, more characters, and more heart.
In this sequel to the 2008 hit, Po (Jack Black) returns as the better-skilled, but still-bumbling Dragon Warrior whose role in life is to protect the Valley of Peace alongside the Furious Five—Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogan), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Crane (David Cross). All seems well in Po's perfect life until an incident triggers a memory that causes him to question who he is, and where he came from. Although encouraged by his mentor, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), to eliminate his confusion by finding his inner peace, Po soon finds himself battling another problem, a cunning and powerful peacock named Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) who threatens to take over China using an unstoppable weapon, and—to Po's dismay—destroy kung fu.
Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson uses the Taoist black and white yin-yang symbol of balance throughout the film as a visual representation of Po. Interestingly, the film itself has a yin-yang element of balance. Fast-paced, sometimes slapstick, action on one side and heartfelt emotion on the other.
There are no complaints about the abundance of action in this movie. Several beautifully executed, martial arts fight scenes take place throughout the film. In Kung Fu Panda 2 we see Po and the Furious Five working together as a team, more than we did in the first instalment, to combat the villains—Lord Shen and his "hit men", a pack of kung fu fighting wolves. The fast-paced action maintains the film's high level of excitement.
Between the action and the laughs, there's an element of emotion that makes this film memorable and takes it to a higher level than its predecessor. We see Po go on a personal, sometimes painful, journey to find inner peace and uncover the truth about his past. Anticipation throughout the film builds as we move closer to finding out what happened to Po and his family when he was just a cub. Both elements, humour tinged action and heart-tugging emotion, are intertwined successfully into an engaging story.
Many new characters are introduced in the sequel, but some stand out more than others. The goat soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh), who Lord Shen turns to for a look into his future, adds plenty of humour to the film along with some insightful words about letting go of the past. This character is a well-scripted addition to the sequel. The main villain of the movie, Lord Shen, does not have the same slick, imposing kung fu fighting persona that we saw in Tai Lung, the villain in the first instalment, but he does have a "subordinate," Wolf Boss (Danny McBride), who provides the intimidation factor needed in a convincing villain.
Not only are new characters introduced in the film, we see the development of the franchise's original characters and their relationships. It's refreshing to see Tigress temporarily break from her cold, serious persona and show a softer side. The interaction between Tigress and Po reveals that their relationship is one based on the principle of yin and yang used throughout the film. Her serious side balances his silly side. They need each other to get the job done. Through the revelation of Po's past, we also gain better understanding of the relationship between Po and his father, the noodle-merchant duck. The writers have managed to show that these aren't just static characters; they are dynamic, each with a story of their own. My only criticism is that this same sort of development is not extended to the rest of the Furious Five. We don't know the other group members any better at the end of this film than we did at the end of the first Kung Fu Panda movie. Hopefully, we will learn more about the rest of the characters in the future. There's plenty of time for development considering that Dreamworks reportedly plans to make 6 instalments of the franchise.
All in all, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a movie that will not only entertain you, but also make you "feel", which in my opinion, is the hallmark of a good film.
In addition to an entertaining film, the DVD also offers some exclusive behind the scenes footage. In the special feature "Kickin' It With the Cast" we get to see the actors behind the movie's characters, and the way in which they use their amazing skills to bring the characters to life. The DVD also includes 3 deleted scenes that offer a unique look at the film using original sketches, and insightful commentary from the film's director.
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