All flash, no substance

Rating: 4/10 (28 June 2015)

What a great disappointment this was; the first Kung Fu Panda dared to be different from the rest of the corny and bland, goody two shoes crap Pixar and the other studios was churning out like Ratatouille, Madagascar, Ice Age. It was a breather from those films that took themselves too seriously; it was funny and along with the Shrek movies, tried to summon the cartoony feel of classic Looney Tunes (at least in the feel and tone).
The sequel sucks for several reasons. The humor is virtually gone and replaced by some dour "drama". We discover Po's real parents which, is kinda boring; nobody gives a damn about Po's biological parents and this actually downplayed and undermined the screen chemistry and dynamic between Po and his goose dad so carefully built up in the first movie; the promise of the first film, on Po using his new found skills as a martial arts master against more formidable enemies is discarded, replaced by a "Once a Upon a Time in China" like storyline.
Honestly, I can't stand all the China ass-kissing on display here. It's like the Dreamworks investors and shareholders were on a meeting and agreed that "hey, China is one of the most populous locations on the planet, let's make a movie that panders to their cultural and national motifs and we're sure to make bucketfuls worth of dollars in Chinese currency".
The verdict: Kung Panda 2 is boring, needlessly gloomy, tedious and a waste of potential.