One step ahead. Po-style !

Rating: 8/10 (9 June 2011)

Kung Fu Panda - 2 is definitely a worthy sequel... worth a watch(maybe more), worth the money, worth the expectation. It never falls into any of the commonly know pitfalls of sequels. Quite refreshing a story... wonderful performances... nice animation... good action sequences... most importantly, punchlines are not wasted.
The story in a nut shell: Po is back with his kung-fu legion and is busy fighting and protecting his village. Eventually, it falls upon him to protect kung fu from a deadly foe, a peacock who promises to end kung fu with the help of a deadly machine while fighting with haunting memories and devastating revelations.
The story line is a bit predictable. Prophecies, fragmented flash-backs and avenging the death of murdered parents are a bit old-school now (Some may want to scream "Harry Potter")! However, the screenplay ensures that you do not get bored with the predictability. The comedy of errors keep flowing in at a steady pace. Timing is the keyword here. Both in terms of the script and acting. Special effects is good. It's just about appropriate, with a nice little 3D touch. However, I felt a slight bit of refrain in the weightiness of the visual graphics.... a very masterful touch that stops you from getting overwhelmed by the CGI and lets you concentrate on the story instead. What truly overwhelms you are the performances of the actors. The impossible physics of the action sequences never bothers you, just like it was in the first installment.
Jack Black is awesome. Yes you may die due to overexposure to awesomeness. Everybody else is excellent. Not a single character goes wasted. All points considered... it's a nice entertainer, not deep, but rib-tickling, energizing flick that brings out the inner child in you. Well done Jennifer Yuh Nelson.