Not as great as the first, but still fun never the less

Rating: 7/10 (26 May 2011)

I have never really liked anything Dreamworks animation had to offer. Call me crazy, but I'm not the biggest fan of Shrek or Ice Age. That is until i saw 'Kung Fu Panda'. Something that was worthy enough to challenge the ranks of PIXAR. I can only expect more great things to come from this series.
What made the first film work was a combination of things. Obviously there's the depth, humor, and amazing character development. But what really sold it for me was the progression. The progression of the main character 'Po', and him discovering that everything can be special. It was a beautiful thing to watch unfold on film, and it really tapped the nerve of Chinese philosophy. My main problem with this film was how it didn't follow the same progression. Sure it had those deep rooted elements. But i felt like it was lacking just a little more heart.
Now i'm not saying that this movie was bad at all. I did enjoy it. But i've already seen what these writers and actors can do with a subject like this. So needless to say, it wasn't as epic as the first.
However, the movie is worth the watch. If you do get the chance, see it in 3D, because this is certainly worth the couple extra bucks. But aside from the visuals, the characters are all still fun, the action sequences are fun, and there are some portions of the story that will damn near break your heart.
Bottom Line....the storyline still does have that deep Chinese element to it, which i really love. But it's not as eye widening as the first. I still had a good time, and the ending did kind of leave me excited. If you loved the first one like i did, i think you'll have a great time watching this one. But in my opinion, the first was way better.