Animated Action: Second and Third Dimension Pleasantry

Rating: 8/10 (18 June 2011)

Jack Black is at his best when embodying an unlikely kung fu fighting Panda named Po. With more action and even better visuals than the original, Kung Fu Panda 2 is successful at being a memorable and entertaining sequel. Behind the scenes, Direcor Jennifer Yuh creates the visuals of the film by pairing unique 2D story telling animation with traditional contemporary 3D distinguishing between various elements of the film's story. The story builds off of the first film very well continuing the growth of Po as the Dragon Warrior. Questions not explored in the original are delved into uncovering where Po came from. Because lets face it Mr. Ping (James Hong, "Mulan") isn't exactly a panda and is only Po's adopted father. Even so, Mr. Ping acts as a very good loving father and is aided by Po's newfound glory with the growth of his noodle shop's popularity. Po does not see his adopted father as much because of Po's new responsibilities and search for his real parents. A new power crazy antagonist by the name of Lord Shen (Gary Oldman, "The Dark Knight") joins the series threatening the extinction of kung fu forever with the creation of a new weapon. With the help of the furious five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie, "The Tourist"), Monkey (Jackie Chan, "The Karate Kid"), Mantis (Seth Rogen, "Paul"), Viper (Lucy Liu, "Kill Bill: Volume 1), and Crane (David Cross, "Megamind"), Po must save kung fu and China. But where would these six be without Dustin Hoffman reprising his role as the wise Master Shifu providing Po with a new challenge to find and master inner peace.
The film is all about the visual choices of 2D and 3D animation contrasting flashbacks from Po's present creating colorful, visually pleasant film. This is necessary when showcasing the significant increase in action over the original film. This is rightfully so because this is a film about animals showing off their kung fu fighting skills creating an action movie for kids. Also, the voice actors in this franchise could not have been chosen better. Jack Black is in his element masked by a big cuddly panda backed by the writers holding back the urge to overuse the famous phrase "Skadoosh" skillfully waiting for the most epic moment in the film.
A weak story comes with sequel territory; therefore, it almost goes without saying that "Kung Fu Panda 2" has its plot flaws. However, this does not hurt the film as much as it holds the film back from being great. Instead it has to settle for a good solid predictable flick. In the end the story is not the selling point of the movie and acts as a setup for the third installment of the series leaving the audience with an open ending.
Entertaining blockbuster animation at its best placing Jack Black back into his comfort zone as a voice actor within a spectacle of action and color. Perfect timing with the completion of the "Toy Story" franchise leaving room for "Kung Fu Panda" to grow into something great.