Another Swing and Miss.

Rating: 4/10 (19 June 2015)

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011): Dir: Jennifer Yuh / Voices: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Seth Rogen: Every bit as bland as the first film despite its colourful images. This time out Po the kung fu Panda desires to know where he came from and what happened to his original family. Shen the peacock is the new villain who leads a pack of wolves into battle and only Po and his allies can stop them. Sounds standard and delivers on just that. While the first film is no dud, it certainly didn't avoid every martial arts cliché it could find. Jennifer Yuh does well directing but the film fails to deliver a compelling story. Jack Black voices Po who remains a likable presence despite his stereotypical friends. He searches for his past and realizes that he has forgotten it due too a trauma. He proves to overcome his dilemma while his enemy cannot. Angelina Jolie voices Tigress who comes to life more as an animation as oppose to a personality. The same can be said of Shifu, voiced by Dustin Hoffman who seems only as the countless reference to Yoda. The only other character of interest is villain Shen, voiced by Gary Oldman. We learn of Shen's upbringing and how he was banished, and the revenge he sought that would ultimately consume him. Other characters are paper thin although any one of the animals would make for a great documentary on wildlife program. The animation is as stunning as that of the first film but the story itself fails to lift off the screen. We are left with images of Asia and greater desire to watch something far more entertaining such as Animal Planet. Score: 4 / 10