Kung Fu Panda 2

(The Dreamworks-uary logo is shown, before showing clips from *Kung Fu Panda 2*)

Doug (vo): All right, so you guys heard me gush over *Kung Fu Panda*. You know that I love the movie and the visuals and the jokes and the characters and so forth. So, that's putting a lot of pressure on its sequel, *Kung Fu Panda 2*. And what I think of that? Honestly, it's even better than the first. That's right. I think this one is not only as great as the original, but it surpasses it. I think the first one already set the bar pretty high. It ups the jokes, it ups the action, it ups the characters, it even ups the drama. Yeah, there's some real tearjerker scenes in this movie. Yeah, I know, from *Kung Fu Panda 2*? God, these movies are so "never judge a book by its cover."

## Story

Doug (vo): Po returns as the Dragon Warrior, but a new threat has entered town. A peacock, played by Gary Oldman, threatens the land with a brand new weapon, and he has a particular interest in wiping out all the pandas. Why? Because a prophecy foretold that a panda is the only thing that will destroy him. He wants to take back the land that he says is rightfully his. So Po and the Fearsome Five\* go to fight him off, but discover not only does he have a greater army than they expected, but they also figure out the secret of Po's backstory, and the reveal of his parents.

* Actually, it's the Furious Five. He makes the same mistake in his review of the first movie.

## Review

Doug (vo): Rather than just tell the same story in the first one or rehash anything, they actually decide to continue the story, like a good sequel should. Po is not only learning more as a person, but he's also learning more in his technique, and the Fearsome Five aren't just making fun of him anymore, they actually legitimately respect him. I even think there's a very good, real, believable friendship between him and Tigress. And again, all the techniques have a very heavy lean towards actual martial arts philosophy and ethics, this one leaning towards learning to conquer yourself before you conquer your enemy.

*[The film's villain, Lord Shen, played by Gary Oldman, is shown in several clips]*

Doug (vo): Remember how I said in the first film the villain was a little weak? This one is the exact opposite. This is a *great* villain. He has a fantastic backstory, he has a great design, he has a devious voice, but they still managed to get some good comedy out of him, too.

Shen: I envisioned it...a little to the left. *[Shen's gorilla henchmen grunt and move the cannon to the left]* Perfect. With the weapon by my si-- ah, a little bit more. *[The gorillas groan and move the cannon again]*

Doug (vo): It's a perfect balance. There's also new characters played by Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and even the return of old favorites like Dustin Hoffman. The film is great, too, in that I didn't really know where it was going, at least not the whole time. I like the first one a lot, but you could pretty much tell what direction it was leading towards. This one threw in a few more twists and turns and made it a little bit more dramatic. Hell, I actually heard people crying at some scenes in this movie. Yes, *Kung Fu Panda 2*, starring Jack Black, actually made people cry in the cinema. That's a damn impressive feat! To be honest, I have no problems with this movie...at all. I think it's another one of those perfect films. Everything has been stepped up to the next level; the action, the characters, the story, the visuals, and, of course, a great villain. However, is there a downside? Yes, there is.

*[Posters of* The Hangover: Part II *are shown]*

Doug (vo): It came out the same weekend as fucking *Hangover 2*. So, everyone went to see the same rehashed bullshit that wasn't even really that funny in the first one instead of seeing this really funny, really smart, artistically put together film. And what did everybody say about *The Hangover 2*? "Yeah, it sucked! It was just *Hangover 1* again!" What did everyone say about *Kung Fu Panda 2*? "That was good! It wasn't just *Kung Fu Panda* again!" But, no. Everyone went to see *Hangover 2* and...oh, God, fuck that movie! If they don't make a *Kung Fu Panda 3* because of this, I will be really pissed off. And the end indicates that there's going to be a sequel, and by God, with two films this good already under their belt, they better fucking make it.

## Final thought

Doug (vo): I don't even know what else to say without giving away too much. I just adored it. It's a film series that just keeps getting better and better, and I pray it continues to do exactly that. If you like the first one, then you're definitely gonna love the second.

*[The ending scene of the movie, showing Po and his father Mr. Ping reuniting and resuming running their soup shop, is shown]*