Buy Kung Fu Panda 2 Movie. Watch online or Download
Genres: ActionComedyAdvent
Starring: Dennis Haysbert, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Lucy Liu, Jack Black, Mike Bell, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Director(s): Jennifer Yuh
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Available Quality: DivX
IMDB Rating: 7.4 out of 10 (51517 votes)
Po joins forces with a group of new kung-fu masters to take on an old enemy with a deadly new weapon.
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Kung Fu Panda 2 (DivX) | Resolution: 640x272 px | Total Size: 700 Mb |
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Visitors Review
Troy_Campbell (25 May 2012)
Impressive martial arts, consistent gags - a worthy successor.
The first Kung Fu Panda made audiences go blind from over-exposure topure awesomeness (and attractiveness) so this sequel was alwaysdestined to fall short of the massive benchmark set, the question wasjust by how much. Well, thankfully, not by much at all. With Po (voicedby Jack Black) now the Dragon Warrior and having to save the art ofkung fu from the wretched Lord Shen (Gary Oldman  excellentlysinister), the uber-impressive martial arts sequences are back in fullforce. Throw in consistent gags, iridescent animation as good as anyPixar outing (aided by the subtle 3D) and superb voice work by allinvolved  including Dustin Hoffmann as the wise Shifu, Angelina Jolieas the fierce Tigress, Seth Rogen as the cheeky Mantis and, in a strokeof casting genius, Jean-Claude Van Damme as the chop socky expertMaster Croc  and you have a highly worthy successor that will pleaseboys and girls of all ages. Bring on KFP3! Skadoosh.
Robert (24 May 2012)
Wonderful... Funny... Breathtaking
I saw this film in theaters with my mom, my dad, and my brother and I thought that this was such a wonderful, funny, and breathtaking film. I give "Kung Fu Panda 2" an A+ and 4 out of 4 stars. The first Kung Fu Panda film was my favorite DreamWorks film and I was absolutely excited to watch this film. I gave the first Kung Fu Panda film an A+ and give this sequel an A+ as well but I like the sequel a tad more than the original. The storyline is just absolutely breathtaking and beautiful and it took things to a whole new level when we got to see what happened in Po's past. The action sequences were so amazing and will take your breathe away. This film is also funny and fun to watch. It was nice to see the interaction of Po and the Furious Five and how Tigress actually has a soft side for Po. This film is different from the first film though because this sequel is a little more serious and a little more dark than the first film. This film may even frighten little kids and make them cry... Kids would have fun watching this film but may also be frightened because of how dark and violent this film is. "Kung Fu Panda 2" is an absolutely glorious animated film with a beautiful storyline and awesome action sequences and this is one film that you don't want to miss in theaters... this sequel is definitely worth your ticket and don't listen to anyone that gives this film negative reviews because they are wrong big time and apparently get bored watching an animated with a glorious and breathtaking storyline so don't listen to the haters and watch this film. Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, James Hong, David Cross, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Jackie Chan did an excellent job voicing in this animated action adventure family comedy film.
Dallinschmidt89 (24 May 2012)
I love Kung Fu!!!
Star Wars. X-Men. Indiana Jones. Lord of the Rings. Kung Fu Panda. Whatdo all these things have in common? Well probably a lot of things,actually. But here is my point. All of the first films in thesefranchises were good, if not great, films. But it doesn't end there.Also, in all of these films, the actors came back, having grown intotheir characters, and delivered a second film that was not only up topar with the first, but also delivered something extra. Story andemotion. In all of these film franchises, the second film carries apowerful message, and strong emotion. Luke and Vader's relationshipbecomes clear. Wolverine learns of his past. Indy has his life saved bythe least likely person imaginable. A small army of men put their livesliterally on the line at Helm's Deep to fight the forces of evil.Kung Fu Panda 2 is no different. I love Kung Fu Panda. It is one of myfavourite films. So I was excited and nervous for the secondinstalment.With the 3 year break between 1 and 2, Po has become a much moretalented Kung Fu warrior. He can actually fight now! The Furious Five +Po fight together as a group, really for the first time in this film.They set out to stop Lord Shen from destroying the world of Kung Fu,along with all it's Masters.Along the way, in order to find Inner Peace, Po must face his past,learn about himself, and his real parents, and decide who he really is.Is he just a Panda? Or is he the last Panda, who's destiny it is tosave China, so that he can go home and cook some noodles? I thoughtthat the villain in this film, the Peacock Lord Shen, was a greatchoice. Gary Oldman did a superb job bringing this character to life. Ieven thought he was a little scary. He had this really creepy feelabout him, that, coupled with his apparent heartlessness, made him aforce to be reckoned with, and a bad guy to be remembered.A lot more focus is also put on the returning characters, minus MasterShifu. He is somewhat absent for most of the film, but returns when heis most needed. I would say that the dialogue that the Furious Five hadin the first film, is almost doubled, if not more, in the second film.The new cast for this film is great. Star studded, but not over thetop. This is a great film. I loved it. And just like all of thepreviously mentioned film series', I can not wait to see what the thirdKung Fu Panda will bring to us. And there will be a third. Ski-doosh.
junkielee (23 May 2012)
Kung Fu Panda 2
Saw this one in 3D version at the cinema (4th time this year, afterRIO, THOR and Captain Jack Sparrow), my expectation was not too high asI was in a numb state of receiving bombarding Hollywood summermomentum, a yearly-recurrent compulsory course (my sole anticipationlies in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS right away). It turned out that the exotic appeal is roughly null to me (thanks tomy Chinese identity), and confidently I can claim that I do prefer RIOafter comparison. The Zen-inspired quintessence of the story is all-agebeneficial but superficially indoctrinated and without any originalityinside, the gags and set pieces are ample but in lack of a punchline. Ifind the editing is clumsy at some time and thwarts the coherence ofthe whole picture. The shadow play is a nice trick which makes amendsfor the corny plot of memorizing Po's provenance. A fully-fledged exploitation of Kung Fu and panda is foreseeable,nevertheless this time no improvement from its precedent, the originalcast is on a stable level and new characters like evil peacock Shen andthe goat Soothsayer all fall into flat. The 3D effect work much better with animation than other SFX-paddedlive-action blockbusters, but I think an IMAX 2D could be a betterchoice. Due to its lukewarm North American box office, if the red-hot3D trend will be put in a halt or a slow-down, I will be happy to seeit (Although very probably the international income will eliminate thisidea for the film companies).
bl-606-352256 (22 May 2012)
No replay value. Flat, Predictable, and Charmless
Some characters voiced by famous people were barely used (especiallythe snake, monkey, and bird). I didn't see the first movie, but theyjust seemed like baggage that couldn't be cut. I feel bad for DavidCross getting about 3 lines and none of them being comedic. This was anall star voice cast, and it was mostly wasted.There was no emotional build up in the plot or development of thecharacters. It just stumbled through a series of henchmen fight scenes.You knew how the movie was going to turn out in the end. In fact thiswas one of the most predictable movies I have ever seen. Let alone theplot, scenes, and character types we've seen 100 times before, I foundmyself predicting the ends of the characters lines way too many times.There was no charm to this movie. Compare to a Pixar movie, they bothuse clichés, but Pixar films are actually remembered. Nobody in thisfilm really had a developed personality besides Jack Black's character.Visually, the entire film seemed to be colored an ominous red and gray.It made for a very uncomfortable movie as the whole thing looked likeit was over a fire. Compare to Mulan, where there were scenes in thewhite snow or woods. That was visually memorable. Who cares about thegood CG animation, its like buying a 3 year old expensive crayons. Inaddition I was confused by the purpose of a lot of the non-kung fuaction scenes. I felt like I was watching a video game someone else wasplaying. They went on for forever. I was later told this would normallybe in 3D, makes sense. These scenes are time filling garbage.Review was harsh, but honestly they created this for the quick cash soI don't think they care. This has almost no replay value and won't stayin your memory for long. It won't bore you to death or anything, Ididn't have a bad time watching it, but something irks me when theypull movies like these out of a can and I come here to find it has arating of about 8. That's on par with Aladdin/Fantasia and aboveCinderella/Dumbo. Lets be honest, its about a 4.
creativeben (22 May 2012)
A fantastic, substantial sequel
The sequel to the hit "Kung Fu Panda" (2008) (excuse the pun) reallydeveloped into a new level. From the first film we see Po's characterdevelop from a big blob of a panda into a kung fu warrior. We also areintroduced to the Furious Five. So the foundation of the characters islaid to allow the sequel to go all out in creating a substantial story.Yet, there is still development in Po's character for we discover hispast and find out how indeed his father is a duck (or goose) anyway...Iloved that the story was deep and it was still character driven. Therelationship of the father and Po is really special and amusing due tothe obvious appearance differences. This film is so much fun, for bothadults and children, you will not be disappointed. I also loved thefact that the film managed to convey a deep message and yet it did notfeel corny or cheesy. The message is about letting go of your troubledpast and moving on into your future. There is also a shocking andawesome ending, the ending sequences are awesome. DreamWorks has doneit again!
Hellmant (22 May 2012)
Chan and Van Damme together in a film at last!
'KUNG FU PANDA 2': Three Stars (Out of Five) Jackie Chan and Jean-Claude Van Damme together in a film at last, evenif it is just as voices (hopefully they'll do an 'EXPENDABLES' filmtogether next)! The rest of the all-star voice cast, from the original,returns with Chan as well including Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie,Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, James Hong and Jack Black as Po (the'Kung Fu Panda'). New voices (besides Van Damme) include Michelle Yeoh,Gary Oldman, Danny McBride and Dennis Haysbert. This time the film isdirected by Jennifer Yuh, an Art and Animation Department vet but firsttime film director. It was written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger(who also co-wrote the first film). The movie is not quite as much funas the original (which wasn't a great film to begin with) but it doesdeliver the laughs and action fans expect.The first film dealt with Po living out his dream by joining his kungfu heroes, 'The Furious Five', and becoming the chosen 'DragonWarrior'. In this chapter he struggles with coming to terms with who hereally is and where he came from (now knowing that he's adopted). Whilebattling his inner demons he also must lead 'The Furious Five' to facea new enemy with a weapon that destroys kung fu. Of course he won't beable to conquer this new found enemy and deliver peace to his peopleuntil he finds peace within himself. To do this he must discover thesecrets of his past.The movie is just about what you'd expect from a sequel. If you're afan of the original you'll probably enjoy this chapter as well, justnot quite as much. Black and the rest of the cast are funny, a lot ofthe jokes are of course silly and geared at kids but the film has adecent amount of laughs to deliver a slightly older crowd as well (likethe first). The action scenes are entertaining although I heard from mytwo young nephews (who I saw the film with) that the movie is too scaryat times and much more frightening than the original (I personallydidn't notice). Guillermo del Toro was an executive producer andcreative consultant on the film this time around and some say he addeda darker tone to it. As I said I didn't really notice much of adifference in that way from the original but I'm sure that could be aslight possibility. The movie is fun regardless and should please mostfans of the original.Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBr4LOQxrmg
Neil Welch (22 May 2012)
Good, but didn't really grab me
I went into this without enthusiasm. I quite liked its predecessor butit left no lasting impression - this may be because Jack Black simplydoesn't do anything for me (although I do prefer him when I can't seehim).I found 2 rather better. Firstly, Po is now a bona fide hero anddoesn't have to go through the tiresome passage of personal growthwhich defined the first movie. This time the personal growth elementconcerns searching for his roots (turns out Mr Ping isn't Po's naturalfather - who knew?). Plus we have a villain with a nefarious plot, sothere is a fair amount of drama and action as well as some heartwarmingmoments.This is a pretty good film which the kids will love.I found that, in common with so many movies these days, the action wentso fast that it was difficult to follow. And I had great hopes for the3D - so often better in CGI features than live action - but it mostlymade no difference.
Pascal Zinken (19 May 2012)
Good for an afternoon watch
Not having seen the first film I'm unable to define how bad or goodthis one connects to it. From what I do know of it, the lead characteris still pretty much the same - thinking with his belly, not completelyhelp- and clueless but almost there, but still a hero. Either way thisfilm starts with an old enemy of Po rearing its ugly head and Po beingcalled in to protect the citizens from him.Story wise there's nothing too fancy about this film - it's all beendone before. It doesn't affect the film negatively though, it's ananimation film designed to please kids and their parents and it doesthat.Animation wise I must say I was pleased by the colour scheme. It givesa radiant hum. The details in the background are just high enough aswell, and the added 3D effects aren't wasted (though they can be missedwithout missing out on anything of the film).The character development may go a little over the heads of the kids -but I didn't see any of that bother the kid I had with me. So, all inall, enjoyable for kids and parents.7 out of 10 Pandas behaving fiercely
jameslsy (19 May 2012)
Made me laughed so hard in the cinemas!
I've always thought that Dreamworks productions are always 1 stepbehind Pixar. But Kung Fu Panda (2008) has proved me wrong.Unlike most sequels, it's always either better than the first or worstthan the first. Not this time, Kung Fu Panda 2 didn't try to recyclecinematography angles or cheesy lines or similar animation scenes.Which is why I would say  watch it! I wouldn't tell you the wholestory here and spoil it for you but here are a few points to excite youto watch it!- The new characters introduced in this sequel is nicely thought out.The villain, which is Lord Shen, a peacock has got an interestingbackground story tied to Master Po. Did I mention freaking cool kung futoo?- Torn between choices for favorite scene but I would pick the dragonlooking costume scene cause I seriously had a great time laughing outloud in the cinema.
saish746 (19 May 2012)
Panda and Kung fu China Anthropomorphism
Panda and Kung fu China Anthropomorphism Anthropomorphism at its best.This computer-animated action comedy film from the studio DreamWorksAnimation is one movie on the likes of its other production, Shrek.Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, is also the first woman to solely directan animated feature from a major Hollywood studio. And the impressionof a women is clearly seen. The Panda is made lovable like a kid withinnocence splattered all over. The screenplay is wonderful and givessome genuine laughter. The lines are small but witty and full of Humor.The animation lacks details like that of Ratatouille but in some scenewhere The Guru Red Panda is introduced with Inner Peace Practice isshown with extreme details and gives a good feeling. However The 3Dversion, like always, lacks depth of field and details. The blurredvision is extremely lively only in few scenes. The frame with Applesblurting out of Panda's big mouth is a true Roller-coaster. The story is about revenge and is unimpressive. The animation was thesavior with the rightful dubbing and voice-acting. The voice of JackBlack along with Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, IanMcShane, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu was perfectly scored and synchronized.Especially Jack Black timing were good. Ancient China was shownbeautifully , but the selection of animals for Anthropomorphism wasdubious. There was a peacock ruling Chinese lands and no use of Dogsand Ox. Other Animals from Chinese philosophy like Goose, Rabbit,Dragon and pigs were wise-fully used. The Mantis was shown powerful wasanother story untold. The use of explosives to cease Kung-fu was reallychildish. The enemy was not shown with equal Powers and therefore thisone sided flick. The use of digital puppetry shows china in good lightand keeping its tradition flawless. The Movie is good and watchablewith all age, there is no explicit dialogs except a pinch of digitalviolence. Panda is lovable and cute and cuddly and tender.
meeza (18 May 2012)
Kung Fu Writing! Just for pun kicks!
I Want Pandy!!! So I decided to get my kicks with a "Kung Fu Panda 2"viewing. I was aware that it was a sequel and there is always a "moreof the same" element to sequels. However, I was pandily surprised that"Kung Fun Panda 2" played at more being a prequel than a sequel. DragonWarrior Po (awesomely voiced again by Jack Black) is now on a missionto defend Kung Fu & China with his mates "The Furious Five" against anevil peacock called NBC, I mean Shen. However, within the fightingpandamonium there is also a subplot in the movie of Po trying to searchhis past and figure out who he really is and where he is from. The twoplot lines interconnect in "Kung Fu Panda 2" not just to providenarrative depth to the movie, but to present how one's upbringing is sorelevant to one's survival & also character. "Kung Fu Panda 2" looksbeautiful on screen, and besides the latest computer graphic animationdesign included in the movie there is also "old school" simpleanimation inserted to differentiate the time periods. Director JenniferYuh did a yeoman's job or should I say yuhwoman's job by incorporatingnoble Chinese culture into the narrative, as a love letter to China.However, Yuh did get carried away with too many explosion sequencesthat for the most part bombed. Nevertheless, it is the comedicprotagonist Po that makes the Kung Fu Panda movies work. Po stilldemonstrates that his love for the culinary arts is still his favoritethang! This Panda still loves to munch it down. I just hope we don'tsee an offshoot of his dietary habits in a Part 3 called "Kung PooPanda". Besides Black, Angelina Jolie also nailed it once again withher lipwork as Tigress, 20% of The Furious Five. Gary Oldman playing avillain never gets old, and he does some badass vocal work as Shen thePeacock. Dustin Hoffman just gets in a scene or two this time aroundvoicing Master Shifu, but when Hoffman speaks you better listen "He'stalking here!!". "Kung Fu Panda 2" does not hit on all cylinders, butit is no ancient Chinese secret that it is quite entertaining, mostlydue to its Black comedy! **** Good
hcsr1982 (17 May 2012)
Fast paced, cute and thoughtful
I did not expect much from this title other than a few laughs and maybesome cool stuff from master Shifu (much like the first one). As asequel the risks were to the downside but this time it was the otherway around. It is light, colorful, packed with pretty cool actionscenes, and most importantly, it was engaging and touching. The searchfor the "inner peace" and for Po's family history at the same timeworked very smoothly. As the story unfolds the concept of inner peaceis developed and the ending is magnificent. Very touching for an adult.I can't imagine how special this is for a child (I believe they mustget this easier than anyone else). I highly recommend this film foreveryone but specially for those with children.
Eternality (17 May 2012)
While not as fun and carefree as the first installment, Kung Fu Panda 2 still packs a solid punch.
What's there not to like about a fat panda demonstrating his prowess inthe art of kung fu fighting? Po (Jack Black) returns in the secondinstallment of the much loved Dreamworks' Animation hit Kung Fu Panda(2008), once again teaming up with his fellow band of warriors to tryto defeat a villain, Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), who harbors the evildream of conquering China with his latest invention  a cannonballweapon. Very much adhering to the action-comedy formula laid down byits prequel, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a blast to watch on the big screen.Directed by newcomer Jennifer Yuh, Kung Fu Panda 2 impresses with itsattention to cultural detail. The computer-generated visuals give adistinctive Oriental feel and many of the majestic architecture bearstriking resemblances to that of Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2001),though they are not as magical or poetic as the hand-drawn quality ofthe latter. Yuh's direction is excellent for someone embarking on herdebut feature. The film never lacks energy and vigor, and packs quite alot of action into ninety minutes, though it could be said that thereis a slight overdose of action scenes, which sometimes can be chaoticto follow.Unlike sequels that see no growth in the development of their leadcharacters, Kung Fu Panda 2 tackles Po's backstory through a commandinguse of intermittent flashbacks that are depicted using interesting"paper-cut style" animation. This provides ample development to Po'scharacter and gives us a strong reason to empathize with him.Surprisingly, the filmmakers handle the emotional nuances of Po's earlyyears very well, with an especially touching scene involving his motherabandoning him in a wooden crate of fruits and vegetables while huntingwolves presumably lead her to her death.Kung Fu Panda 2 references popular culture, though not as explicitly assome of Pixar's films like Toy Story (1995) or Finding Nemo (2003).Most notable ones include a reference to Jackie Chan (who voices one ofthe characters here) movies involving trying to avoid signs on top of amoving vehicle, and a Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) reference thatsees Po "coming back up" on a rotating wheel ala Schwarzenegger. Whilenot as fun and carefree as the first installment, Kung Fu Panda 2 stillpacks a solid punch. I do look forward to the certainty of a partthree, which will most likely involve an emotional paternal struggleover Po.GRADE: B+ (8/10 or 3.5 stars)www.filmnomenon.blogspot.comAll rights reserved.
James (16 May 2012)
Fanaticalaboutfilms Review: Kung Fu Panda 2
Po (Jack Black) returns in another kung fu animation adventure whichsees our ever hungry panda face up to a new and devastating threat inthe form of angry albino peacock (Gary Oldman) Lord Shen. Having beencast out by his parents years before for his atrocities, Shen has beenbiding his time returning with a new technology that threatens toenable him to conquer China.Po is joined once again with the Furious Five as well as a few newcharacters to try and save not only the local people but also the veryfabric of kung fu and all that it stands for. Aside all of this, wealso learn about the childhood of Po and how he came to be at thedoorstep of Mr. Ping (James Hong) and his noodle restaurant. This filmdefinitely takes on a darker feel when compared to the first and willsurely give the younger kids in the audience something to keep themawake at night. It also has more packed into its story with extra depthand variety than the first did not necessarily have ie. lineage andupbringing and the effect that has on us as adults.The animation is fantastic and despite not hitting the heights of aPixar movie is up there with some of the best that I have seen to date.My favourite scenes are the fighting scenes in particular one wherethey are assaulting Shen's stronghold. The combination of action withthe impressive visuals drags you right into the fight alongside thecharacters.Po can get a bit annoying/repetitive at some points as the Jack Blackfrom within is released and a torrent of 'awesome' and similar suchcatchphrases are rattled off one after the other but this did seem tobe toned down slightly from his usual self so I began to think of Po asPo rather than Black in a panda costume.I think this is a case of the sequel running the original very closeand I would be hard pushed to say which one I preferred. Whereas thefirst was original and purely a kids flick this builds strongly on thefirst opening it to a wider audience with more of a slapstick feel toit which has me just siding with this one as the better of the two. Whydon't you make up your own minds as it's definitely worth a watch onthe big screen.For further reviews feel free to check out:http://www.fanaticalaboutfilms.com
itzzarun (15 May 2012)
Po, THE PANDA hahahahahehehehehohohoho... ROFL .. ROFL... HILARIOUS!!!
The awesomeeeeeessssssst movie :).. Kung Fu Panda-1 was hilarious,outstanding, mindblowing and this one is no different. There are many reasons i liked the movie 1. Its different than thefirst one. the whole concept is different and they haven't tried to usethe same jokes as the previous movie. Of course it is good vs bad, butthen which movie isn't!! 2. The sense and timing of comedy is great. Atleast it appeals to me. 3. Po, The panda character is my all timefavorite. His expressions throughout the movie itself makes me laugh.4. It amazes me how creative these guys are. You will realize thisthroughout the movie.I cannot say that there are any drawbacks in the movie, because its jobis to make you laugh, and , i was hysterically laughing throughout themovie. Even the fights have a great humor in them.This is one of the very few movies which made me laugh forget abouteverything and shamelessly laugh in the theatre. Am definitely goingonce again to watch the movie.
julian-mumford (15 May 2012)
Full of of "Awesomeness"
Kung Fu Panda was huge in every sense, $631 million at the worldwidebox office and an indelible character amply voiced by Jack Black. Thisis a voice role that may come to define his career, even though he doesnot actually appear in a single frame.Understandably Dreamworks Studios would be failing shareholders not toexpand the franchise further and we now have the second film, in whatalmost certainly will become a trilogy.Does the film suffer from mid trilogy bloat and irrelevance, wellactually no. Everything is subjective but this is the equal or may evensurpass in some ways, the original film.Po Ping or Dragon warrior (Black) managed through his daring deeds andhopeless optimism to save "Kung Fu" in the first film, here he has amuch harder task. Finding himself, reconciling his own adoption andachieving "inner peace" all the while fighting off the genocidal LordShen (Oldman) of Gongman City. Shen is intent on destroying everythingand everyone to fill the emptiness, due to a lack of paternal love.As Po would say, "It's like, quite deep".As before, Po manages to complete daring feats and heroic acts, not somuch out of bravery but by falling skillfully, more often than not ledby his ample stomach in search of a quick feed. He does not do thisalone of course, we have on hand his usual fighting crew. Tigress(Jolie), Monkey (Chan), Mantis (Rogen), Crane (Cross) & Viper (Liu),heavy hitting star power for a children's animated movie.We also have Shifu (Hoffman) returning as a "Yoda" like mentor and MrPing (Hong) as Po's adopted father, who provides comic relief and sometouching scenes in equal measure. The film tidying up the slight oddityof a Panda being the son of a Goose. Michelle Yeo voices the soothsayerthat predicts Shen's future, who may or may not be useful to his questin equal measure. Even Jean Claude Van Damme gets a look in as MasterCroc, which always looks good on your filmography.It goes without saying that the animation and sound are top rate andthe story unfolds in a natural way and does not feel conceived merelyto extend the franchise. We wanted to know more about the character andhere we explore Po's past and why this new threat is so personal anddebilitating to him, his own Kryptonite if you will.What made the previous film really stand out was the hand drawnoriental style animation that interspersed the action, fleshing outstories told by the characters. Here we are again treated to similarsequences which lift the film to another level. For every childfriendly chase sequence there is a tender scene which manages to appealto adults without detracting from the on screen colourful antics.Will Po manage to vanquish evil again, find balance and reconcile hispast, well the deviations from the norm can only be stretched so farbut the journey is the thing and there is much to enjoy along the way.Could well be the the best animated film of the year, Pixar havedefinite competition in this genre and perhaps mirroring the arc fromToy Story 1 to 2. If so, then the third outing could be special indeed.Summary Equalling or even eclipsing the first film this achieves all the studiocould have hoped for. Family friendly with a good heart, exquisiteanimation and a starry but well used voice cast.Highly Recommended and as the tagline says, "full of awesomeness".
Reel_starz (15 May 2012)
Kung Fu Panda 2: Sequel packs less punch than original
When the first Kung Fu Panda movie came out in May 2008, no oneexpected much. All anyone really knew was that the plot centered arounda fat, martial-arts-oriented panda voiced by Jack Black, a pitch thatdoesn't quite scream gold of either the box-office or awards kind, andthe trailer wasn't exactly the most innovative thing out there.Besides, this was Dreamworks, the studio whose trademark in films is aheavy reliance on pop culture references and broad satire to the pointof overkill and whose greatest hit, arguably still the first Shrek atthat point, had been diluted by a series of mediocre, unstoppablesequels; they weren't Pixar, after all. But then, something surprisinghappened: it premiered at Cannes to shockingly positive reviews, andwhen the audience also responded with fervor, gone were the Pixarcomparisons. Instead, people began to buzz about the rich, colorfulanimation, Black's pitch-perfect voice casting as Po, the way itmanaged to be light and fun (not to mention funny) while still having asweet, heartfelt message without the *wink wink* pretensions of filmslike Ice Age or Shark Tale, which always seemed to be trying too hard Âand failing  to engage adults as well as younger folks. Kung Fu Pandawasn't just "good for Dreamworks"; it was genuinely great.Given its status as a clear financial success, a sequel was probablyinevitable. Though the surprise factor that helped the original standout was now gone, it seemed to be a more promising venture than most.The main vocal talents were all returning, for one, and with box-officeand critical hits like How to Train Your Dragon and Megamind undertheir belts, the guys at Dreamworks were steadily moving out of theshadow of their rival in the animation business.For the most part, Kung Fu Panda 2 is not a major disappointment. Theplot is weightier with a villain who not only aims to bring all ofChina to its knees but also played a dark role in our hero's past,though the earnest intensity saps the movie of some of the optimisticenergy that characterized the first one. Newcomer Gary Oldman makes fora lively and delightfully hateful, if fairly obvious, choice as thevoice behind the evil peacock Lord Shen. However, the real strength ofthis movie lies in its visuals. Vivid colors and sweeping shots throughmist-shrouded landscapes and old-fashioned villages make good use of3-D, and the creatures that populate this world are expressive anddetailed. The decision to render the dream and flashback sequences in amore traditional, hand-drawn style of animation proves effective and,at times, even poignant.If only this same joy and creativity could've gone beyond theaesthetics! Though, as previously stated, the plot is indeed moreserious than the simple "finding his destiny and overcomingexpectations" setup of the first movie, it feels oddly stretched,particularly in the half-hour or so around the climax, which mostlyconsists of Shen trying over and over again to eliminate Po and Pomiraculously escaping each time. What's more, a lot of the time seemsto be spent on action sequences, which are mostly staged in too much ofa swift blur to be truly impressive, and aside from a touching subplotabout Po and his goose "dad", character development is minimal; agreater focus on the interactions between Po and the individuals thatmake up the Furious Five would have been welcome. Despite theirrecognizable names, many of the voice actors are either indistinctiveor underused, with the notable exceptions of Oldman, Black and DustinHoffman, though the last was MIA for the majority of the film's runningtime. In particular, Angelina Jolie should be tough and icily demandingas Tigress, but instead, comes off as merely bland. Though she waspassable in the original, an expanded screen time provides too muchexposure to the lack of personality in her voice.Still, discounting a plot that becomes fairly repetitive and castingcomplaints, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a more effective sequel than most. Thoselooking for some good family-friendly entertainment will no doubt besatisfied, and the spectacular visuals are a reward all on their own.Just don't bring your kid if he can't stay still throughout the wholemovie. I got a couple of criers, in addition to a few that ran throughthe aisles during the last twenty minutes, and trust me, it's not funfor anyone involved.
revenge_of_shinobi (13 May 2012)
Shame shame shame
What a disappointment, I was looking forward to this, the originalbeing one of my favorite animations. This sequel however suffers fromhaving no soul and no comedy. Everything uttered from po's mouth seemscontrived and predictable.the action scenes, although filled withcomplicated fight scenes and gorgeous colors, lack the poetry andcomedy of the original. There is no way of connecting with po in thisfilm, it doesn't seem like he is on a journey you can relate too andthe villain, though voiced well, is incomparable to the villain of thefirst movie.For me its just big disappointment, and its score on IMDb isridiculous.
GoneWithTheTwins (13 May 2012)
This second outing has the opportunity to utilize each role purely for action, adventure, comic relief and even a bit of pathos.
Kung Fu Panda 2 capitalizes on the same techniques that made itspredecessor successful: a goofy lead character struggling desperatelyto fit in; comical character designs and playful animation; and anall-star cast of voice actors with such recognizable articulation thatthey breach the visual barrier of their 3D alter egos. Although thefirst film defined the characters, their relationships, destinies andthe setting of ancient Asia, this second outing has the opportunity toutilize each role purely for action, adventure, comic relief and even abit of pathos. Just when the sappiness ramps up to the point ofunbearable, the script has enough sense to thwart eye-rolls (or tearsif the manipulation worked) with sharply contrasting humor.Po (Jack Black) the overweight panda has been proclaimed the almighty"Dragon Warrior," and oversees the safety of China with his band ofcapable sidekicks, the Furious Five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis(Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Crane (David Cross) and Viper (LucyLiu). As he speaks with his patient master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) aboutfinding inner peace, a gang of wolf bandits pillages a nearby city insearch of metal objects, forcing Po to depart for a hasty rescue. As hewill soon discover, the banished peacock Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) hasforged fire-breathing, metal-spitting cannons to wipe out all who standin his path to world domination.It's debatable whether or not the story has grown more entertaining,especially considering the plot is little more than a generic kung futale of good vs. evil, like the kind found in just about everylive-action martial arts film in the last several decades. While themain conflict is a relentless overlord with an obedient army anddestructive weaponry, the underlying discordance is Po's hazyrecollection of the past and the desire to know who he is, how he endedup the son of a goose, and what happened to his real parents. Is Po inneed of confidence or the drive of revenge? Are his actions provoked byinner peace, as the movie insists on preaching, or by the powerfulforce that is adrenaline-pumping payback? Perhaps he's simply trying tosucceed at being "hardcore" so that he can measure up to hiscompanions. And if that's the case, it's a shame that so much of histime is spent annoyingly foiling reconnaissance, ambush and rescuemissions with his numbing defiance and cack-handed clumsiness. It'sfunny at times to see how pathetic he is compared to his generallyno-nonsense warrior counterparts, but equal parts infuriating that hedoesn't have to learn the hard way that there are consequences for hisreckless actions. This leads to the invincibility exhibited by allparties, which reduces the urgency and seriousness of everypredicament. Po is immune to injuries and haphazardly shields himselffrom harm with an accidental frying pan, a lucky misstep, or a loosefloor plank that swings up (like stepping on a rake) to block anonslaught of throwing knives. Crane similarly avoids danger withspastic flight, and Tigress has no excuses at all  she suffers onlysinged whiskers after taking a cannonball to the face. Gravity andphysics also seem to utterly evade the heroes, playing no part in theirunlikely escapes  although it does make the creatively complex chasesequences more intense and spontaneous.- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)
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