KUNG FU PANDA 2: Animation film voiced by Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan. Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson. 88mins. Rated PG (Mild animated violence).
Reviewed by Fr Richard Leonard SJ
IN Kung Fu Panda 2, Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five.
But Po’s new life is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, Lord Chen, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu.
Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.
In 2008 Kung Fu Panda made $633 million worldwide.
This worthy sequel premiered on May 22 this year and has already taken $423 million.
This film will be a hit here too, though it is not for young children.
In fact I am surprised the reason for its PG rating is mild animated violence.
I would have thought that the never-ending action and battle sequences warranted a moderate violence note at least.
Don’t take under eights along.
This time around the story line is much more political.
Lord Shen wants to dominate China and so has an insatiable desire for steel in his bid to build up his military might.
And the anxiety of an evil Chinese power seeking domination is presented in a darker way too. Does all this sound familiar?
That said, Kung Fu Panda 2 is beautifully realised and, for a change, the 3D production only adds to the wonderful animation.
It is a handsome film indeed.
Hans Zimmer’s score is near perfect too.
The major and more satisfying shift this time is Po’s character development.
To deepen his warrior status he does to need to develop his skills, as much go into himself and find peace in regard to the circumstances of his parent’s death.
The values that underpin this plot line are excellent.
My only major objection to Kung Fu Panda 2 is the continuation of the racist Hollywood stereotype of the really evil character having a British accent, this time Gary Oldman as Lord Shen.
That characterisation is now so common in US films that it only mildly takes away from the other excellent elements that make this an enjoyable film for older children and adults alike.
