First and foremost, I was a big fan of the original Kung Fu Panda which was fresh, sweet, funny, action orientated, and beautifully animated, a top notch animated film that even Pixar would be proud of. While Kung Fu Panda capitalized on being cuddly and cute, it wasn't all about silly gags and furry creatures; there was a strong and engaging story as well, taking a cue from Pixar in making a family film suited for all ages, adults included. With the recent slew of disappointing sequels being released lately, would Kung Fu Panda 2 just be a bigger and louder picture or will it retain the charm that made the first one so successful? Thankfully, it is a little bit of both.
While the original film focused on Po the panda (Jack Black) discovering himself by fulfilling his destiny, in the sequel, he must revisit his past in order to complete this self discovery. One of the gags in the series is how Mr. Ping, a goose, came about to fathering a panda, something the audience accepts with a grain of salt, but to which Po is oblivious to. But you could hardly blame Po. Why wouldn't the goose that has raised and loved him his whole life be his father? So what if he looks a little different, are you the splitting image of your father? But it is all explained in the second film and leads to the same self doubt and uncertainty that plagued Po in the first film, where he must ask himself the age old question, "Who Am I?" It is a seemingly simple but ultimately complex question that few people can truly answer, let alone a cuddly panda.
Shen, an evil peacock, serves as a foil to Po in more ways than one. Like Po, Shen must deal with issues of his own past in facing his destiny, but unlike Po, he knows exactly who he is because of it. He poignantly remarks, "The dead are in the past and I must look to the future." Incidentally, not only is Shen trying to take over China, he also holds the secret to Po's past. Two birds with one stone, as they say. Shen also represents a change in Chinese history, perhaps the beginning of the end of kung fu, or the Chinese ideal. If his cannons can obliterate cities, what chance does kung fu have against that? Po represents the last stand in not just saving China, but also its way of life, a major point in Chinese history dealing with the western influence in China during the late 1800's to early 1900's. (One Upon a Time in China deals directly with this, though Kung Fu Panda 2 is likely of a different era, when animals knew kung fu.)
This discussion is obviously all deeper than it has to be; Kung Fu Panda 2, like its predecessor, is a fun kids action-adventure. While Po and the Furious Five must stop Shen, it is the manner in which they do it that counts. There is a nice ebb and flow of digging deeper into Po's backstory, comedic hijinks and nifty action to keep things going smoothly. One of the funnest moments involve the good guys sneaking around town in a dragon costume gobbling up bad guys Pac-Man style.
The first Kung Fu Panda looks great on Blu-ray. The characters and animation are all sharp and crisp and move smoothly and it's entirely in 2D. It is difficult to judge how good Kung Fu Panda 2 looks because of the 3D. While the 3D is well done, it is hard to tell just how detailed the animation looks when things are popping out at you in all directions. This is especially true during a high speed chase scene where it was hard to focus on any one particular thing as there was so much going on screen and going so fast. I suspect on average it actually looks slightly worse than the original, but from what I can tell it still looks pretty darn good. I will say though that the action sequences aren't as intriguing in this film as the first one. There is nothing that tops the first's battle for the dumpling in showcasing the delicate motions and intricacies of kung fu; much of the action here is big and frenzied.
In a story that focuses more on Po than the first one, a lot of the original characters take a backseat, which is good in that you don't want to rehash the same story as before, but bad in that you'd like to see more from those quirky characters you found so charming. Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu, doesn't get much screen time at all, which is a bummer because he is both wise and hilarious. While the Furious Five are faithful tagalongs to Po, they barely have any lines of significance. You almost forget that this movie stars the voices of Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen and David Cross. The notable exception is Angelina Jolie as Tigress, who's role has actually been beefed up. She was the most dynamic of the five in the original and now in this one forms a nice bond with Po. Potential romance in a third installment, perhaps?
While I think the original is a little better due to its originality and the crispness of the story and action, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a fine sequel that in some regards actually surpasses the first. While both features stories of self discovery and send a positive message, the sequel is certainly deeper and more emotional, even if a little messier. The ending is satisfying and rewarding, almost tear inducing, something you'd probably think impossible for a stupid cartoon movie, right?
Grade: B+
No comments:
Post a Comment