Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

There are many cartoon characters that became iconic, thus the viewers feel hard to part with them. To keep the kids and adults pleased with their favorite characters on screen, animated movie studios found the outcome by producing sequels. And now the admirers of Kung Fu Panda have a chance to enjoy the adventure of Po in its second part.

With extremely well-accepted part I, it was a real challenge to create not the less successful Kung Fu Panda 2 movie, but DreamWorks Animation studio coped with this hard task just great! Judging by numerous Kung Fu Panda 2 reviews, as well as by my own experience, the sequel is a wow cartoon too!

Po is on his ride to set the neighbouring land free from a bellicose, evil peacock Lord Shen, but each time he confronts Shen's soldiers, he goes through unexpected flashbacks from his childhood, where Po is with his family of pandas. First, he is determined to find the information of his origin, and second, to defeat Lord Shen. While in prequel it was hard to believe Po is the Dragon Warrior, in Kung Fu Panda 2 movie it seems impossible to take Po as the one destined to beat Shen. Yet, after facing severe opposition of wolf gangs and cannons, overcoming personal problematic issues and obtaining long-awaited peace and full concentration, Po turns from fat clumsy panda into unbeatable warrior.

Kung Fu Panda 2 movie reveals multiple layers of philosophy, but I found one that is close to me: let the past be in the past, live for the present and feature. The final scene of Po meeting his goose father is a weepy one, where many sentimental viewers can shade some teardrops. While kids will find many action scenes entertaining, their parents can think over deeper and take a use of the issues uncovered in the cartoon.

Jack Black's voice for Po is excellent, giving the panda an identifiable portrait. The rest including Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Gary Oldman are nice, but not that impressive. 3D is another thing so amazing to impress by great effects and give a cartoon an extra layer of competitiveness on the film market, even to oppose such a giant as Pixar.

Overall, Kung Fu Panda 2 movie is a perfect cartoon to spend time watching it with your kids, even to have a little discussion on it afterwards. If you have a chance to watch it in 3D, snatch at it!