Legendary!
G, I love this movie.

**Here are 15 lessons I learned from Kung Fu Panda 2**

01 Never lose your sense of humor.
02 Nightmares are visualizations of your inner fears.
03 We must do, what we are afraid to do.
04 If your heart is filled with hate, it can never be filled with love.
05 Live in the moment. The here and now is the only thing that matters.
06 If you are angry, it doesn't help to release it on a pole or people next to you.
07 The problems we have, are only (reflections) inside our self.
08 If you want to find inner peace, you need to let go.
09 You are yourself your biggest enemy.
10 When you accept your past & accept who you are - you can access your full potential.
11 Anything is possible (if you are in inner peace).
12 Nobody can tell you who you are, you have to discover it for yourself.
13 Revenge can blow up in your face and your victory will be short lived.
14 Everything happens for a reason - even pain will result in meaning (loss of parents -> dragon warrior).
15 Never give up.

In 2011 the sequel to the DreamWorks movie, Kung Fu Panda 2, appeared in theaters and it was very pleasant to see how this film has surpassed the standards imposed by the first one, being more exciting, touching and spiritual. Since its inception it evokes nostalgia for master Oogway, a character who died in the first film, when he is used for the production company logo. After there is the two-dimensional intro that pays homage to the one used in the first chapter of the saga. It is nice to see Po‘s maturation as a kung fu warrior and the development of the relationship it has with its friends, the five cyclones, who, despite having little space in this film, show how the union makes the force.
The villain, Lord Shen, a crown prince disowned by his parents for turning fireworks powder in powder for cannons, is the emblem of the progress that advances and tries to destroy the tradition, in this case the kung fu. A sheepguess predicts the defeat of the Lord by the hand of a black and white warrior, a clear reference to Po that embodies the balance of the Tao, and this will also be the key point on which the common history between the warrior and Lord Shen is based.
The fight scenes are stunning, but my favorite is the one where the dragon warrior can achieve inner peace that combines martial art and spirituality, making it truly spectacular.

Threre are few sequels that are better than the original. This is one of them.

Smarter, with good plot and an amazing animation. Perfect for a movie session with the family.

Admittedly, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first “Kung Fu Panda.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s alright, but that’s all. Just alright. The jokes about him being big and clumsy get old after an hour and a half, to the point where it almost seems like a movie that’s trying to (ironically) fat shame kids.

“Kung Fu Panda 2” is really more of the same. Same characters, same plot, same jokes. It’s extremely predictable with literally no surprises, giving the characters little depth. What we are presented with here is essentially a paint-by-numbers family film. If you’re okay with that, then more power to you. It’s pretty harmless brain candy, but if you’re looking for more substance or any way to challenge your kids a little, look elsewhere. Again, it’s just kind of...there. Ironically zen, in a way.

Kung Fu Panda 2 excitedly kicks, punches and belly flops its way through overused visual humour. “Everybody was kung fu fighting!” much more so in this sequel when compared to its predecessor. The Furious Five were slapping Shen’s army of diabolical wolves left, right and centre. Master Shifu prodding his stick conveniently during the climactic battle. And a plethora of other anthropomorphic beasts harnessing the power of said martial art. This very much felt like an animated martial arts feature, one aspect the original was sorely missing. However, despite DreamWorks’ best efforts in continuing Po’s search in becoming the Dragon Warrior, its quality offers no improvements. Unable to surpass the boundaries of family-friendly humour that reduces the visual splendour and narrative heft to progress the story onto the next level.

Po, having realised who his parents truly are (not a goose...), must save China with the Furious Five from the malicious peacock Shen and his fascination with metallic weapons. DreamWorks constantly pump out family orientated animations with powerful morals every year. This sequel illustrating the ability to manipulate our past childhoods to shape the person we want to be. For Po, this meant ignoring the familial scars that Shen caused, producing his prepubescent abandonment. A notable moral that many should abide by, but unfortunately is weighed down by excessive comedy that diminished a vast amount of beautiful moments. Aside from the tantalising scene when Po finally discovered what happened to his parents, conveyed through mesmerising hand-drawn animated flashbacks, all other heartfelt examples were brutalised by Po’s apparent requirement to exercise his bumbling personality. Black’s prolific voice doesn’t help matters, with a lack of sincerity to his vocal performance, but the frantic pacing and rushed sequences made for a frustrating central narrative.

That’s not to say this sequel is poor, in fact it’s just as consistent as its predecessor. Rather infuriating is all given the tender bamboo seeds that were lovingly planted, unable to grow into ferocious stalks. The humour, as overwhelming as it is, does provide characterisation to these animals. Po in particular. Making it hugely accessible for all members of all families to watch and enjoy.

The action sequences were splendid and vibrantly colourful, with some ingenious editing that made one chase scene resemble ‘Pac-Man’. The oriental aesthetics and environments built a beautifully inclusive world for the characters to roam in. The antagonist, Shen, was far more memorable and sinister in comparison to...ummm...I forgot his name. The snow leopard? We’ll go with that. Mostly due to Oldman’s vocal work that has a larger range than the entirety of his filmography (and that’s saying something!). The red and black lighting was, at times, excessive in depicting “evil” and surprisingly dark. No, not thematically. It was literally difficult to see anything!

Aside from that, Kung Fu Panda 2 slaps. And punches. And kicks. But also tumbles repetitively due to Po’s constant buffoonery. It does however set the third film up nicely, so guess I’ll have to give that a go...