In the opening moments, we are told of a story revolving around Lord Shen (Gary Oldman, "Red Riding Hood"), the peacock heir to the thrown of Gongmen City. He seeks to use the power of fireworks to rule all of China, but is told by goat Soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh, "Sunshine") of the prophecy that he is to be defeated by an animal of black and white. In response, he orders for all of the pandas in China to be killed, horrifying his family in the process. As a result, he is banished, but vows to one day return with a bang.
Some years later, chubby-tubby panda Po (Jack Black, "Gulliver's Travels") is the Dragon Warrior of the Valley of Peace, protecting villagers from crime along with the butt-kicking Furious Five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie, "Salt"), Monkey (Jackie Chan, "The Karate Kid"), Mantis (Seth Rogen, "The Green Hornet"), Viper (Lucy Liu, "Charlie's Angels") and Crane (David Cross, "Megamind").
Together, they take on a gang of wolf bandits who are trying to steal metal from the Valley of Peace. While at first successful, Po becomes distracted when the symbol on the head wolf's armour takes him back to his past; he has seen this symbol before. Due to Po’s transfixed daze, the wolves knock him on his back and speed off, taking the stolen metal with them.
Soon enough, Po and the Furious Five set off to Gongmen City when Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman, "Little Fockers") tells them that Lord Shen has killed Master Thundering Rhino (Victor Garber, "Titanic") with a new weapon. When they arrive, they discover that Lord Shen has taken control of the city, and his weapon of choice is a magical and very deadly cannon, the metal having been stolen specifically for this destructive device.
It's curious how the storyline of "Kung Fu Panda 2" is so engrossing; it sounds relatively simple when written down like this. But what makes it such an engaging narrative is the sense of emotion that is quick to rear its head. It turns out Lord Shen is involved in Po's past in some way or another, this little surprise one of the triumphs of this wonderful film; it is a sequel that expands on the world of the original without tampering too much until it becomes bothersome, adding an extra slice of tenderness to the story.
There's also the revelation that Mr. Ping (James Hong, "Blade Runner") is not in fact Po's father. However, this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as Mr. Ping is a goose and Po is a panda (Po's reaction of shock is very smartly played with). This also aids in the film's unexpected emotional side, as we flash-back to Mr. Ping discovering baby Po in a basket and taking care of the little cub. 'Tis cute.
But the film's main focus is the action, an element that very much impressed in the 2008 original, the quality carried on here. It's all kung fu moves, the characters leaping through the air and punching and kicking with expert skill, though Po tends to use his rotund belly to his advantage. It's all incredibly handled by first-time director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, these set-pieces very lively and exciting, aided by the superbly rendered animation. Be prepared for your kids to do crane and viper moves on the ride home from the cinema; the passenger and driver seats are gonna get a kicking.
The voice-cast is all spectacular, Black the perfect candidate for the unlikely Dragon Warrior. Just like in the previous chapter, his character is a fun personality, this time attempting to achieve Inner Peace, now accepted by the Furious Five when he was at first out-of-place. Jolie's hard-as-nails tiger is equally as awesome, here shown to have a softer side, the script hinting at a possible romance between Po and Tigress. Could it be? I wonder what their kids would look like...
Oldman makes for a marvellously wicked villain in the form of a seemingly harmless peacock. The English actor really sells the power-hungry personality fuming within this vicious bird, the character both charming and abominable in equal measure without being a tired cliché. Even in voice form, Oldman is the man, damn near hogging all the spotlight from the black and white hero.
"Kung Fu Panda 2" is endlessly entertaining, and is the kind of family-friendly animation that really should be looked up to. While seemingly easy to shrug off as disposable celebrity-voice tripe, it is far too amusing and enthralling to be simply be dismissed in such a way. The animation is gorgeous, the action is magnificent, the comedy is sharp, the story is absorbing and the film overall is just brilliant. With the ending hinting at a "Kung Fu Panda 3," I'm as hungry for more as Po is for bamboo.
9/10
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