Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

“Kung Fu Panda 2” is a perfect sequel. It delivers all the fun, excitement and action that made its predecessor so excellent whilst expanding the world of the franchise and adding unforeseen emotional depth to the characters.

It’s rare for a sequel to be as good as the film that it follows, but “Kung Fu Panda 2” is, without a doubt, worthy to stand alongside the original. In fact, “Kung Fu Panda 2” exceeds the original in some respects, making it one of the greatest sequels of all time!

Its spectacular action sequences, phenomenal villain and excellent animation help create a film that I love and re-watch as much as the first.

“Kung Fu Panda 2” is a masterpiece; I can’t find one fault against it. Whilst the plot isn’t particularly original (the story is identical to that of the “Harry Potter” series) “Kung Fu Panda 2” is so hilarious, heart-warming and enthralling that it’s similarity to one of my favourite franchises doesn’t bother me.

One aspect of this movie that sets it apart from most other family films is how dark and distressing the story becomes. Back in 2011, my 7 year-old self was totally unprepared for the emotional intensity that “Kung Fu Panda 2” contains. Whereas some animated films try desperately to pump tears out of their audiences (*cough* “Toy Story 3” *cough*), the emotional scenes in “Kung Fu Panda 2” fit so poignantly into the narrative that a certain scene drives me to tears every time I see it.

The addition of Po’s tragic backstory makes him even more loveable, he’s still the funny and wide-eyed panda that we met in 2008, but there’s now a determination and a longing that we didn’t see in the original. This continued exploration of his motivations and inner self makes him more relatable and, strangely, inspirational and Jack Black plays every moment flawlessly.

All of the returning characters are brilliant; each one gets something memorable to do. Master Shifu is sadly omitted from the bulk of the story, (though he does appear in the outstanding finale.) A particular highlight is Tigress, voiced by Angelina Jolie, her scenes with Po are heartfelt and touching and her fight sequences are fantastic.

As the saying goes, a film is only as good as its villain, which means that “Kung Fu Panda 2” owes a lot to Lord Shen, voiced by the incredibly talented Gary Oldman. Shen commands every scene he appears in and manages to be entertaining and slightly terrifying. His connection to Po drives the film; the damage that he inflicted on Po makes him, in my opinion, one of the best animated villains of all time.

The action set pieces in “Kung Fu Panda 2” are truly jaw-dropping. It baffles me that the action sequences in the “Kung Fu Panda Trilogy” are better than those in most blockbusters with hundreds of millions of dollars behind them. The use of slow motion, fantastic cinematography and an outstanding score creates an atmosphere of sheer awesomeness! The pacing of the film is masterfully structured, whilst “Kung Fu Panda 2” bounces from fight sequence to fight sequence like a dumpling shooting out of Po’s mouth, the audience never feels overwhelmed as the tender moments and on-point humour offers relief from the pulse-pounding scenes.

Even though the stakes of “Kung Fu Panda 2” are insanely high, the blow-out excitement never sacrifices the characters; everything in the movie is perfectly balanced, the humour never undercuts a serious moment.

Everything that makes this film so amazing all comes to head in the incredible third-act climax. Every character, plot and moment comes to an explosive, mind-blowing and goose-bump-inducing (yes that is a technical term) conclusion. Every shot is print-worthy; every line quotable, every joke hilarious! The sense of victory and satisfaction soars as Po finds inner peace, overcomes his grief and deflects cannon balls. This is undoubtedly one of my favourite finales in cinematic history, “Kung Fu Panda 2” ends so spectacularly, it makes me want to cheer, laugh and cry.

I adore “Kung Fu Panda 2”; it flawlessly continues the arcs of its characters, introduces a formidable villain and blends so many powerful emotions. It has the full blockbuster package, I’ve seen it hundreds of times and love every second of it. Perfection doesn’t get more thrilling, funny or endearing than this!

SKADOOSH!