Christopher Shobris One thing that DreamWorks does well (with the exception of Shrek the Third) is sequels. They prove time and time again that they are very legit company in many cases, does better then its animated counterparts. Kung Fu Panda 2 is no exception as it seems the franchise is well at hand. After the incredible year of 2010 for DreamWorks after the cultural success of How to Train Your Dragon, and ending a great franchise (Shrek) they follow that year up with this. The movie's strengths are found within the story, not that its unique, but the secret ingredient found within. The secret ingredient is heart. Its not totally comedic as one would expect, but in the middle they tweak the film's tone with heart and emotion. This is what a proper sequel should do, taking the story and making it more then what we'd expect. Is this film a rehash from the last? Well, not really it offers new elements, especially to Po's character. The other characters are still they're same likable selves. In this however they really showcase the relationship growing between Po and Tigress which is the most unique and pleasurable relationship. The next thing is the villain voiced by Gary Oldman. He is the most interesting and menacing out of the villains so far. And that's hard to make a peacock menacing, and they did it like pros. Now the negative I have is what I said before, with the story not being unique and refreshing, but that's a slight error as the film makes up with heart. So a very small negativity. As a whole this film is one of DreamWorks' best. Now to grade. Animation: A Voice Acting: A- Story: C+ Music: B+ Characters: A+ Overall: B+

ravsten428 This movie was excellent! To me, the second installment of Kung Fu Panda far exceeded my expectations.The animation is spectacular! And while the plot uses the typical good vs. evil story, it works well here.While not as good as the original, Kung Fu Panda 2 offers plenty of action, compassion and laughter.The villain of the movie, a white peacock named Shen is bent on having revenge from being put away for being too greedy when he is young. His parents sent him away for his own good and he ends up becoming resentful. Does this story sound familiar to you Frozen fans? Anyway, I digress.On Po's journey to confront Shen, he finds out more about his life as a baby and what exactly happened to him. A symbol on Shen brings back memories of his childhood. While Po struggles with this he eventually finds his way to inner peace and exactly what happened that day.My favorite new character turned out to be the ram that was Shen's mentor. She was great!A worthy sequel that will be coming home to my DVD player.

DCHybrid02 I heard about this movie when I saw the Deathly Hallows Part 1. It literally took me 5 seconds of watching the actual trailer before I thought to myself in disbelief, "They're not actually making another one are they?" Seriously! I heard Jack Black's voice and immediately knew what this was. Then, I forgot about it until the Super Bowl came around. And after that, I forgot about it again until a few weeks before the release date. But as the release date drew closer, I began thinking that this movie looked like it might be good. Eventually, I decided I would actually like to see this in theaters, so I went on Memorial Day.All I could say after seeing this movie was "Wow". It was truly something else, something that I never would have dreamed of seeing in an animated film. Where to start? Well, I was shocked at the beginning of the movie when we're learning some of Shen's background. The panda genocide wasn't surprising when I learned about the Soothsayer's prophecy, but it was surprising that we were discussing such a dark topic. I would've thought that the powers that be would consider it to be too "sensitive" for children, but I was impressed that it was being addressed. This brings me to the villain who carried out this heinous act. Shen was a despicable being. He was cowardly, sadistic, and just delusional when it came to being "wronged" by his parents. I hated the guy and found Tai Lung to be a more likable character. But I believe that Shen presented more of a challenge to Po due to the negative psychological effect he had, whether it was from his feathers causing visions or his toying with Po before lying about the circumstances of his separation from his biological parents. Shen clearly got into Po's head. And he did something so terrible and traumatic that Po didn't even remember it for years. He did scar Po for life, but Po might not have found the means for progression as a kung fu master if it hadn't been for Shen's actions.This is a big one for me. Tigress. Now, I'm not one of those people who fawned over this movie because they're in love with some pairing. No. But I did enjoy seeing Tigress open up more, and I was glad to see that her continual scowl from the first movie was replaced by a smile here and there. I noticed that she and Po seemed to be best friends, which had me wondering what happened between the first movie and this one to make her go from intense dislike to best friends. The hug she gave to Po and the reactions of the rest of the Five made me believe that her character development is somewhat attributable to him. This development came as a relief. I found myself wondering whether or not she'd treat him with a more mild form of her attitude from the first.My only qualm was that Tigress' time in the spotlight meant that the rest of the Five took a place on the back burner. I noticed that in the first movie, too. However, considering the fact that they're with Po for the majority of this movie, they should either have spoken more or had lines that added to their characters or the plot in some way. Tigress is my favorite character among the Five, but there's a lot of talent among their actors, and I thought it was wasted by giving the characters 5 lines apiece. I have to say that I enjoyed this movie way more than the first. I like a little darkness in my movies. I've heard some say that they didn't enjoy the movie as much for this reason, but being a movie geared toward kids doesn't mean that it can't address serious or even grim themes. I applaud the director and the writers for delving into this. Some of my praise must also go the composers, John Powell and Hans Zimmer, who managed to create a great score that perfectly matched the scenes in the film. I'd definitely say that this is one of Dreamworks' better movies. Regardless of whether or not you can empathize with what's happening in this movie, many can probably sympathize or even compare Po's search for the truth to their own experiences in some way. Kung Fu Panda 2 is definitely something that any person can potentially enjoy.

Python Hyena Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011): Dir: Jennifer Yuh / Voices: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Seth Rogen: Every bit as bland as the first film despite its colourful images. This time out Po the kung fu Panda desires to know where he came from and what happened to his original family. Shen the peacock is the new villain who leads a pack of wolves into battle and only Po and his allies can stop them. Sounds standard and delivers on just that. While the first film is no dud, it certainly didn't avoid every martial arts cliché it could find. Jennifer Yuh does well directing but the film fails to deliver a compelling story. Jack Black voices Po who remains a likable presence despite his stereotypical friends. He searches for his past and realizes that he has forgotten it due too a trauma. He proves to overcome his dilemma while his enemy cannot. Angelina Jolie voices Tigress who comes to life more as an animation as oppose to a personality. The same can be said of Shifu, voiced by Dustin Hoffman who seems only as the countless reference to Yoda. The only other character of interest is villain Shen, voiced by Gary Oldman. We learn of Shen's upbringing and how he was banished, and the revenge he sought that would ultimately consume him. Other characters are paper thin although any one of the animals would make for a great documentary on wildlife program. The animation is as stunning as that of the first film but the story itself fails to lift off the screen. We are left with images of Asia and greater desire to watch something far more entertaining such as Animal Planet. Score: 4 / 10