Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

Director: Jennifer Yuh
Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan

Synopsis:
Po and the Furious Five face off against the sinister Lord Shen, who seeks to break the power of kung fu and conquer China with a deadly new weapon.

Impressions:
Oftentimes you have to be a bit leery of sequels, but you can be surprised from time to time. In some ways, this is even better than the original. The first movie had layers to it, but there's even more emotional depth here. We get to explore Po's past and he's able to move forward as a character. It's nice to see him now fully a part of the team with the Furious Five and there's some nice development with his relationship with Tigress. Lord Shen is an amazing villain and a lot of credit goes to Gary Oldman for his performance. In a series like this, it's difficult to balance humor with seriousness, but that tightrope gets walked well here.

On a technical level, there is some very nice cinematography and I also like the 2-D flashback sequences. It all looks quite good from a technical standpoint and the finale is very well done. This is a very satisfying viewing experience that not only warrants a viewing but is worth a purchase.

Rating:
Own It