Kung Fu Panda 2 Recap/Review
The long awaited sequel to the original Kung Fu Panda did not disappoint. Like all sequels, Kung Fu Panda 2 had to face the challenge of staying true to the first movie but still keep it original. I thought this movie did that very well as it looked to the origin of Po and how he got to be in a place where he is the only Panda as well as his quest for "Inner Peace". Also working on Po's true heritage as it is obvious that Po's true father was not Mr Ping, the goose.
The movie begins with a narration of a peacock clan that ruled Gongmen City in ancient China. Shen, the heir to the throne seeks to turn the newly invented fireworks into a weapon. Then it is revealed that the Goat Soothsayer foresees that should Shen continue down his dark path, he would be defeated by a Warrior of Black and White. This causes Shen to order an attack on all the Pandas in China, hoping to kill everyone so as to change his fate. When his parents heard of this attack, Shen was exiled as he swore revenge on them all.
Meanwhile back in the present, Po is living him lifelong dream as the Dragon Warrior when Master Shifu informs him of his next phase of training: Inner Peace. Then suddenly, a group of bandits attempt to steal all of the city's metal to build Shen's ultimate weapon. Po and the Furious Five battle the wolves and defeat them until Po notices a logo on the leader's armor which causes him to have a flashback of his mother. This momentary distraction allows the wolves to escape.
Po then asks Mr Ping who he was and how he got here and Ping reveals that he is not Po's true father. He tells him that he found Po in a radish basket and decided to adopt him as his son. But Po is unsatisfied and wants to know how he ended up in the basket.
Then, word reaches Master Shifu that Shen has killed the Leader of the Kung Fu Council in Gongmen City and plans to destroy Kung Fu as a whole. Po and the Furious Five set out for Gongmen City and Po's flashbacks continue as he grows restless. They get to the jail where they see two Kung Fu Masters locked up. However, they refuse to leave their cell as they know of Shen's powerful weapon and don't want to see the city destroyed.
Po and the Furious Five are captured by the wolves and are sent to Shen's tower. When Shen is about to kill them, they free themselves and destroy Shen's ultimate weapon. But yet another flashback distracts Po, allowing Shen to escape. Then, Shen destroys the tower with multiple versions of his weapon. After they escape the falling tower, Tigress confronts Po and he reluctantly tells her that he remembers Shen's presence the night he was separated from his parents and wants answers. This causes Tigress to tell him to stay behind in the jail.
When Po attacks Shen in his Cannon factory, he ruins the Furious Five's plans to destroy the factory. When he demands answers, Shen tells him that his parents abandoned him and blasts him with the cannon. But Po survives the blast and is nursed by the Soothsayer who tells him that it is his destiny to defeat Shen. This inspires Po and he achieves Inner Peace when he realises that his mother hid him in the radish crate as an infant to protect him from Shen's forces.
Po then returns to Gongmen City to save his friends and a battle ensues. The two Kung Fu Masters join the battle after being persuaded by Master Shifu. When Shen tries to blast Po again, he uses his Inner Peace training to block the blast and the cannon collapses on an unsuspecting Shen.
Po returns home and tells Mr Ping that he is proud to be his son. Meanwhile far away in a hidden village, Po's true father is shown sensing that his son is alive which opens the possibility of a third Kung Fu Panda Movie.
I thought that this movie was very well done. The comedy was good and the story was even better. A new villain in Shen was a welcome addition, voiced perfectly by Gary Oldman and once again, Kung Fu Panda is able to rise above expectations and deliver a great performance. After being able to do another Kung Fu Panda movie which stays original, it is clear that DreamWorks has the ability to produce yet another great film in which I believe will be the Kung Fu Panda trilogy. I must say, I am very much looking forward to Kung Fu Panda 3 and expect to see a great Father/Son reunion story.
Final Rating - 89%
