When Dreamworks made kung fu panda I?m not sure they even thought it would work. Yes it had a lot of big actors but beside the 3 main characters (Po, Shifu, Tai Lung) all of the others seemed obviously to be phoning it in. That part isn't really a problem since all of the big name actors characters (i.e. the furious 5) have maybe a total of 8 lines between them all.
However it did work (at least for me) because it was a kids movie and it did what kids movies are supposed to do, distract children. Some other nice things about kung fu panda one are Jack Black managed to actually make me like him in a movie, Ian Mcshane and Dustin Hoffman brought haunted depth to Shifu and Tai Lung and it was really generally funny, even for an adult audience. Also the fight scene at the end was really good.
Now kung fu panda 2 is here and Dreamworks continues it's tradition of throwing out something they don't think will work and then when trying to build on it drive it into the ground (see also; Shrek, Madagascar). To be fair this movie does work in some senses, both my children managed to sit through the whole thing in a movie theater without making noise or falling asleep. So as a kids movie it's pretty good. There are a set of new problems though. These all stem from the same basic problem, it can't decide what it wants to be.
You see on the one hand Po isn't trying to learn kung fu anymore he's already a master, so the problem we run into is there isn't any time spent learning new things. This leads the movie to try time and again to be an awesome kung fu movie. And it succeeds in some regards on that. However it also wants to be a kids movie because that?s what it was in the first one. So a lot of times the actions is interrupted by wacky comedy.
I don't have a problem blending the two together, kung pow and kung fu hustle both prove that it can work. But both those movies were trying to blend action and comedy. Kung fu panda wants to be an awesome action movie and then remembers it needs to be a kids movie every 5 minutes and the switch is rather jarring. The worst part for me was near the end with a dramatic showdown brewing. The music is rising and Po (after having been knocked down) climbs up and assumes his fighting stance, then the movie remembers it wants to be fun for kids. The music stops dead and Po does some slapstick and then makes a wry remark. It wasn't even that funny, it was just out of place and distracting it pulls you out of the moment it just spent 5 minutes building up. Then as quickly as it came it ends the music continues and what should of happened does, but now you don't care because immersion was broken.
There are other problems too. It has too many cliches, the furious five are built up and then the movie doesn't know what to do with them, one of the 5 turns out to be a very stereotypical cardboard cut out (I?ll let you guess who), and the villain?s plans don't make a whole lot of sense (but then what villain plans do?) and finally again it brings in big names gives them nothing and they totally phone it in. Also there are more than your fair share of plot holes, I don't list these with the rest because even the most egregious one can be explained away easily and logically.
There are good parts, character growth becomes very central in this movie, master Shifu is as awesome as ever, there isn't anything trying to be rebooted, some of the weird stuff in the first one is explained and that is trying to be an awesome action movie shows. The fight scenes are really good. They are smooth flowing and over the top. I would say there is a little too much for a kids movie but then again it is awesome and the fights scenes occur when it forgets that it's trying to be kids movie. It also doesn't mind slowing down to build a great third act and that build comes from a scene with emotional depth I usually only see in Pixar animated movies.
The villain is awesome. And isn't afraid to get his hands dirty once or twice or should I say wings, because he is a peacock and yes he will use his feathers for cool stuff (spoiler alert). The main problem with him is his plan doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense and at the same time is completely predictable. However Gary Oldman does great in the role and makes Shen every bit as evil as you want him to be. And as with every good villain he has reasons for what he does. Yes his plans don't make sense but you see why he's doing it. What I'm saying is he isn't evil for the sake of being evil.
As far as a recommendation goes, If you are a fan of either jack black, kung fu or animation go see this movie. This is a kids movie and that needs to stick in the forefront of your mind though. Parents feel free to take your kids to see it but be warned there is a lot, a lot, of fighting. And this movie is not afraid of death or killing characters. I actually give it points for that. There are no cop out he actually lived through that but in a full body cast gags. When someone dies they die and they stay dead. No one bloodily dies on screen, but don't be surprised if kids are really worried about characters and start asking you where they are. If you have adopted kids I strongly recommend this movie.
All and all it's pretty good, definitely the best sequel out of Dreamworks. However I?m almost certain there is going to be a kung fu panda 3. check below if you want the details.
However it did work (at least for me) because it was a kids movie and it did what kids movies are supposed to do, distract children. Some other nice things about kung fu panda one are Jack Black managed to actually make me like him in a movie, Ian Mcshane and Dustin Hoffman brought haunted depth to Shifu and Tai Lung and it was really generally funny, even for an adult audience. Also the fight scene at the end was really good.
Now kung fu panda 2 is here and Dreamworks continues it's tradition of throwing out something they don't think will work and then when trying to build on it drive it into the ground (see also; Shrek, Madagascar). To be fair this movie does work in some senses, both my children managed to sit through the whole thing in a movie theater without making noise or falling asleep. So as a kids movie it's pretty good. There are a set of new problems though. These all stem from the same basic problem, it can't decide what it wants to be.
You see on the one hand Po isn't trying to learn kung fu anymore he's already a master, so the problem we run into is there isn't any time spent learning new things. This leads the movie to try time and again to be an awesome kung fu movie. And it succeeds in some regards on that. However it also wants to be a kids movie because that?s what it was in the first one. So a lot of times the actions is interrupted by wacky comedy.
I don't have a problem blending the two together, kung pow and kung fu hustle both prove that it can work. But both those movies were trying to blend action and comedy. Kung fu panda wants to be an awesome action movie and then remembers it needs to be a kids movie every 5 minutes and the switch is rather jarring. The worst part for me was near the end with a dramatic showdown brewing. The music is rising and Po (after having been knocked down) climbs up and assumes his fighting stance, then the movie remembers it wants to be fun for kids. The music stops dead and Po does some slapstick and then makes a wry remark. It wasn't even that funny, it was just out of place and distracting it pulls you out of the moment it just spent 5 minutes building up. Then as quickly as it came it ends the music continues and what should of happened does, but now you don't care because immersion was broken.
There are other problems too. It has too many cliches, the furious five are built up and then the movie doesn't know what to do with them, one of the 5 turns out to be a very stereotypical cardboard cut out (I?ll let you guess who), and the villain?s plans don't make a whole lot of sense (but then what villain plans do?) and finally again it brings in big names gives them nothing and they totally phone it in. Also there are more than your fair share of plot holes, I don't list these with the rest because even the most egregious one can be explained away easily and logically.
There are good parts, character growth becomes very central in this movie, master Shifu is as awesome as ever, there isn't anything trying to be rebooted, some of the weird stuff in the first one is explained and that is trying to be an awesome action movie shows. The fight scenes are really good. They are smooth flowing and over the top. I would say there is a little too much for a kids movie but then again it is awesome and the fights scenes occur when it forgets that it's trying to be kids movie. It also doesn't mind slowing down to build a great third act and that build comes from a scene with emotional depth I usually only see in Pixar animated movies.
The villain is awesome. And isn't afraid to get his hands dirty once or twice or should I say wings, because he is a peacock and yes he will use his feathers for cool stuff (spoiler alert). The main problem with him is his plan doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense and at the same time is completely predictable. However Gary Oldman does great in the role and makes Shen every bit as evil as you want him to be. And as with every good villain he has reasons for what he does. Yes his plans don't make sense but you see why he's doing it. What I'm saying is he isn't evil for the sake of being evil.
As far as a recommendation goes, If you are a fan of either jack black, kung fu or animation go see this movie. This is a kids movie and that needs to stick in the forefront of your mind though. Parents feel free to take your kids to see it but be warned there is a lot, a lot, of fighting. And this movie is not afraid of death or killing characters. I actually give it points for that. There are no cop out he actually lived through that but in a full body cast gags. When someone dies they die and they stay dead. No one bloodily dies on screen, but don't be surprised if kids are really worried about characters and start asking you where they are. If you have adopted kids I strongly recommend this movie.
except for the last scene which might actually cause more problems than it solves for orphans with unknown parents
All and all it's pretty good, definitely the best sequel out of Dreamworks. However I?m almost certain there is going to be a kung fu panda 3. check below if you want the details.
okay so the last scene kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth because it is shameless pandering for a sequel. Basically we find out that the village Po was born in was attacked because of a prophecy about him, and both his parents die off screen along with all other pandas. The very end though is a flash across landscapes and mountains to a far off place and shows a tiny village, pandas work in the background and suddenly a very kung fu master looking panda stands up and says declares ?my son is alive!? cut to black, role credits. IMDB doesn't have anything on it but something like that is bad because if there is a sequel it really is shameless pandering and if there isn't it leaves a big dangling plot thread. It's also bad because a main theme in this movie is Po working out some daddy issues and discovering his past including being adopted by his father, Mr. ping, you know the noodle guy?