Kung Fu Panda 2

Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Cast: (Voices of) Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen and Jackie Chan
DVD release: 24 November 2011
Rated: PG

Pandas are rare beasts indeed, but this latest animated rendering of the cuddly creature produces something even rarer - a sequel that’s better than the original.

There are several key reasons as to why Kung Fu Panda 2 surpasses its predecessor - a stronger script, some absolutely brilliant animation, and a more daring outlook among them - but the key seems to have been the installation of Jennifer Yuh Nelson in the director’s chair. This is her feature film debut, although she has worked extensively on animated features (including as a story artist on Kung Fu Panda) and had a stint directing for TV in the series Spawn. Yuh Nelson brings a discerning eye and a clear vision to this project; something often lacking in big-budget animated films.

The story essentially picks up where the original left off. Po (voiced by Jack Black) has been confirmed as the Dragon Warrior and is living and training with the Furious Five - Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Crane (David Cross) and Viper (Lucy Liu) - under the tutelage of Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). When word comes in of dastardly deeds by the vain and megalomaniacal peacock Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), the team naturally spring into action. The task however is complicated by two disturbing developments. The first is Shen’s creation of a “super-weapon” that turns fireworks into instruments of destruction. The second is Po’s uneasy feeling that Lord Shen holds the key to a dark secret from his past.

As seems to be the norm, there’s the proverbial ‘camel train’ of writers employed on the screenplay. In this case however, they all seem to be singing off the same hymn sheet. There’s an integrity and cohesion to the script that belies the number of writers, even if the storyline doesn’t stray all that far from the original. Those with a knowledge of classical literature will notice elements from several key tales - including the stories of Jesus and Jason (of Golden Fleece fame) - in the plot. Naturally however, this isn’t high-brow stuff in the traditional sense, and there are the expected Americanisms - not to mention plenty of jokes - peppering the dialogue.

The most striking thing about Kung Fu Panda 2 however is its incredible visual design. From the first scene to the end credits, the animation is really something to behold. The main action is rendered in CGI with a level of detail that’s hard to match. The ‘flashback’ scenes are done in traditional line animation; and the blend of the two is a real winner. The fight scenes are anything but realistic, but are thrilling and fit neatly in the kung fu movie milieu.

Most of the voice talent from the original are back again. Jack Black’s Po once more gets the lion’s share of the screen time, but there is an expanded role for Angelina Jolie’s Tigress. Seth Rogen, providing the voice of Mantis, scores some of the funniest lines. Much like his live-action work, Gary Oldman steals several scenes as the haughty peacock; while Dennis Haysbert and the seemingly irrepressible Jean-Claude Van Damme get cameo gigs.

Kung Fu Panda 2 certainly exceeded my (admittedly fairly low) expectations by a good margin. This is an engaging romp that will appeal to kids over about the age of 5 (little ones might find it a bit overwhelming); but which provides enough to keep accompanying adults entertained. That it manages to be funny and actually rather intelligent (given the genre) is an added bonus.

David Edwards