The sequel has the panda Po leading the Furious Five into battle with a paranoid peacock determined to conquer and rule China.
Po’s origins are tied to the bad bird’s behavior. The panda is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier and finally learns that his father — the goose — isn’t really his father.
-- Local show times, theaters, trailer.
As with the first film, the actors voicing the characters all have fun with their parts. Jack Black is the perfect choice to give voice to the pea-brain Po. Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan and Dustin Hoffman reprise their character voices and Gary Oldman has a blast doing the villainous Lord Shen. Michelle Yeoh and former kick flick superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme give voice to two of the film’s minor characters.
Rarely — as noted in my review of The Hangover Part II — is a sequel even close to as good as the original. The franchise hits a better stride with Kung Fu Panda 2. While not close to as creative as DreamWorks’ animation franchise Shrek or most of the Pixar pictures, plenty of slapstick add positive punctuation to the predictable plot and No. 2 is funnier and more fun than the original.
Kung Fu Panda 2 comes in two packages -- the deluxe 3D or in the usual two-dimensions. Either is terrific.
Director Jennifer Yuh — who won an Emmy in 1999 for the TV series Spawn — does her first turn directing a major motion picture. She does a great job with the 3D and with the film’s pacing.
While there is enough action to keep younger kids in their seats, they often don’t do well with the required 3D glasses so two dimensions may work best. For kids five and over, go the 3D route if you can afford the extra charge.
Mr. Movie rating: 4 stars
Rated PG for some mature themes. It opens in 3D and 2D on Friday, May 27 at the Carmike 12 and at the Fairchild Cinemas 12.
5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.
