Kung Fu Panda 2

Back in 2008, Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda came out of nowhere to take the worldwide box office by storm, surpassing the studio’s own Ice Age, and also Pixar favourites such as Wall-E and Monsters Inc. And so, following on from the success of the original, we have the imaginatively titled Kung Fu Panda 2, which is every bit as funny and charming as the first.

Po (Jack Black) is now a fully fledged ‘Dragon Warrior’, battling evil forces with the Furious Five by his side, but still struggling to control his hunger and triumph over his old enemy - stairs. When the evil peacock Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) returns from exile with a very big gun (the ‘Kaboom of Doom’) and a plan to take over China, Po must fulfil his destiny as prophesied by the ancient Soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh), while at the same time coming to terms with the startling revelation of his own adoption...

Kung Fu Panda 2 succeeds because it follows the basic rules of sequels: it is bigger and funnier, with better character development and a more complex storyline, yet it still retains all the charm of the original. Some of the themes may be a bit scary for children (panda genocide, anyone?) but are handled subtly and sensitively – incidentally, director Jennifer Yuh was responsible for the lovely hand-drawn title sequence in the first movie, and her whimsical touch can be felt throughout the film, particularly in the beautiful animated sequence depicting the annihilation of Po’s village.

For all its darker tones, however, Kung Fu Panda 2 still has plenty of laughs. Jack Black is hilarious once again as the lead, while Gary Oldman has great fun spouting some brilliantly over-the-top dialogue (“The year of the peacock begins now!”). Other characters are given some great one-liners (watch out in particular for Danny McBride as Boss Wolf – hilarious), but any of the Furious Five who aren’t Angelina Jolie or Seth Rogan are somewhat neglected.

Kung Fu Panda 2 is a high-kick above the competition, and easily the best cartoon since Toy Story 3; let’s hope that the inevitable threequel can continue Dreamworks’ winning streak. Sca-doosh!

Catriona Davidson