Review: "Kang Fu Panda 2" (2011)

WARNING - Spoiler Alert

           Hi, there! Welcome back to the animated film review. 

           This time I would love to review about the film with Chinese martial art style, the warrior of the dragon, and his great duty to protect the entire country from the evil leader…..all in ‘Kang Fu Panda 2’.

           ‘Kang Fu Panda 2’ (2011), the continued episode in the series of ‘Kang Fu Panda’ which first released in 2008, is the success animated production from DreamWorks. Comedy genre film, suit for all of us after the midterm exam, right?

           I like the way they build the intro story of the antagonist, lord Shen of Gongmen city, in the beginning of the film. The production team used technique that makes the picture seems like a shadow play, and we can also see the shadow play (which literally played by some minor characters) in many scenes. Remind me of Thailand’s southern shadow play.

           The antagonist is a bad guy with deeply pathetic problem toward his family, feels that his parents didn't love him. I think his parent made a good choice to chase him out of the city. The one who made lord Shen to have this bad circumstance is his ambition, not the fault of the others.

           And as expected, for the protagonist and his gang, they still are the same as the first episode. Po improves a lot in his Kang Fu skill, comparing to the past. On the other hand, I still wonder why people in the village cannot fight to protect themselves, when in the end of the Kang Fu Panda (2008) they had learned Kang Fu from Po!

           Fighting scene is fantastically interesting. I like how the sound effects played smoothly and harmoniously with the actions on the film. The animation is perfectly done, and the camera shots are well placed. I can see details in the scene and feel the excitement with the character’s actions.

           The film reveals Po’s background. As we audiences always notice, Mr. Ping, Po’s father is not our protagonist blood-related father. I, at first, did not think that Po will be a special person because of the fact that he is a panda. Even if in the first episode there is no another panda in the village, the state of being the panda is not important (or anybody told us that the panda is became extinct).

           I like Po in the present more than when he was a little boy. Even if the younger Po is so cute, I think his appearance is a little bit weird. And, yes, Po in the first episode is chubbier than in the second episode. Some of my friends stated that the little Po is cuter than the grown-up Po, at least about his voice. However, none of all of these changes of time can effect on Po’s behavior and personality.

           All in all, I would like to rate this film with 4.5 out of 5. I recommended for a family to watch together in weekend, and this film is for all ages.