Kung Fu Panda 2 is a certified banger

-

One of my favourite sequels tbh.




So in my last post (which you can check out if you haven’t already) I reviewed Kung Fu Panda. I rewatched the sequel with my friends the other day, and it’s even better than the first one.

    [OBLIGATORY SPOILER WARNING]

Like any good sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2 builds on its predecessor’s story. We learn that Po is adopted (which resolves questions kid-me had when I saw the first one), and journey with him as he slowly learns that harrowing truth about what happened to the panda village.

One of the best things about this movie is how it handles mature themes like genocide and trauma. Through distinctive animation and a striking sound track (Hans Zimmer at it again), we learn how and why Lord Shen purged all the pandas, and how Po survived. The scene in the rain where Po finally comes to terms with his loss; letting go of the past and embracing the present is one of my favourite scenes in film.

Jack Black is back and better than ever. Along with the animators (shout out to them, especially for the flashback scenes, I really like the puppetry and 2-D style used) he delivers a performance that is equally entertaining and emotional. Another stand out performance comes from Sirius Black himself, Gary Oldman, who voices Lord Shen. His depiction as a power-hungry peacock is great, I really like how 3-dimensional his character is; ruthless, prideful and insecure, which he attempts to mask. I also really like Mr Ping, Po’s duck dad (voiced by James Hong), he’s a lovely character who really grounds Po (despite the fact that he’s an anthropomorphic duck). Seeing him and Po hug at the end is just AWWWW…

Despite the Furious Five not really having much characterization (apart from Tigress), I still like ‘em, especially the boi Monke. The wolves are pretty cool henchmen.

The finale, where Po manages to defeat Lord Shen and his army by using their own firepower against them is awesome, it’s probably my favourite scene in all the Kung Fu Panda movies (still haven’t seen 4 yet). The arc that Po goes through, gaining inner peace and embracing his destiny and new life is incredibly done and can resonate with all audiences, young and old alike.

The entire team, led by director Jenifer Yuh Nelson did an amazing job with this one. Looking forward to revisiting 3.

Skadoosh.

Sources:
Kung Fu Panda 2 (Jenifer Yuh Nelson, DreamWorks, 2011).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Househelps: Ordinary Heroes

-
 Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear aprons. . Although no one can shoot lasers out of their eyes or control lightning ( sigh ), our society has some real life superheroes - from first-responders such as ambulance personnel and search-and-rescue teams, to athletes who push themselves to do the best for their team. However, some of the most admirable individuals are those who's job it is to do the most ordinary tasks. People who consistently take care of the simple, but essential things that make our lives complete. Househelps fall into this category. Also known as maids or (checks Thesaurus.com) au pairs , these ladies really deserve a shoutout. I'm from Kenya, and in many African countries, a househelp isn't an exclusive worker who only the rich can afford. The average African middle-class household often has at least one househelp who, well, helps around the house. Oh boy, do they help out a lot . From preparing meals, to doing laundry; washing dishes, cleaning the house
Read more

The Passion of the Christ: Hope amidst Suffering

-
 Revisiting Mel Gibson's biblical epic. As Easter is here, our minds are apt to turn to chocolates, special meals and holidays. These are all well and good, but it's important to preserve the true meaning of the Easter season: celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. To get to Easter, we have to go through the Passion. [OBLIGATORY SPOILER WARNING] Mel Gibson’s 2004 film, The Passion of the Christ; does an excellent job of capturing the events of Good Friday with striking (and often horrific) accuracy. I applaud the cast and crew for doing their best to make the film as realistic as possible; the fact that the dialogue is entirely in Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew is great, it makes one feel as though they have been transported back to biblical times. I do wish they had included Jesus' consolation of the holy women (although apparently it's in a deleted scene).  From a cinematic perspective, this movie is incredible. The scenes are well shot (there's a littl
Read more

(Re)start

-
 Some thoughts and ideas on new beginnings. Happy New Year! Our planet has completed yet another orbit around our Sun. But nothing feels...different.  Our placement of the start of the New Year is quite arbitrary. We could have it at any time. The Chinese won't be celebrating their New Year until February (it's gonna be the Year of the Dragon-how cool is that?). People make a big deal out of the beginning of a new year, and not without reason. It's a time of high levels of activity: planning for the next 12 months, paying school fees, getting back to work...there's a lot to do. Setting New Year's resolutions is one common practice around this time. Not sticking to them for more than a few weeks is another.  But for real, whilst the idea of taking time at the beginning of the year to set goals and make some changes to our lives is admirable; why should we only do this on January 1st? My little brother put it in a very profound way: "A date can't change you,
Read more