Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

DreamWorks Animation proved themselves as a force to be reckoned with after they released Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon, two smart, fun children’s films with just as much skill and craft put into the writing as was put into the animation. Now, they threaten American animation giant Pixar with Kung Fu Panda 2, which goes up against Cars 2 this summer. But is this just DreamWorks turning Kung Fu Panda into the next Shrek or can they pull off another stellar work?

Turns out, DreamWorks might just see another year of the Panda as everything that made Kung Fu Panda such a delightful film is back with an even better story. Now that Po (Jack Black) has proven himself as the Dragon Warrior, he joins the Furious Five in keeping the kingdom safe, but when a dastardly peacock named Shen (Gary Oldman) threatens the way of kung fu, as well as all of China, with a new invention.

While the film hits a lot of familiar narrative beats, and follows a common story formula, what makes it work is that the film constantly finds humor in the by the numbers plot. It also finds a way of constantly undercutting those epic movie moments that almost always get overdone. It’s one of the funniest spoof films to be made in a good while and will likely stand as one of the funniest films of the year.

However, while it is a very goofy movie, the film also has some mature storytelling. Once again, the film introduces a complex and conflicted villain, one who’s past shaped and defined him to believe certain things about the world. He’s more empathetic than many of the villains being made in films aimed at older audiences.

What’s also completely shocking about this film is that it directly deals with the idea of genocide. Granted, it’s toned down for children audiences, but it still packs quite a shock and some emotional weight behind it. The presentation and gall to show something like this demonstrates that DreamWorks simply isn’t looking to amuse kids. While most children might not fully understand it, credit has to be given to DreamWorks for maintaining the integrity of telling the story they wanted to tell and doing so in a tasteful manner.

And this is what threatens Pixar, this is what shows that DreamWorks might just have what it takes to surpass them as the dominate animation studio for children and adults. They’ve achieved a balance with their narrative able to flow from the goofy slapstick humor and unabashed geekery of Jack Black into a fascinating portrait of a nuanced villain and an instance of one of the most horrific acts of humanity.

Is this to say that Kung Fu Panda 2 is a flawless film? No. Some of the sentimentality gets laid on too thick, the dramatics are occasionally too overwrought and the film has a few too many characters for its relatively short runtime. On that front, Pixar still crafts tighter stories. But what the narrative does well in Kung Fu Panda 2 it does fantastically.

While Kung Fu Panda 2 has a lot more going for it in addition to the story, especially the action scenes and visuals, it’s the narrative that’s the standout here. Some will still knock it for being too familiar, but it has its own unique flavor to the story and also finds a way to blend in some serious subject matter. And, as the true test of a good animated kids film, it will be something the parents will be able to enjoy as much as the kids.