Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

For my son's 8th birthday, we went to see "Kung Fu Panda 2".  You all know my love of the original, so I was pretty geeked up for the sequel, so much so that I was worried that it would end up disappointing.  Luckily, it did not.

Dreamworks has really hit on something here with the lovable Po back at it again along with his teammates, the Furious Five.  This time, Po and the Five have to save China from a mysterious new enemy that seems to have a power that can defeat even Kung Fu.  When Po meets this new enemy, he begins to question who he is and where he came from.  Can our hero overcome these doubts, find inner peace and save China?  You'll have to watch to find out.

"Kung Fu Panda 2" brings back all the same vocal talents, with Jack Black as Po, Angelina Jolie as Tigris and Dustin Hoffman as Shifu.  We're also introduced to Shen, a diabolical peacock voiced by Gary Oldman.  The vocal talents are really top notch.

We saw this one in 3D...I wouldn't waste your time (or money) on the 3D.  It wasn't bad, but it didn't add anything either.  Plus, the movie theater charges an extra $3 a ticket if you go to 3D.

Overall, this is a 4.5 star movie.  Almost as good as the original, but not quite there.  The story is great, the villain is really well established, the humor is good, the final battle is brilliant and the ending will bring a tear to your eye.  Plus, they set this up perfectly for "Kung Fu Panda 3".  So, why the 0.5 drop from 5?  Well, it just wasn't as crisp as the original.  A few things felt forced, but that doesn't mean this isn't still a great movie.  I highly recommend it.