The first Kung Fu Panda was an instant hit. The movie won admirations from viewers across the world with its humorous jokes and meaningful moral messages. In 2011, Dreamworks Animation released the sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2, which came out in real 3D just recently.
Where the original Kung Fu Panda had a good blend of humor and a good moral of the story, one should expect no less from the new sequel. So how does Kung Fu Panda 2 measures against its predecessor? This is what I would like to talk about in this review.
The story of Kung Fu Panda 2 picks up from the end of the first movie. Po, the panda is now a kung fu master and the renouned "dragon warrior". Despite his new gained fame and martial art skills, his teacher told Po that he must find his "inner peace".
At the same time, a mysterious villain appears and introduced a new weapon that threatens to end the history of kung fu. To solve this threat, Po's teacher set Po and the furious five on a mission to save not only kung fu from extinction, but also China from being anniliated by a tyrannical bad guy. The mission turned into a journey where Po discovered his birth origin and learnt to accept himself for who he is. The main theme of the movie, is about dealing with past hurts and pain and coming to term with who we are because of it.
So without spoiling too much story, let me just say that Kung Fu Panda 2 has some very funny moments. The special effects (especially if you watch it in the cinema) are great, and some of the jokes will have you laugh till you are curling up on your seat. Jack Black, Gary Oldman, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan and Angelina Jolie provided great voice overs and really brought the characters to live.
In terms of the the moral messages, personally I think the movie is right in its message that everyone somehow suffers pain and hurt in our lives, and we need to keep on going by reconciling with the past, to accept that everything that happened to us are part of who we are. Most importantily, the movie has a good message that we should not let the past distract us from the present. In the movie, Po got so distracted by his past, and he forgot that his father, although not his biological father, is the one who raised him and loved him. Only at the end did Po came to this realization and turned around to appreciate the family and friend he already has, therefore finding the inner peace he didn't have before.
While this all sounds good, I don't think the movie pointed out how, can we come to term with our past, and find real peace and rest.
So how can we reconcile with our past when someone has hurt us or caused us pain? How can we move on from that? How can we achieve peace and have rest? Is it through Yoga? Meditation? entertainment? or what? Or do we simply forget about the past to achieve peace and rest? One thing the movie didn't talk about, is forgiveness, which is crucial in dealing with previous hurts and pains in our lives.
The Bible makes it clear that our sins can only be reconciled by repenting and accepting Jesus as our Christ and savior. Through the grace of God, our sins are forgiven, and we are called to forgive those who sin against us, just as God has forgiven us (Matthew 6:14-15). Forgiveness, is a way for us to reconcile with our past, so we can lament and move on. Whether if it is forgiveness for others, or forgiveness for yourself, through forgiveness, past wounds can be healed and we stop dwelling in the past but live out the present for the glory of God. But once again, this forgiveness is not possible if Christ didn't die for us and have risen again.
Therefore, Kung Fu Panda 2 is spot on in its message that we need to reconcile with our past, so we stop dwelling in past hurts and pain. However, the wisdom in the story of this movie is of worldly origin, and lacks the most important bits about how to reconcile with the past, which is to accept and embrace the grace of God through Jesus Christ our savior.
Final verdict:
Story 7.5/10 - The movie took its time to deliver the its message, but the humorous moments in the movie will definitely bring aches to your stomach. There are some very touching moments in the movie between Po the panda and his foster father the goose. The story is well written but the pace is a bit too slow. The story does send a good message, but it is from a worldly perspective. Parents may want to talk about the topic of "inner peace" with their children, but this could be a good conversation starter, for talking about the topic of dealing with our past in the strength of Christ.
Visuals 8.5/10 - The 3D effects are really well done, the animations are gorgeous. The characters are very cute and will definitely win not only children, but also adult audiences' hearts.
Sex/nudity: none
Violence: Medium - there are some martial art fighting scenes, but they are very well done and no bloods are involved. One scene in the movie suggested a character died, but the death scene is not shown.
Final conclusion 7.8/10: Kung Fu Panda 2 lives up the expectation to the first movie. Although personally I thought the first movie had a better, and a more well paced story. Having said this, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a light-hearted family entertainment, with memorable and cute characters, mind buzzing special effects and a well knitted story for kids and adults alike.
