It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Making excellent use of all the ingredients that made its predecessor an instant classic, the follow- up chapter to Kung Fu Panda is another rollicking, ravishing & riveting adventure that lives up to its hype, adds more depth & flesh to the arcs of all reprising characters, further expands the world we dived into in the first film, and is a worthy sequel that even surpasses the original in few aspects.The story of Kung Fu Panda 2 presents Po now living his fulfilled dream, serving as the Dragon Warrior, & protecting the valley with his fellow kung fu warriors whom he once idolised. His latest adventure begins when Lord Shen returns from exile with a fearsome new weapon & has plans of conquering all of China, following which Po & his friends attempt to stop him before he could destroy the entire kung fu tradition.Directed by Jennifer Yuh in what is her directional debut, the film begins on a promising note with a prologue that quickly briefs us through the villain's background & how all of it is connected to Po's very own past, after which it dives into the present and sets the stage relatively quick, just like the previous feature. For a first attempt, Yuh's direction is highly commendable for she exhibits a very firm grip on all aspects.The writing staff does an equally impressive job with the script by further evolving the characters' arcs, brilliantly balancing the elements of comedy, drama & action in one tightly-structured story & putting up a better sketch of the Chinese culture. The computer animation is lively, zestful & more complex than before, thanks to its energetic camera-work, rich colour tones & apt lighting that give its images a vivacious look n feel.Editing is carried out amazingly well for its 90 minutes of narrative is expertly paced yet there are a couple of moments it could've done without. The flashback sequences are brought to life with care and a few of those segments are genuinely touching. Hans Zimmer & John Powell contribute with a familiar yet improved score. And Jack Black plus the rest of the reprising cast deliver exactly what was expected from them while the new additions are no slouch in their given roles.On an overall scale, Kung Fu Panda 2 heads into a slightly darker territory but it never discards the effervescent wit, unbridled passion & unadulterated quality of the original in doing so. Packing in just as much fun, madness & awesomeness as the first film, exquisitely steered under Yuh's direction, and marking another creative high for DreamWorks Animation, Kung Fu Panda 2 is another triumph of its genre that's highly enjoyable, wildly entertaining & immensely satisfying from the first frame to the last. Definitely recommended.

One thing that DreamWorks does well (with the exception of Shrek the Third) is sequels. They prove time and time again that they are very legit company in many cases, does better then its animated counterparts. Kung Fu Panda 2 is no exception as it seems the franchise is well at hand. After the incredible year of 2010 for DreamWorks after the cultural success of How to Train Your Dragon, and ending a great franchise (Shrek) they follow that year up with this. The movie's strengths are found within the story, not that its unique, but the secret ingredient found within. The secret ingredient is heart. Its not totally comedic as one would expect, but in the middle they tweak the film's tone with heart and emotion. This is what a proper sequel should do, taking the story and making it more then what we'd expect. Is this film a rehash from the last? Well, not really it offers new elements, especially to Po's character. The other characters are still they're same likable selves. In this however they really showcase the relationship growing between Po and Tigress which is the most unique and pleasurable relationship. The next thing is the villain voiced by Gary Oldman. He is the most interesting and menacing out of the villains so far. And that's hard to make a peacock menacing, and they did it like pros. Now the negative I have is what I said before, with the story not being unique and refreshing, but that's a slight error as the film makes up with heart. So a very small negativity. As a whole this film is one of DreamWorks' best. Now to grade. Animation: A Voice Acting: A- Story: C+ Music: B+ Characters: A+ Overall: B+

Kung Fu Panda 2 is pretty much everything a sequel should be. It builds upon its characters, it crafts a plot that is larger as well as more personal and its themes are even deeper than before. It sees Po (Jack Black), who has now been fully accepted by the furious five, forced to battle against a peacock named Lord Shen who plans to conqueror China with a new weapon. It doesn't seem like much on the surface, but Po begins to have flashbacks of why his parents abandoned him and it links directly back to Shen himself. Stories like this are brilliant because the set-up and main goal is relatively simple, but there is a very heartfelt and surprisingly emotion core to the film that is just fantastic.This feels like its Po's story, and it might annoy some people that the other characters aren't developed more, but for me it was the right move. It makes you always engaged in the journey that he goes through, you want to know what happened to his real parents and he grows as a hero as a result of everything that he goes through. Po himself is again a lot of fun and it impresses me how well balanced the character is, being naive but lovable at the same time with Jack Black adding his usual drive to the role. The furious five are still are really enjoyable team and I think the writers did a great job in giving them all the right amount of lines as well as making them a team you can connect to. Master Shifu has a more limited appearance, but he's still good fun when he shows up. Arguably the best thing is Lord Shen (Gary Oldman). This is a villain who is both intimidating and really funny, and so many times it's either too much of one or the other yet here they get it spot- on. He is never too serious and he is never too goofy, it is a perfect balance. He has a backstory that explains his actions and connects to Po's spiritual journey. The animation on him looks marvellous and Oldman is absolutely brilliant as usual.I think one of the main reasons the film works so well is because of the emotion impact it has. The characters all have legitimate reasons for what they are doing and they're feelings as well as flaws are shown fully. The scenes with Po and his adoptive father Mr. Ping (James Wong) are really touching as well as being amusing. The flashbacks are truly moving and even tear inducing. I believe it shows that you can be serious and even somewhat sombre if you can get the balance right. The jokes are consistently funny here, mostly due to Po's behaviour and a lot of Shen's lines. Once again with DreamWorks the animation is absolutely superb with this being some of their sharpest and most vibrant that they have ever produced. Pretty much everything from character designs to the scenic shots of ancient China look fantastic. The more 2-D style in Po's flashbacks is also a nice touch and helps it standout. The speed of the animation is another plus. When it is used for slapstick the quick pace makes everything seem even funnier, and it does a similar thing for the action scenes by giving them even more energy. The score (by Hans Zimmer and John Powell) is another positive, crafting the right amount of soothing melodies and backing the action effectively with some more upbeat compositions.I think balance is the key word here and it is where Kung Fu Panda 2 succeeds. The story itself is an excellent continuation and the way it unravels as the film goes on is just wonderful. It has plenty of comedy and well placed humour, but it never shies away from darker and more emotional material. I found myself both moved and laughing in equal measure. As said I think the main characters are all great, the animation is spectacular and the villain is outstanding. It is exactly what you want in a sequel and I can't wait to see where the series goes next.

You don't do a sequel unless its created by Dreamworks Animation and directed like Kung-Fu Panda 2. That could be the bumper sticker for the movie theaters. Seriously.Many times, sequels just throw a couple of new villains and force us to like the characters, eventually fail in that. Here we have a sequel which runs more like a prequel and uncanny for a Animation movie. The movie has got lot of story to it, you do not expect that at allGranted it's got the Po moments and a Mission Impossible style mission to save Kung-fu. But it's likable. The more difficult part in sequels is people have a frame of reference to compare, and it's hard enough to satisfy that when the first movie was just a huge success. The bars are set really high and reach them would be a big ask, but if that's done the movie will succeed. Most times sequels are rated down because of this fact alone, in this franchise this movie reaches the predecessor success but is scared to take it further.Positives about this movie: I like how the story unfolds and how the movie has got a lot more purpose than just creating another animation movie.A lot of unanswered questions are looked at, which is nice. You might not have wondered about it in the first one as it was way too mind-blowingly awesome, but the director has taken a second reading at that script and addressed those open ends, Good work.Colors: One word -Fantastic. Yes the fight with Tai lung was epic, funny and to up the ante in this movie, the movie writers have taken colors as a option and it has made wonders. It looked so good in the theaters that i wanted to see the movie again.Negatives: Well, there were some and i did not expect them in this franchise 1. The villain, yes he creates cool weapons but not menacing enough as Tai Lung, he is a Peacock and the fact that worked for the movie was a tough ask, but again doesn't look villain enough 2. Too many cooks, the finale was supposed to be peacock versus panda, but bringing in Shifu, the other fighters just shows the directors is not confident about the script.There are a couple of more negatives but not worth mentioning, i guess more of these come on board because the first movie was so good, Other sequels such as Madagascar, Ice age have been rated better than its predecessor because they got better with sequels. Here the director has matched the success of first movie which was a huge ask, but the movie feels a bit dragged by legacy sometimes, nevertheless a must watch fun movie by Dreamworks, i would be glad if they stop with this, but i guess they are not going to, let's see the next one pan out