Film Review
Cert: PG
SOMETHING of a surprise megahit back in 2008, the original Kung Fu Panda film turned out to be one of the best animated films of the past decade. The mix of loveable animals, Oriental mythology and martial arts fun proved irresistible to kids – plenty of family households have reverberated to “hi-YA!” cries and junior kung fu kicks ever since.
The follow-up isn’t as engrossingly enjoyable, perhaps in part because it isn’t such a fresh surprise. The predictable decision to render this film in 3D (the previous film was in perfectly satisfactory 2D) adds nothing, and I’d argue is a confusing detractor to some beautiful animation. But it’s a fulsome slice of family entertainment nonetheless, and kids who adore the first film will undoubtedly still have a ball.
Now that our hero, Po the tubby panda (voiced by Jack Black) has mastered kung fu with the help of his Yoda-esque tutor Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), kung fu itself is under threat. Dastardly peacock Lord Shen (Gary Oldman, great fun) – who has a knack for hurling pointed feathers from his tail like darts – is out to take over the land, and he’s packing some firepower.
While the scope is bigger than the first outing, the characterisation of the supporting cast has sadly diminished – Po’s gang, the Furious Five, has less impact here. But the action set-pieces are terrific, the old-world China setting (as populated by animals) makes for a particularly rich design palette and the jokes fly as thick and fast as the kung fu chops.