[FILM REVIEW] ‘Kung Fu Panda 2′ (2011)
I've heard this is one of the many underrated gems in the DreamWorks Animation catalog. Having only seen the first several times, in theaters and on Blu-ray, I became intrigued as what the second Kung Fu Panda had to offer, only after being exposed to the word-of-mouth praises of several people. The biggest reoccurring statement about the film, at least in my experience, was that it was a tearjerker. Every person I knew or watched who saw this cried at it. Keep in mind that I never cry at movies, and when I do, it's because of my personal thoughts and overall feelings outside of the film, and mostly because I was bored or exhausted. This morning, I caught it on FXX, in all the televised glory of pan-and-scan, commercials, and dynamic range compression. Well, 'The Guy,' did you cry? No. I actually didn't. I kind of figured out what the tearjerker was as the film went on. I was expecting something soul-crushing, something that would catch me off-guard. As a sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2 is mostly centered on action set-pieces while the first had more character development. Although Po had a major character arc in this installment, the rest of the film seemed to be by-the-numbers, very similar to how HTTYD2 was structured, but I found that KFP2 had more solid first act than that of HTTYD2. While the first film dealt with themes of self-determination and confidence to follow dreams, "2" had themes of identity, heritage, and searching the past to answer the present. I was never adopted, but there were two people I know who were, and similarly are of Asian origin. I don't understand how it feels to be adopted, and this film didn't even help me, but I can understand how an adoptee can view family very differently. Kung Fu Panda 2 is a worthy continuation of its world, but it was neither game-changing or impressive. 6/10
