I Watch Films: Kung Fu Panda 2

 

Kung Fu Panda 2

Lord Shen, a peacock, used gunpowder to make weapons (previously it was just for fireworks). Worried by this, his parents consulted a soothsayer who warned that a warrior in black and white would defeat him unless he turned aside. Lord Shen promptly massacred the local pandas; he was banished for this. Now he and his wolf army are raiding villages for metal to make weapons (cannon).

Po, a panda who is the Dragon Warrior (see Kung Fu Panda) continues his training. Master Shifu tells him to seek inner peace, and demonstrates this by catching a drop of water, moving it about and having it gently land on a plant. Po joins the Furious Five when a village is raided by wolves looking for metal. When he sees a symbol on a wolf he freezes and the wolves get away. At home he asks his father Mr Ping, a goose, who reveals Po was adopted after he found him in a shipment of radishes.

Lord Shen returns to Gongwen city, killing Master Thundering Rhino with a cannon, imprisoning Master Croc and Master Ox. Master Shifu dispatches Po and the Furious Five to stop him, in particular worried about the cannon, a weapon that can defeat kung fu. And just when Po is getting good at kung fu! Master Ox and Master Croc refuse to be rescued, believing kung fu is defeated.

Po and the Five attack, destroying the first cannon. Unfortunately there are more. Po sees the symbol again and freezes, allowing Lord Shen to escape and open fire. Tigress confronts Po who thinks he saw the symbol when he was a child, and last saw his panda parents. Tigress sends him home and leads the Five against Shen and the cannon; Po decides not to go home and interrupts their attack. Shen, amused to discover Po isn’t seeking revenge claims Po was abandoned. Spoiling the attack, the Five are captured and Po shot into the river; he’s rescued and nursed back to health by the soothsayer.

It turns out they’re in the village Po was a baby in. There he finds inner peace, and so is able to return, rescue the others and defeat Lord Shen.

On the one hand, do we need an origin story for Po? A sequel to the cartoon animal kung fu adventure? And do we need Po to discover a new power by coming to terms with that? On the other it’s charming, good looking and occasionally very funny. Can we ask for more?

Watch This: Cartoon animals have kung fu adventures – with a little bit of heart
Don’t Watch This: Yet another self-fulfilling prophecy