Kung Fu Panda 2

Rating: 3.5 Shurikens

Jack Black's voice reprises his role as the Po, the Dragon Warrior, an unlikely Kung Fu hero. This time, he has to learn Inner Peace, not an easy thing for a panda who loves to eat. It is a good, funny movie, with good laughs, and some pretty good action for a cartoon movie. Like the first Kung Fu Panda, which was actually funnier, it relies a lot on "fat" humor. There are some joke lines which could easily have been used in the first movie, but which hadn't been thought of before it was finished.

Like many cartoon movies, the voices are not easily recognized for the actors that they belong to. Jack Black is very good at doing the cartoon voice, and is distinctive at it. Angelina Jolie does the voice of the Tiger, and other actors of major import, like Dustin Hoffman and Jackie Chan, voice other characters, but they are difficult to recognize, and sometimes seeing them in the credits as a matter of curiosity is the only way you would know them. Still, the voice characterizations are very good, especially Gary Oldman as Shen, the goose who is the adopted father of Po.

There isn't really much to say about Kung Fu Panda 2, other than it is a decent movie, and a good entertaining film in 3D, but not a good reason to go to the theater. It was the only decent choice when it opened, and I went because I love a good animated feature, but it would have been second choice during any other week. As far as kids go, it would be a great movie to take kids to see, since they tend to have lower expectations.

I give it 3.5 Shurikens for effort, and some spectacular animation, and the comedy.