Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to catch one of my personal favorite movies on an HBO channel- Kung Fu Panda 2. The first thing that comes to mind is probably how it is intended mainly for children and not teenagers, but the story it tells is powerful nonetheless. Sequels in the past are well known for not living up to the original movie, especially considering the high ratings of Kung Fu Panda (1). However, this film is absolutely an exception. Without spoiling anything, I will provide a brief synopsis of the film. Our main character Po the panda (Jack Black) has become the Dragon Warrior and fights alongside his heroes, the Furious Five. He protects the citizens of China from primarily thieves and bandits but a new enemy is introduced in this movie. Lord Shen, an evil peacock, has an army of wolves at his disposal and aims to conquer all of China. But this is not just another enemy that Po can put a stop to. Lord Shen had a significant role in Po's past and causes him to begin questioning and confronting his dark childhood. As a result of Shen's evil nature, he is associated through color symbolism with dark colors such as black and red and is accompanied many times throughout the film by fire. He also wears a white robe for the entirety of the film which is an interesting decision from the director and writers considering that the color white typically symbolizes innocence. From an objective standpoint, Kung Fu Panda 2 is highly enjoyable to watch. Compared to the previous installment, the story is more interesting and thoughtful. Po's mysterious past is finally explored and his character blossoms and matures on screen. Important questions the audience asked themselves after watching the first movie are answered: Where did Po come from? Who are Po's real parents?How did he get so fat? This brings me to my next point, the humor. Comedy is always subjective but Jack Black provides fantastic voice acting and is also accompanied by Seth Rogen and Jackie Chan. The children love Po's funny, fat, lovable character and the humor can be appreciated by all ages. Overall, I rate Kung Fu Panda 2 a good good. This scene perfectly demonstrates Po's comedic relief as well as color symbolism with Lord Shen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PXDRFrLRKw
Hello Hunz,
ReplyDeleteFirst off I would like to say I completely agree with your analysis and review on Kung Fu Panda 2. I enjoyed your synopsis, however I would like more information as to why the film is objectively "good". For example you could talk about the extensive story line behind Po the Panda and the reason why he is the chosen one. However, you made a great point as to how the film is enjoyable for ALL ages to watch. With so many children films being present and popular today, what brings out the difference that Kung Fu Panda makes? How does it expand its audience to not just children, and a wider audience? I think the answer to these questions will explain WHY it is such a great film compared to the many others of it's time. Thank you hunz.
- Floob
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ReplyDeleteLuke,
ReplyDeleteI believe, after reading your blog, that Kung Fu Panda 2 is a fantastic watch. It seems to be a very entertaining movie and extremely enjoyable for more than just children. I personally have only watched the first Kung Fu Panda, but after this blog I am interested in seeing the second. I have a few questions for you. Is the fact that the movie is funny, make that a subjective statement? You began to talk about how the movie was objectively, but then you stated the subjective views on the movie. That is all, thank you Luke.
Jesse
Luke, I agree with your synopsis of Kung Fu Panda 2. It has been a very long time since I watched this movie, however, you have brought back my appreciation for this great film. You summarized the plot well but you could have described Po's true past to further advance the objective qualities of this movie. Doing that would have given potential viewers of this film a better idea of what they were getting into. Also, you discuss humor. You say humor is always subjective which I agree with but humor can always differ between ages. As you say all ages can like this movie but how can the humor change between ages? For example, how will a little kid's idea of humor in Kung Fu Panda 2 differ from that of a teenager? I leave you with that question.
ReplyDeleteThank You Luke,
Nick
Hello Luke,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your review of Kung Fu Panda 2. I feel like the movie was very well made and also better than the first one. The villian in the movie is also better in the way that he acts. Your summary of the movie is great and agree that the movie is not very funny. Kung fu panda 2 is a great movie choice and very enjoyable to watch. Nice review looking forward to more.