Why Kung Fu Panda 2 Is My Faveorite So Far

 Earlier this year cinemas once again saw the adventures of Po the Panda, the dragon warrior voiced by Jack Black, included with an amazing cover of "Hit Me Baby One More Time" performed by him and his band. But I wanted to talk about my personal favorite, I have not seen the 4th installment yet but with it recently arriving on Peacock and probably soon to store shelves, why not look back at the one that made me love this series. When this year started I had not seen a single movie in this or the How To Train Your Dragon series, I am now three in for Kung Fu Panda and have begun my journey with Hiccup and Toothless in the first installment, I have been getting around to the Dreamworks films I once passed by. This film sequel which debuted over ten years ago, still has the heart, comedy, and great action, in my opinion building off of an incredibly well-made first installment.

This film takes Po and the furious five out of the valley to deal with the maniacal Lord Shen played incredibly well by Gary Oldman, taking them far from home to deal with an evil peacock obsessed with explosives, but this is not just any foe, as the story unfolds pieces of Po's past interwoven with this enemy make themself known, in this story about identity, peace, and dealing with the past.

this movie is packed with laughs, great action, animation that has held up incredibly well, and a powerful message. All wrapped up in a score from Hans Zimmer that really captures the location in the world in which this film takes place, and the emotions of every scene perfectly.

Every character big and small wonderfully voiced acted and animated, and the moments this movie changes art styles to hand-drawn or papercraft, are visually striking in the best way possible and help the moments in which they appear to stand out even more.

The first movie was very enjoyable, very funny, with a solid message, but this sequel does what good sequels do, which is a step up in every way, in terms of stakes, and for the characters. The scope and scale of this movie grows from the first, from a more menacing villain, now with personal ties to the hero instead of his teacher, with a place unfamiliar to everyone, and with new roles to fill, and new goals to achieve. 

This movie had me laughing one moment, and crying the next. It is incredibly well-paced, balancing every element in it to form an unforgettable film. I would say that the first film is needed to enjoy this movie, unlike something like Shrek where you don't need the first one to pick up the second. This film does reference the first movie during a few moments and it helps the audience understand the lead, and the supporting cast, where the narrative picks up from the first movie. Thankfully the first film is an enjoyable watch with a solid moral. As for the moral of this movie, I think that deserves a blog post in and of itself it is that deep and strong. 

Overall this movie is one of Dreamwork's best and I am so glad I finally got around to this series, it is incredibly consistent with solid comedy, good animation, and good morals. This one is a follow that I would rank not only among the best animated film sequels but the best film sequels of all time, for many reasons.