Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, stars Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogan, David Cross, and Danny McBride. This is a continuation of the first film and sees Po (Black) and his friends attempt to stop an evil Warlord (Oldman) with a dangerous new weapon from conquering China. Much to Po’s surprise, the mission holds unexpected personal stakes. Po is forced to come to terms with his mysterious past and once again save the day from utter destruction.

Jack Black again does great voice work with Po, but it feels a bit less exciting this time. This isn’t simply because this is the second film starring the character, but it has to do more with the fact that Black’s performance lacks a certain amount of the manic energy that made the character so appealing in the first place. However, whatever manic fun this performance is missing is balanced by much-needed emotional depth. Po is still a funny and goofy character but less so compared to the first film. This is because the film makes it clear that Po is becoming a more mature and responsible warrior. We might laugh at the expense of Po just a tiny bit less, but we take him much more seriously as a character. It’s a creative choice that requires a bit of sacrifice but feels entirely worth it. 

Gary Oldman as the film’s villain is a welcome addition and continues the tradition of the more crudely voiced Po facing off against villains with sauve and intelligent demeanors. It’s a simple juxtaposition that is surprisingly enjoyable. There’s just something funny about the fact that this world’s villains are all well-educated but endlessly misguided while Po is a simpleton with a heart of gold. The film also does the seemingly obvious but often forgotten detail of giving the villain an accessible backstory. It’s simple but often creates a mirror to Po’s struggles, proving that the difference between good and evil can sometimes be a razor’s edge.

As for the film’s supporting cast, I think Dustin Hoffman is once again great as Master Shifu, but compared to the first film, the character is placed on the back burner. Speaking of backburner characters, Po’s warrior friends, “The Furious 5” are likewise mostly forgotten about. They accompany Po for the entirety of his journey but rarely receive meaningful inclusion. The only character that has any meaningful moments is Tigrees (Jolie) the brief nods to an eventual romance between her and Po. It feels as if The Furious 5 acts as a single character as opposed to individual ones. This wasn’t as big of a deal by the end of the first film, but that was with the expectation that it would be fixed in the sequel. Not having a good grasp of each of the members of The Furious Five by the end of this film was entirely disappointing. 

Kung Fu Panda (2008) gets props for bringing a unique premise to an animated children’s film, but Kung Fu Panda 2 gets props for being the better film across the board. The film immediately follows up on arcs that were left over from the previous film, and I couldn’t have been happier. We receive an exploration of Po’s backstory that we have all been wondering about since we were introduced to his goose father (Hong) in the first film. The relationship between Po and his “dad” is the heart of the film, adding a complex and emotionally effective edge that helps to carry the film for a more mature audience. 

The film is also unburdened by the heavy exposition of the first film. Exposition in mystical worlds with a good amount of lore already has a lot to get through, but this is made even tougher when working within this specific genre. Generally, a children’s film should never run longer than 1 hour and 45 minutes at the absolute most. At a 90-minute runtime, the first film almost had to commit itself completely to an exposition-filled origin story. The sequel, on the other hand, can be the same length but entirely more exciting. It just jumps right into the story/action and doesn’t feature an ounce of fat. 

Overall, this was a surprising film and maybe one of the better-animated sequels I’ve ever seen. It improves on its predecessor in nearly every way and is just generally fun to watch. The film is the perfect length and the action is quite exciting for being a bunch of cute cartoon animals. The film’s main theme is the idea of inner peace, and in a sense, I feel that this film is a display of that. It’s at peace with what worked about the first film and plays into that, creating a much better version of its predecessor. This film isn’t going to do anything to change the minds of audiences who blindly dislike animated and/or children’s films, but it should appeal to just about everyone else who’s seen and enjoyed the first film. B+