Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2 - Dir. Jennifer Yuh (2011)

Dreamworks Animation has done a lot recently to shake off the stigma of being second banana to Pixar. Last year's How to Train Your Dragon was their best film to date and the house that Jeffrey Katzenberg built hasn't lost any momentum with Kung Fu Panda 2. Like many sequels, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a bigger and bolder production with Guillermo del Toro serving as executive producer and Charlie Kaufman (believe it or not) as script consultant. Jennifer Yuh, a storyboard artist on the original movie, directs off a script by returning writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. Unlike the diminishing returns of the Shrek series, Kung Fu Panda 2 is actually better than its progenitor.

While the first film opened with a vibrant pop art prologue, Kung Fu Panda begins with a somber sequence in a paper cut out style. The opening introduces us to the movie’s villain, Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), a peacock, who was banished by his royal family for an unspeakable act of genocide. A prophecy foretold that Lord Shen would be defeated by a warrior of black and white, so he wiped out the panda population.

Meanwhile, Po (Jack Black) has grown into his role as the Dragon Warrior, fighting alongside the Furious Five in protecting the Chinese countryside from marauding bandits. However, he is plagued by repressed memories coming to light and begins questioning where he came from. Shock of all shocks, Mr. Ping (James Hong), the noodle shop goose is not the real father of his giant panda son.

These dueling storylines collide when Lord Shen returns with an army of wolves and gorillas. Utilizing gunpowder, Shen plans to destroy kung fu in order to conquer all of China.

In addition to Black, all the main heroes from the previous picture are back including Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu, Angelina Jolie as Tigress, David Cross as Crane, Jackie Chan as Monkey, Seth Rogen as Mantis, and Lucy Liu as Viper. Joining them are Michelle Yeoh as a wise soothsayer, Danny McBride as the Wolf Boss, as well as Victor Garber, Dennis Haysbert, and Jean-Claude Van Damme as heroic martial arts masters. The voice-over work is solid all around. Black imbues the character with an exuberant energy that’s been lacking in his recent live-action ventures. Gary Oldman is gleefully villainous returning to the type of scene-chewing performance that made his turn in The Professional so deliciously evil. You half expect him to scream, ”EVERYONE”, at his henchmen. Jolie’s hardcore Tigress shows she has a soft and squishy side as the story hints at a blossoming romance between her and Po. The best performance though belongs to the prolific James Hong. His scenes with Black are funny, touching, and form the emotional core of the film. Unfortunately, with so many characters involved not everyone receives their fair share of the spotlight. Liu and Chan, in particular, only get a handful of lines.

The animation of Kung Fu Panda 2 is extraordinary. Dreamworks mixed CG with anime influenced hand-drawn animation and the result is a gorgeous feast for the eyes. The backgrounds are beautifully rendered from the misty mountains to the classic Chinese architecture of Gongmen City. This is one of the rare instances when I’ll say that the 3D actually enhanced the experience with the visuals possessing a very noticeable depth of field. The action is spectacular with elaborate fight sequences featuring the Furious Five battling wave after wave of enemies. The biggest set piece has to be a scene in which our heroes attempt to escape a toppling tower while fireworks explode all around them.

Kung Fu Panda followed the traditional hero’s journey and its sequel further explores the mythology of the universe. Kung Fu Panda 2 hits on a variety of emotions and is a darker than the original (Del Toro’s influence?) and a bit more surreal. A dream sequence involving Po battling a radish feels like it sprung from the imaginative mind of Kaufman. Even with all the amazing action sequences, Kung Fu Panda 2 never loses its sense of heart. Aside from a nod to Pac-Man, the writers avoid the snarky, anachronistic references that become the crutch for the uncreative. Highly recommended for adults and kids alike.

Rating: *** (*****)

The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid - Dir. Harald Zwart (2010)


The original Karate Kid was an important part of the childhood for anyone who grew up in the 80’s. Who didn’t think they could be an ultimate fighting machine by standing on one leg? It was a quintessential underdog story and great tales like that don’t drop out of the sky. This is probably why studios love remaking them so much. It’s a lot easier than coming up with something new and original.

For those of you living under a rock all your lives, Karate Kid starred Ralph Macchio as Daniel, a New Jersey teen transplanted to Southern California with his single mother. There, he is subjected to beatings by bullies from the Cobra Kai dojo. Under the unconventional tutelage of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita in an Oscar nominated performance), Daniel-San learns karate after a series of montages set to 80’s power rock in order to confront his tormenters.

The remake lowers the ages of the main characters. Nobody actually practices any karate either. At one point, the film was listed under the more appropriate title of The Kung Fu Kid.

Will Smith’s son, Jaden, stars as Dre Parker, who moves from Detroit to Beijing with his mom, Sherry (Taraji P. Henson). Dre has said farewell to everyone he knew to become the proverbial stranger in a strange land. A young girl (Han Wenwen) playing violin at the park catches his eye, but their budding friendship attracts the unwanted attention of Cheng (Wang Zhenwei) and his gang of martial artists. As members of the Fighting Dragons, their ruthless instructor, Master Li (Yu Rongguang), imparts on them a philosophy of no mercy and has no problem slapping the boys to get his point across.

Dre is saved from another beating by the aloof and taciturn, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the handyman at their apartment complex. In order to protect him from the bullies, Han must instruct Dre in the ways of kung fu in order for him to battle the Dragons in an open invitational tournament.

One of the most iconic moments of the original film involved Daniel’s realization that he was learning karate through menial tasks like waxing and painting. The remake takes a different approach, but the revelation lacks the same impact. Perhaps it’s due to the burden of knowledge. We’re already familiar with the whole routine. The villains are also equally lacking. The generic thugs of the 2010 production aren’t as strong as the Cobra Kai baddies.

Jaden Smith isn’t as bland, but he doesn’t have a strong enough presence in the lead. Luckily, he has older and wiser actors to carry the burden. Taraji P. Henson has become thoroughly dependable following Benjamin Button and her star-making performance in Hustle & Flow. She’s excellent here as well melding the right elements of heartfelt and humor. Jackie Chan brings a surprising amount of gravitas to the role of Dre’s mentor. Chan has been moving into more dramatic fare in his increasing age.

Harald Zwart, who previously directed reviled pictures like One Night at McCool’s and The Pink Panther 2, helms Karate Kid in a workman like manner. Shooting on location, Zwart wisely utilizes the streets of Beijing and the picturesque Chinese countryside to the film’s advantage.

Over 25 years later, The Karate Kid is still highly regarded. It’s doubtful that the remake will be as well remembered decades later. This new Karate Kid is formulaic and filled with the usual cheesy clichés about getting up after life knocks you down. It’s also far too long at 2 hours and 20 minutes. Yet, it still turns out better than expected thanks to the work of Chan and Henson.

Rating: ***