++ Twice the Awesomeness. ++
You know the thing about sequels is that 90% of the time, they never match up to the original, not even close, and some even fall short to the point of misery and teeth-gnashing (Okay, that is really exaggerated). Worse still, a rookie director has taken over the reins. Kungfu Panda 2 - is one of the exceptions.
The beginning of the movie shows that goofy panda Po has settled into his role as the Dragon Warrior protecting the Valley of Peace with the Furious 5. But all of this is threatened when the antagonist, evil Lord Shen plans to conquer China with an unstoppable weapon that will destroy kungfu once and for all. During the journey, Po searches for his real identity, a question of who he is and where he comes from, in order to gain an inner peace with himself. Only to find out that Lord Shen has a strong connection to his past.
Awesome animation, their sceneries with the ancient-designed buildings, lush greeneries and beautiful backdrops bring the story into a whole new level. But seriously, what lesser can you expect from a first-class animation studio? Kudos to the A-list of voice actors who breathe life into the characters too, though I seriously think that Jackie Chan (voice for Monkey) is super under-used.
Action scenes are choreographed nicely, it's bigger and more exciting than the original, especially the finale show-down, where Po worked together with the Furious 5, Master Shifu and the legendary Masters - Oxen and Croc. It's also more heartfelt and touching (between goose father, Mr Ping and Po.)
The only downside is that it's only 83 minutes of film-time. Considered short for such an awesome movie. A spectaucular sequel. Probably the best Dreamwork's film besides How to Train Your Dragon. Go watch it, you won't be disappointed.
