With Kung Fu Panda 3 set to hit theaters this weekend, I thought it would be fitting to review the other films in the Kung Fu Panda franchise. So without further ado...
Kung Fu Panda
Po the panda (voiced by Jack Black) works in his family's noodle shop and dreams of becoming a kung-fu master. His dream becomes a reality when, unexpectedly, he must fulfill an ancient prophecy and study the skills with his idols, the Furious Five. Po needs all the wisdom, strength and ability he can muster to protect his people from an evil snow leopard (voiced by Ian McShane).
This was a really fun and enjoyable film. Animated films are special in the sense that that can touch all different types of audience with a lot of different themes and stories and this film is one of the more special ones. It has a lot of tremendous humor that just works so well and it's mainly due to Jack Black and while he isn't a live action character, his style of humor just works for this film in so many different ways. The supporting actors in the film also lend their voices well to their various characters especially Dustin Hoffman and while the character of Master Shifu could've been done by anyone, Hoffman just has that voice that lends itself to the character so well. The story is also perfect in every single way and it has a great message for all audiences and it's one that people will remember for a long time. The animation is pretty gorgeous as well and that's one thing that basically makes or breaks an animated film and this one does a great job of giving a very gorgeous look at ancient China. There were a few moments were some things were too convenient and a couple of the jokes were too childish and it can take you out of the film pretty easy when you realize how bad the joke is. Overall this is a gorgeous animated film with a really talented cast and some pretty great humor. I give Kung Fu Panda a 9 out of 10.
Kung Fu Panda 2
Now known as the Dragon Warrior, Po (voiced by Jack Black) protects the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, the Furious Five. However, a dangerous villain threatens Po's awesome new life with plans to use a secret weapon to wipe out the martial art and conquer China. In order to defeat the new enemy, Po finds he must recall his past and unlock secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he find the strength to vanquish his foe.
This was a pretty disappointing film. Now that doesn't mean the film was bad because it wasn't, but compared to how good the first film was, this film was a disappointment. The humor in the film isn't as solid as the first film, but there are quite a few moments that can have you rolling in the floor, while some just fall flat. The story is somewhat of a rehash of the first film, but there are enough moments of originality that help the film stand on its own. The animation isn't as crisp and smooth as it was in the first film and it just shows us the same things we've already seen background wise and it would've been cooler to see more of Ancient China then just a small area. The voice in the film is really solid and the addition of Gary Oldman to replace Ian McShane is a terrific decision and you can really feel the passion Oldman gives when doing a voice character. Overall this film just wasn't as good as the first film and ti tries to repeat too many of the same things the first film did and it had almost no originality. I give Kung Fu Panda 2 a 5.5 out of 10.
Overall franchise average rating: 7 out of 10
So ladies and gentlemen what are you thoughts about the Kung Fu Panda franchise, are you excited for Kung Fu Panda 3 and what did you think of my reviews? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
Kung Fu Panda
Po the panda (voiced by Jack Black) works in his family's noodle shop and dreams of becoming a kung-fu master. His dream becomes a reality when, unexpectedly, he must fulfill an ancient prophecy and study the skills with his idols, the Furious Five. Po needs all the wisdom, strength and ability he can muster to protect his people from an evil snow leopard (voiced by Ian McShane).
This was a really fun and enjoyable film. Animated films are special in the sense that that can touch all different types of audience with a lot of different themes and stories and this film is one of the more special ones. It has a lot of tremendous humor that just works so well and it's mainly due to Jack Black and while he isn't a live action character, his style of humor just works for this film in so many different ways. The supporting actors in the film also lend their voices well to their various characters especially Dustin Hoffman and while the character of Master Shifu could've been done by anyone, Hoffman just has that voice that lends itself to the character so well. The story is also perfect in every single way and it has a great message for all audiences and it's one that people will remember for a long time. The animation is pretty gorgeous as well and that's one thing that basically makes or breaks an animated film and this one does a great job of giving a very gorgeous look at ancient China. There were a few moments were some things were too convenient and a couple of the jokes were too childish and it can take you out of the film pretty easy when you realize how bad the joke is. Overall this is a gorgeous animated film with a really talented cast and some pretty great humor. I give Kung Fu Panda a 9 out of 10.
Kung Fu Panda 2
Now known as the Dragon Warrior, Po (voiced by Jack Black) protects the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, the Furious Five. However, a dangerous villain threatens Po's awesome new life with plans to use a secret weapon to wipe out the martial art and conquer China. In order to defeat the new enemy, Po finds he must recall his past and unlock secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he find the strength to vanquish his foe.
This was a pretty disappointing film. Now that doesn't mean the film was bad because it wasn't, but compared to how good the first film was, this film was a disappointment. The humor in the film isn't as solid as the first film, but there are quite a few moments that can have you rolling in the floor, while some just fall flat. The story is somewhat of a rehash of the first film, but there are enough moments of originality that help the film stand on its own. The animation isn't as crisp and smooth as it was in the first film and it just shows us the same things we've already seen background wise and it would've been cooler to see more of Ancient China then just a small area. The voice in the film is really solid and the addition of Gary Oldman to replace Ian McShane is a terrific decision and you can really feel the passion Oldman gives when doing a voice character. Overall this film just wasn't as good as the first film and ti tries to repeat too many of the same things the first film did and it had almost no originality. I give Kung Fu Panda 2 a 5.5 out of 10.
Overall franchise average rating: 7 out of 10
So ladies and gentlemen what are you thoughts about the Kung Fu Panda franchise, are you excited for Kung Fu Panda 3 and what did you think of my reviews? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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