Maybe they should be called extensions, not sequels because this movie seemed more to expand on the first Kung Fu Panda movie (albeit not as well) rather than cover any new ground. You know these days that if a movie does even slightly well there will likely be a sequel, some feel forced and unnecessary, some feel warranted even needed to continue a story and characters we have grown to love. For me, Kung Fu Panda 2 falls somewhere in the middle. It was charming and funny and the characters are still loveable, but I didn't love this movie.
The central theme this time is family and Po somehow just now realizing that his true father is not a goose (don't ask how just go with it). Po battles with this revelation throughout while the action for the furious five takes place this time in China, where they face new villain Lord Shen (Gary Oldman). Po is trying to figure out where he really came from and it turns out that Lord Shen played a key part. There are some good fight sequences and we see Po as a full kung fu warrior, even though one of the funnier bits still involves food as he tries to put as many wontons in his mouth as possible. My daughters favorite parts involved Lord Shen and his cannons as we see Po go up against him while finding his much sought after "inner peace". There are funny moments, even touching ones as we see a softer side of Anglelina Jolie's Tigress.
It was the message of appreciating where your life takes you not just how it starts off though, that was worth it for me. Po learns that had his specific journey and been born under the circumstances he was, he would not have been adopted, had to strive to overcome and ultimately become part of the furious five.Po's father (Mr. Goose) should be the one to have the sequel as his scenes in both movies are the best parts. To see him be so overprotective and worried about his grown panda son at three times his size and bearing no genetic similarities is hilarious. I also enjoyed the depiction of what it truly means to be a father, that they are not born but are made and that Po's father became his father the moment he saw him.
In the end though, there was nothing memorable enough about the sequel to recommend it, but that's not to say you will leave disappointed either. I just think it would be easier and cheaper to rent the original and stay home
2 out of 5 (see it if you must, but don't expect to much)