Zoolander to get ahead and review it leading up to it's sequel the following week since Zoolander 2 and Deadpool are coming out the same weekend. Therefore I will review Zoolander next week, followed by X-Men Origins: Wolverine the following week.
'Kung Fu Panda 2' Review
Nominated For: Best Animated Feature.Kung Fu Panda 2 picks up after the original and strays from feeling like a retread, which can be a problem for many sequels, but rather an extension of the story that began in Kung Fu Panda. The sequel elevates so much of what the original introduced. The animation once again is top notch and the action sequences are even better than before accompanied with great humor once again. The voice cast once again nails it as they perfectly match their respective characters. Jack Black is so entertaining as Jack Black, providing so much charisma and heart to the character of Po. Dustin Hoffman is great in his limited screen time but when onscreen brings the wise demeanor of Master Shi Fu. Meanwhile on the other side of the coin, Angelina Jolie's role as Tigress becomes significantly more important as opposed to the first film. The film's villain is a great standout as Gary Oldman provides the voice for Lord Shen. Shen is so menacing and makes for a complex antagonist for our heroes. I can't speak too much for the rest of the voice cast as the remainder have very limited speaking roles and didn't particularly standout. Now speaking for the film as a whole, Kung Fu Panda 2 does something few animated sequels can accomplish in that it escalates the fun of the franchise to a new level bringing with it a new layer of sophistication and depth putting it with some of Dreamworks' best work alongside the Shrek films, How To Train Your Dragon films, and the original Kung Fu Panda.
