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Kung Fu Panda 2: Grading, Discussion and Review

Rating

  • Poor

    Votes: 3 13.0%
  • Below Average

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Average

    Votes: 1 4.3%
  • Above Average

    Votes: 10 43.5%
  • Excellent

    Votes: 9 39.1%

  • Total voters
    23

JD

Fleet Admiral
Admiral
I just saw this this weekend and I really enjoyed it. It's late and I don't feel like writting a long post, so if I think of specific comments I'll add them later. My rating: Above Average
 
I'm curious who did see it. The Hangover 2 is killing it out of the gate.
I wasn't impressed with the first one.
Is the lack of turnout for KFP2 indicative of that or it's just overshadowed by the demand for Hangover 2. Both?
 
I don't know if The Hangover 2 would have much of an impact on this one, they're very different kinds of comedy's with very different target audiences.

I loved the first one and I thought it was really popular, so why I'm rather shocked by the lack of interest in this one.
 
The Hangover 2 isn't getting great reviews. Kung Fu Panda 2, on the other hand, is doing quite well with critics. I saw the latter movie yesterday. It was a lot of fun. I expect the movie to do well enough to get another sequel.
 
^^^
Ask Warner Brothers is they care about critics opinions in this case?
Hangover 2 = $60m
Panda 2 = $18m
both in release the same 2 days.
 
^^^
Ask Warner Brothers is they care about critics opinions in this case?
Hangover 2 = $60m
Panda 2 = $18m
both in release the same 2 days.

Reviews are sometimes an indication of longevity, but, yes, those numbers are certainly a great sign for Hangover 2 and a bad sign for Panda 2 (based upon their production budgets). I hadn't looked up the numbers until you posted, so I only had the reviews to go by...

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hangover2.htm
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=kungfupanda2.htm
 
Loved it. It was epic, entertaining, and funny. The action scenes were suitably grand in scale, and memorable. Not every joke was a howler, but there were certainly enough that made me smile and laugh. I was actually surprised to find myself emotionally invested in the story, too. In other words, Kung-Fu Panda 2 was everything On Stranger Tides wasn't. Seriously, it's a really good time. Go see it.
 
^Yeah, I agree whole heartedly. One thing I really liked about it was the fact that they'd have Po do something really badass, but then right after he'd do something goofy. I think it was a good way of showing that even as he's doing all of this stuff, he's still the same Po.

I don't know about anyone else, but I was actually rather surprised by the ending.
I'll be honest, I thought maybe his mother would be alive, but did not expect to see his father and an entire Panda village. I wonder if they will follow up on that somehow if they do a Kung Fu Panda 3?.
 
Was this movie even ADVERTISED? I am YET to see any trailers for it anywhere and there was literally NO buzz for this movie.
 
Was this movie even ADVERTISED? I am YET to see any trailers for it anywhere and there was literally NO buzz for this movie.
I see posters everywhere, but you make a good point. I've seen say, three "Green Lantern" trailers and a seemingly unending number of "PotC4" trailers, but I only remember a teaser for KFP2, never a full trailer. I finally had to go online to see the full trailer.

I'm looking forward to it. I think the first one was fun and paid proper respect to many aspects of Chinese culture. One big thing my mother noticed was them bothering to actually find the right symbols to put on screen and not just a random mish mosh of chicken scratch. I also loved the production work on it and hope the second one lives up to it.
 
I have a question for those who have seen both this and the fourth Pirates and this. I decided to see this instead of Pirates on Thursday, would you say I made the right choice?
 
I saw it with a friend today and I think it's a solid film. I believe that it starts off kind of weak, with narrative that feels much more forced than the original film. Essentially, the writer/director makes the singular mistake of wanting the crisis that excuses Po's journey to appear really terribly important gogogo without actually building up to it. It's hard to care for the 1st act about our heroes' journey.

However, as with the original, the characterization is much more subtle, sly, and witty than it appears it will be at first glance. So as the film goes on it warms up by several degrees and events start to matter. The only thing that stuck out to me as an ugly plot contrivance was:

That the villain went all biblical on the pandas of China by killing them all when Po was a baby, yet this was never foreshadowed in the franchise by now. If all the pandas are dead, and Po is thus special and rare, why didn't anyone say "wow, it's a panda!" before? Obviously this plot twist was conceived after the fact, but it is a crude hack all the same.
 
I loved the first film, and I loved this one. I saw it in 3D and it looked amazing; they REALLY used the technology well for this one, as opposed to Pirates 4 where you barely noticed anything different.

The action scenes were incredible. I loved that the Five were alongside Po the entire movie, fighting as one amazing team. Really made it a different dynamic from the first film. I thought the villain was pretty cool. Po's back story was interesting. Some good jokes. Amazing animation!
 
Oh yeah, I forgot about how good the 3D was for this one. I'm thinking at this point I'm only gonna do 3D for the animated movies like this. From what I've heard it sounds like the majority of the post-Avatar 3D movies have had really bad 3D.
 
I've seen a smattering of 3D films... mainly when they're on matinee... and the live action ones are generally terrible while the CGI movies look amazing. I think the best 3D ones I've seen are How I Met Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda 2 (and Avatar of course- Cameron NOT M. Night! :p)
 
Kung Fu Panda 2 actually seems to be doing well enough to get a sequel (based upon its international haul and that there aren't any other animated movies coming out for four weeks). Though, we'll have to wait a few weeks to be sure.

Opening at No. 2 behind "The Hangover Part II" was another sequel, DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda 2," with $62.2 million.


The first "Kung Fu Panda" did almost the same business in just a normal three-day weekend, but DreamWorks hits tend to have a long shelf life at the box office.


"There's no other animation for four weeks. We think we've got a lot of good play time still ahead," said Anne Globe, head of marketing for DreamWorks Animation.


"Kung Fu Panda 2" has pulled in $68 million domestically since its Thursday debut and added $57 million more in 11 overseas markets, including $18.5 million in China.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110530/ap_en_ot/us_box_office

I'm surprised China let this movie be released into their country. I thought fantasy movies were banned. I guess it got a pass because it's an animated kids movie.
 
Kung Fu Panda 2 actually seems to be doing well enough to get a sequel (based upon its international haul and that there aren't any other animated movies coming out for four weeks). Though, we'll have to wait a few weeks to be sure.

Opening at No. 2 behind "The Hangover Part II" was another sequel, DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda 2," with $62.2 million.


The first "Kung Fu Panda" did almost the same business in just a normal three-day weekend, but DreamWorks hits tend to have a long shelf life at the box office.


"There's no other animation for four weeks. We think we've got a lot of good play time still ahead," said Anne Globe, head of marketing for DreamWorks Animation.


"Kung Fu Panda 2" has pulled in $68 million domestically since its Thursday debut and added $57 million more in 11 overseas markets, including $18.5 million in China.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110530/ap_en_ot/us_box_office

I'm surprised China let this movie be released into their country. I thought fantasy movies were banned. I guess it got a pass because it's an animated kids movie.
IIRC, China loved Kung Fu Panda, to the point that they asked why they couldn't make movies about China like that. ;)
 
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