There was a time when Dreamworks Animation was the ugly cousin of Disney’s Pixar branch. They would rely on pop culture references and celebrity voice talent to draw families to their disposable and ultimately unsatisfying narratives, churning out sequels like there was no tomorrow. The winds appear to be shifting, however, as both How to Train Your Dragon and the original Kung Fu Panda were able to appeal on both a visual and story level. The brought much needed heart to the proceedings, something which had been notably absent since the first Shrek installment. In a summer that also features the debut of Cars 2, destined to be one of Pixar’s harder sells to the many that see the property as a blatant toy cash grab, will Kung Fu Panda 2 make the bigger waves?

First thing’s first. You don’t have to have seen the first film to in any way appreciate the second. This is a very standalone sequel, and that is among its many storytelling strengths. Everything that you need to know from before is reiterated or referenced, and since the film is about discovering the truth behind Po’s past, we actually get more backstory here than was ever needed for the first film. All you really need to know is that Po is a panda, voiced by Jack Black, who has succeeded in becoming the mythical “dragon warrior”, and keeps the peace with The Furious Five (a collection of animals trained in different styles of Kung Fu). An old enemy has returned to take back his ancestral throne, and has brought some new weaponry with him that threatens the future of martial arts.

Throw in equal elements of The Last Samurai, Mask of Zorro, and every major martial arts film you can think of, and you have a delightful blend of tried and true themes and characters, all handled with a playful and upbeat tongue-in-cheek attitude that keeps things moving, even when the story goes in some very dark directions. It’s hard not to get swept up by the infectious energy, and you’ll be surprised at how much of it really does hit home, despite a few rough edges here and there. Are there a handful of story details that seem to exist purely to satisfy plot requirements of certain characters ending up in certain places? Yes, but it never feels overly forced, and despite the now cliché flashback set-pieces, you really do want Po to learn the story of what happened to his parents, despite the sneaky suspicion that you’re already several steps ahead of him.

As with other recent Dreamworks titles, Kung Fu Panda 2 has been released in 3D, and having only gotten the chance to see the original on TV long after the fact, I was quite impressed with the clarity and depth of the presentation. Animated films really do take

advantage of all the format has to offer, and this is a stellar stereoscopic experience, adding depth and helping you to make sense of the space when there’s dozens of characters fighting at once. The characters are beautiful to look at, especially Dustin Hoffman’s Master Shifu, who packs so much subtlety and nuance into every moment that I swear they recorded him in the voice over booth for visual reference. You’re never going to be bored, because there’s always so much to look at, and the soundscape does a great job of keeping you engaged on an auditory level as well. You feel every punch and kick, giving each character their own distinct weight and feel.

Kung Fu Panda 2 succeeds where so many sequels fail, taking what worked in the original film and using the time to expand the world and craft a new story that is different enough to be satisfying and surprising while familiar enough to be a worthy follow up. It certainly doesn’t disappoint, and given a recent glut of half-assed franchise fare, (cough, Pirates, cough) it’s refreshing to know that there are people out there who still value a good story and have the means of producing one effectively. This is must-see family viewing, and a great time for anyone looking to supplement their upcoming diet of dark and gritty blockbusters. I highly recommend giving it a look.