Movie Review: KUNG FU PANDA 2

KUNG FU PANDA 2

2011
PG

Kung Fu Panda 2 is a 2011 animated film directed by Jennifer Yuh that serves as a direct sequel to the 2008 film, Kung Fu Panda. Now that Po (voiced by Jack Black) has been named the Dragon Warrior and knows the ways of kung fu, he has teamed up with the Furious Five to keep the people of China safe. When Master Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) learns that the evil Lord Shen (voiced by Gary Oldman) is slowly and methodically destroying the kung fu masters, he sends Po and the Five to stop him and save kung fu. Along the way, Po starts to learn about his mysterious past, ultimately discovering that it is strangely intertwined with Shen's own past. Despite being sent to dispatch of Shen's evil plot, Po finds himself desperately seeking the answers of his own life, putting the lives of the Five - as well as the rest of China - in jeopardy.

As far as sequels go, I'd have to say that Kung Fu Panda 2 is definitely a legitimate addition to the story we received three years ago. It's not easy to make a sequel that lives up to an original film as good as that 2008 venture, and although I don't think this film quite reaches those heights, it's definitely worth giving a gander if you enjoyed Po's first go-around. At its core, we're getting a two-component screenplay. On the one side, we have the linear storyline of Po and the Five doing their best to combat Shen's path of destruction. However, the intertwining story of Po's early days is cleverly inserted bit by bit as he slowly accesses the full memory of his past. I did have a couple of issues with the screenplay, however. At times, it seemed like it was making some pretty drastic jumps in time and logic. There was many a moment that I thought some crucial scene of explanation had been missed. As the film continued along its path, most if not all of my questions were answered, but I personally thought that this was one story that didn't benefit from jumping straight into the action. We got all of the answers, but there was a good chunk in the beginning where I personally felt confused.

Like the first film, the caliber of voice acting is very good this time around. Jack Black does well with our titular character, but the vocal performance doesn't seem as novel as it did three years ago. I thought that Shifu, one of my favorite characters from the first film, was a tad bit under-utilized. In fact, I think that most of the Furious Five (voiced by Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan and David Cross) was a little less present than in the first film. Tigress (Jolie's character) gets a little bit more of a story, but that's about it from our other kung fu heroes. If there's anyone who's fantastic, it's the addition of Lord Shen, a peacock hellbent on taking rule of China. With a dash of superb animation - especially with his eyes - and the voice of an always-creepy Gary Oldman, Shen makes a rather menacing villain for this particular film. I applaud the creation.

Speaking of the animation, I'd have to say that Dreamworks has once again outdone themselves. It's top-notch, really, although it doesn't quite reach the visual brilliance offered by Rango, but it's definitely a beautiful sight to behold. Again, major kudos to Dreamworks for their effort here.

Overall, I'd have to say that Kung Fu Panda 2 is a fun continuation of a story that I have loved since it first hit theaters in 2008. Although this film doesn't quite reach the heights of its predecessor, it serves as a great successor in almost every regard. Would I say you have to see it in theaters? Maybe, if only for the visual aspect. Take that away, and it's definitely a for-sure rental in the future, but the beauty of the visuals should be enough to draw you to the theaters. It's a fun ride regardless, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B
1.5 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: RAIN MAN

RAIN MAN

1988
R

Rain Man is a 1988 Oscar-winning dramatic film directed by Barry Levinson. The film opens on Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), a hot-headed yuppie who runs an expensive car business. Upon hearing the news of his estranged father's passing, Charlie and his girlfriend Susanna (Valeria Golino) make their way to Cincinnati the funeral. Afterwards, Charlie learns that his inheritance includes only a classic Buick Roadmaster and some prize-winning rosebushes; they $3 million estate, however, has been given to an unnamed beneficiary. Charlie begins to search for answers and learns that the money has gone to Raymond Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman), the elder brother Charlie never knew he had. Raymond is institutionalized as a high-functioning autistic, but Charlie decides to take matters into his own hands. In an attempt to attain half of his father's estate, he kidnaps Raymond from the institution and tries to take him back to his home in Los Angeles where a court hearing will determine what is best for Raymond.

This film was the big winner at the Academy Awards in 1989, nabbing eight nominations and four wins (including Best Actor for Hoffman, Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture). Although I don't personally think it's the best film from 1988 that I've ever seen - Die Hard, Beetle Juice, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit rank slightly higher - it's still a fascinating watch that borders the lines of a must-see. There are a few issues with the actual storyline, the most pressing being that the film is entirely predictable. We can see from a mile away that Charlie is going to achieve some sort of major personality change as a result of the time he spends with his brother. I feel like I've seen this type of story dozens of times before, so it's not necessarily original. It's just wrapped in a different kind of wrapping paper, so to speak. However, Rain Man works more as a character drama rather than a plot-driven film. It's not about the fact that Charlie is going to have a change of heart; the important aspect is how he reaches that point. In addition, we get to see a change in Raymond's personality. It's not as drastic, but it's enough to be profound by the end of the film.

With character-driven films, acting is key. If an actor can't make us believe the transformation of their character, then the film loses all of its power because it doesn't have an astounding story to fall back on. Fortunately, our two leads are simply fantastic and entirely convincing in their respective roles. Let's start with Hoffman, who grabbed his second Oscar statuette for his turn as the autistic Raymond Babbitt (his first win came for 1979's Kramer vs. Kramer, for those of you who were wondering). Now, here in the 21st century, I couldn't help but recount one particular scene from 2008's Tropic Thunder as I watched Hoffman's performance. One of the central ideas in Tropic Thunder is the idea that so many actors will go ridiculously deep into a role. In the scene, Robert Downey Jr.'s character is explaining to Ben Stiller's character why you should "never go full retard" for a role. When pressed for an explanation, he continues by referencing Rain Man: "Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man, look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho'." The fact that Hoffman was referenced goes to show just how dedicated he was to his craft in creating the character Raymond Babbitt. While he does have a couple of over-the-top moments that the Academy tends to love, the real meat behind his performance is the subtlety he brings to the screen. There's a number of little ticks that he gives to Raymond that make the performance stunningly brilliant, and he easily deserved his Oscar recognition.

I'd also like to take a moment to talk about Tom Cruise, the only other main character presented in the film. I know that a lot of people nowadays have issue with Mr. Cruise, and considering his media exposure over the past few years, I can't necessarily blame them. However, none of that should take away the fact that he's a very, very good actor. Sure, he tends to play characters that parallel his own personality, and I feel like his role in Rain Man falls into that category. That being said, I'd easily put his Rain Man performance in my top three favorite Cruise roles, behind only 2004's Collateral and 2008's Tropic Thunder. In this film, he makes Charlie's transformation so real and so visceral that we almost make it right alongside him. I started the film absolutely hating Charlie Babbitt, but by the time the final credits rolled, I wanted to shake his hand. That's saying a lot, to be sure.

Rain Man is definitely a movie you should watch. I wouldn't quite call it a must-see film, but it's pretty damn close. It met every expectation I had of it, and although it didn't grade as highly as I thought it would, it's still a very good film that I'm sure you'd enjoy.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B+
2 Thumbs Up