Kung Fu Panda 2
| Kung Fu Panda 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jennifer Yuh Nelson |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Melissa Cobb |
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Clare Knight |
| Music by | |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $150 million |
| Box office | $666 million |
Kung Fu Panda 2 is a 2011 American animated martial arts comedy movie directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. Produced by DreamWorks Animation, it is the second installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise and the sequel to Kung Fu Panda (2008). It features Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, and Jackie Chan reprising their roles from the first movie, with Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Haysbert, and Victor Garber joining the cast. In the movie, Po and the Furious Five travel to Gongmen City to stop the peacock Lord Shen from conquering China while Po rediscovers his forgotten past.
Kung Fu Panda 2 was released in theaters on May 26, 2011, by Paramount Pictures. It received positive reviews from critics and grossed $666 million against its $150 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing movie from a female director and the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2011. The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 84th Academy Awards. It was followed by Kung Fu Panda 3 in 2016 and Kung Fu Panda 4 in 2024.
Plot
Po (voiced by Jack Black) is now the Dragon Warrior and a Kung Fu master protecting the Valley of Peace together with his friends, the Furious Five, but must now find inner peace. Master Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) then sends him on a journey with the Furious Five to Gongmen City and stop Lord Shen (voiced by Gary Oldman), an evil albino peacock who has made a new weapon that can stop Kung Fu. Po has trouble on his journey because he's worried about what happened to his real parents. An old soothsayer (voiced by Michelle Yeoh) helps Po remember that his parents sent Po away as a baby to protect him when their village was attacked by Lord Shen many years ago because Shen learned he would be defeated by Po, the foretold warrior of black and white. Now knowing where he came from, Po finds inner peace, destroys Shen's cannons by throwing the cannonballs back at them, defeats Shen (who also gets killed and crushed by his own cannon), and accepts Mr. Ping (voiced by James Hong) as his dad.
Characters
Old characters
- Po, a panda. He is the Dragon Warrior, Kung Fu master, and hero of the film. Jack Black reprises his role.
- Shifu, a red panda. He is Po's Kung Fu teacher and sifu. Dustin Hoffman reprises his role.
- Tigress, a Southern China tiger. She is a member of the Furious Five and Po's best friend (eventually love interest). Angelina Jolie reprises her role.
- Viper, a green tree viper. She is a member of the Furious Five. Lucy Liu reprises her role.
- Monkey, a golden langur. He is a member of the Furious Five. Jackie Chan reprises his role.
- Mantis, a northern praying mantis. He is a member of the Furious Five. Seth Rogen reprises his role.
- Crane, a red crowned crane. He is a member of the Furious Five. David Cross reprises his role.
- Mr. Ping, a swan goose. He is Po's adoptive father. James Hong reprises his role.
New characters
- Shen, a villainous albino peacock. He is voiced by Gary Oldman.
- Soothsayer, a goat. She predicts Shen will be defeated. Michelle Yeoh voices this character.
- Storming Ox, an ox. He tries to protect Gongmen City from Lord Shen. Dennis Haysbert voices this character.
- Croc, a Oriental alligator. He tries to protect Gongmen City from Lord Shen. Jean-Claude Van Damme voices this character.
- Thundering Rhino, a javan rhinoceros. He tries to protect Gongmen City from Lord Shen. Victor Garber voices this character.
- Panda Dad, a panda. He is Master Po's biological father and the headman of his village. Fred Tatasciore voices this character.
Reception
Critical Response
Kung Fu Panda 2 was acclaimed by critics. It holds a rating of 85% in Rotten Tomatoes and a rating of 7 out of 10. The consensus is "the story arc may seen a tad familiar to fans of the original, but Kung Fu Panda 2 offers enough action, comedy and visual sparkle to compensate". Just like in the original film, the animation, voice acting and character development were praised.
Box Office
The film became a box office success. It grossed $667,692,281 on a $150 million budget. It is the highest grossing animated film of 2011, the 9th highest grossing animated film ever released, the 53rd highest-grossing film of all time and the 6th highest-grossing film of 2011. It is also the highest grossing animated film directed by a woman (Jennifer Yuh Nelson).
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Winner/Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 84th Academy Awards | Best Animated Feature | Jennifer Yuh Nelson | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | Best Animated Feature | ||
| Best Animated Female | Angelina Jolie | ||
| Best Woman Director | Jennifer Yuh Nelson | ||
| Annie Awards | Best Animated Feature | ||
| Animated Effects in an Animated Production | Dave Tidgwell Jason Mayer | ||
| Character Animation in a Feature Production | Dan Wagner Pierre Perifel | ||
| Directing in a Feature Production | Jennifer Yuh Nelson | Won | |
| Production Design in a Feature Production | Raymond Zilbac | ||
| Storyboarding in a Feature Production | Gary Graham Philip Craven | ||
| Voice Acting in a Feature Production | Gary Oldman | ||
| Voice Acting in a Feature Production | James Hong | Nominated | |
| Editing in a Feature Production | Clare Knight | ||
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Animated Feature | ||
| Online Film Critics Society | Best Animated Feature | ||
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Best Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures | Melissa Cobb | |
| 2011 Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Animated Voice | Jack Black | |
| Virgin Movie Media Awards | Best Family Movie Of The Year | ||
| Women Film Critics Circle | Best Animated Females | ||
| 2012 People's Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Animated Voice | Jack Black | |
| Denver Film Critics Society | Best Animated Film | ||
| Satellite Awards | Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media | ||
| Houston Film Critics Society | Best Animated Film | ||
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | Best Animated Film | ||
| Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature Motion Picture | ||
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | Best Animated Film | ||
| Evening Standard British Film Awards | Blockbuster of the Year | ||
| Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Animated Movie | ||
| Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie | Jack Black | ||
| World Soundtrack Awards | Film Composer of the Year | Hans Zimmer | |
| World Soundtrack Awards | Film Composer of the Year | John Powell | |
| Saturn Awards | Best Animated Movie | ||
| As Seen By Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Voice-Over Role | Angelina Jolie | Won |
| Motion Picture Sound Editors | Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in an Animation Feature Film | John Marquis | Won |
Soundtrack
| Kung Fu Panda 2: Music from the Motion Picture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | May 24, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Genre | Score | |||
| Length | 64:26 | |||
| Label | Varèse Sarabande | |||
| Producer | Hans Zimmer John Powell | |||
| Hans Zimmer movie scores chronology | ||||
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| John Powell movie scores chronology | ||||
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Kung Fu Panda 2 is the soundtrack of the film of the same, scored by Hans Zimmer and John Powell and released on May 24, 2011. Just like the movie, the soundtrack received positive reviews from music critics.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ancient China / Story of Shen" | 2:43 |
| 2. | "Dumpling Warrior" | 1:20 |
| 3. | "Inner Peace" | 2:25 |
| 4. | "Musicians Village" | 1:20 |
| 5. | "Save Kung Fu" | 3:41 |
| 6. | "Daddy Issues" | 4:22 |
| 7. | "Stealth Mode" | 4:04 |
| 8. | "Gongmen Jail" | 2:40 |
| 9. | "Rickshaw Chase" | 2:36 |
| 10. | "Po and Shen / Face to Face" | 5:58 |
| 11. | "More Cannons!" | 3:00 |
| 12. | "Fireworks Factory" | 6:48 |
| 13. | "Po Finds the Truth" | 5:03 |
| 14. | "Invasion Begins" | 2:37 |
| 15. | "Zen Ball Master" | 7:21 |
| 16. | "My Fist Hungers for Justice" | 4:55 |
| 17. | "Dumpling Warrior Remix" | 3:30 |
- Songs
- Pump It - The Black Eyed Peas
- Kung Fu Fighting - Cee Lo Green ft Jack Black
- Forgiven - Skillet
- I'll be Missing You - P. Diddy Feat. Faith Evans & 112
Sequel
After the success of Kung Fu Panda 2, DreamWorks Animation confirmed that there will be 6 movies in the franchise. Kung Fu Panda 3 was released in 2016, with Jennifer Yuh Nelson returning to direct and Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger returning to write the script. The original cast returned in the movie, and Kung Fu Panda 3 was the first American animated movie to ever be co-produced by a Chinese firm.
Notes
- 1 2 In July 2014, the movie's distribution rights were purchased by DreamWorks Animation from Paramount Pictures and transferred to 20th Century Fox before reverting to Universal Pictures in 2018 following NBCUniversal's acquisition of DreamWorks Animation in 2016.
References
- ↑ McCarthy, Todd (May 22, 2011). "Kung Fu Panda 2: Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ↑ "Kung Fu Panda 2 (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. May 5, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
- ↑ Kaufman, Amy (May 25, 2011). "Movie Projector: Memorial Day weekend to soar with Hangover, Kung Fu Panda sequels". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
- ↑ "Kung Fu Panda 2". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ↑ Chney, Alexandra (July 29, 2014). "DreamWorks Animation Q2 Earnings Fall Short of Estimates, SEC Investigation Revealed". Variety. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ↑ "Kung Fu Panda 2 Soundtrack (2011)". Soundtrack.Net. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ↑ "Kung Fu Panda 2". hans-zimmer.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.