Kung Fu Panda II begins telling the story of the villain, a peacock named Shen who usurps the throne of his kingdom from his parents. Upon hearing from an oracle that a hero bearing the colors black and white will be his demise, he carries out a raid on a panda village, killing everyone he finds there. Using a newly discovered technology – gunpowder, Shen vanquishes a trio of legendary kung fu masters and takes up residence in their fortress, where he begins plotting world conquest.

Cut to our hero, the portly panda Po, fresh from his victory in the first movie, fully accepted by the kung fu masters known as the Fighting Five, training and eating to his heart’s content. Upon hearing the news of Shen’s defeat of the kung fu masters, Po and his friends journey to stop him. They find Shen, and Po has him cornered, when he experiences a strange flashback that distracts him and allows Shen to escape. Po, disturbed by his failure and confused by the flashback, asks his sensei, Shifu, for advice. “You won’t defeat Shen until you find inner peace,” Shifu advises him.

And so begins not only a swashbuckling action-packed kung fu fighting adventure, but also a surprisingly thoughtful investigation into what makes us who we are. Po’s journey contains some obvious comedy (“Po, you’re adopted,” his adoptive father, a duck, tells him with great trepidation. “I kinda guessed,” Po responds), but it’s also heartwarming and insightful.

The first Kung Fu Panda was fun and entertaining, definitely worth watching, but the second movie is one we would like to own. Highly recommended.

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