[rating=5]

I saw this in 2D, rather than 3D, so I can’t comment on the quality of the 3D. However, as it’s an animated film, it’s probably not bad. Far easier to manage decent 3D in a film without live actors 😉

When I’m rating this film as five out of five, that’s a high five. Seriously worth watching. If you’ve not seen the first, rent or buy it, then go see this one on the big screen. The quality of the animation is great, in both the rendered portions and the portions that are more stylized. Might have helped that I’ve got new glasses too, so I’m picking up more fine detail, but I don’t think that’s all of it. It’s detailed, the slightly ruffled edges of fur, that kind of thing. The motion is fluid, with no jerkiness; which is somewhat important with the high-speed martial arts 😉

The story’s good too, following on from the first one, Po as the dragon warrior, not quite as skilled as some of the other furious five, but still more than capable of holding his own. I’m not going to go into detail on the story, but it touches on Po’s past, why he’s been raised by a goose, and yet another occasion to save China.

The voice acting is excellent, with a decent script. The jokes are both verbal and visual, handled well in both mediums. There were more than a few occasions where I was crying with laughter. It manages the solemn moments and high drama moments well, without it slapping you in the fact with the contrast from the humor. Except when it’s done deliberately. The balance is maintained without it feeling like the writers were thinking ‘It’s been too long without a joke’.

There’s a moral buried in there, but it’s not slapping you in the face. Show, don’t tell. 🙂