Why Kung Fu Panda 2 is a Worthy Sequel

I want to point out that Shen is not just crushed by a ship mast, but the destroyed remains of his great cannon. He’s literally killed by his own tool of death and subjugation. It’s also worth noting that Shem himself could be considered “a warrior of black and white” since his color scheme is primarily white with some black accents. Everything Shen did, from weaponizing gunpowder, killing the pandas, and trying to conquer China led him inexorably to his own death. It’s almost a Greek tragedy in that he is his own undoing. Po is the primary opposing force to Shen, but only because of the consequences of Shen’s actions.

My favorite moment still has to be when Po was like "I just discovered my father isn't my father." And tigress is like: your father... the goose... must have been tough.

Just rewatched this movie and realised that Mr Ping has changed his restraunt is now "noodle AND TOFU", a fantastic call back to the first scene with them in the first movie when Mr Ping talks about how when he was young, he wanted to run away and learn to make tofu. A beautiful detail that's easy to miss, it's only a small line of dialog that shows how Po has inspired him, but such attention to detail in this movie

Kung Fu Panda 1: Don't let others define you Kung Fu Panda 2: Don't let trauma define you Kung Fu Panda 3: Let yourself define you

Its funny how peacocks are always the biggest dreamworks villains Both Lord Shen and the streaming service that released the megamind sequel

My favorite villain line of any movie: "Oh it’s a parting gift, in that it will part you. Part of you here, part of you there and part of you waaay over there STAINING THE WALL."

When it comes to shen's animation and fighting style utilizing the fact that he is a peacock, my favorite aspect is his tail feathers. He often opens his feathers up quickly in his opponents faces, disorietating them. It also creates a greater sense of movement, which tends to cover up the fact that he is less skilled in kung fu. The metal talons also give him an advantage, since he weaponizes them. His tail feathers bright red makes it even more distracting and eyecatching, and the talons have a distinctive sound, which you can easily associate with him

Shen is a fascinating villain and I think you said everything perfectly but I want to remind about the best scene in the entire movie where the wolf leader declines firing at his own men, and Shen kills him. He just kills him immediately, there's no hesitation, no battle, no focus on the camera even. It's just there and it's so chilling and captures his villany so perfectly

I also liked how the film didn't reset Po's training and make him a joke. He is still a Kung Fu master, just with bigger responsibilities now

You forgot to add a win where in Kung fu Panda, Po asked his dad if he had any other dream apart from making noodles. His dad answered that he wanted to run away and make tofu but then later changed his mind because it was a stupid dream. Meanwhile in Kung fu Panda 2, the goose dad names his store "Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu" or something. Could it be because Po made his dream to be a kung fu warrior come true that made his father realize that perhaps making tofu isn't so much of a stupid dream after all?

11:34 Overly Sarcastic Productions pointed out in a video that this is a movie that changes genre depending on who's the character in focus. Yes, from Po's perspective it's a comedic Kung Fu film with some emotional moments. But if you look at it from Shen's POV, the whole thing suddenly turns into Macbeth

"your story may not have such a happy beginning. but that doesn't make you who you are. it is the rest of your story. who you choose to be. so... who are you, panda?" as someone who was an adopted kid just like po, that was beyond beautiful

Fun fact: The prophecy of Shen being slain by a warrior of black and white possibly wasn't referring to Po. In the end, Shen himself (a black and white peacock) cut the ropes holding the cannon above his raft.

Fun fact, the one eyed wolf who is so antagonistic to Po lost his eye to Po’s dad when he struck him with his hammer in the flashback.

Most pure evil villains: start out genuinely calm and collected until the final act where they have their third act breakdown Lord Shen: has been in a constant state of third act breakdown since even his origin story

23:34 That's not a mast, it's the remains of his own destroyed cannon. Further reinforcing the idea that his downfall was of his own creation.

Props to Shen for having one of the HIGHEST kill counts of any DreamWorks Villain.

To be fair, Master Croc and Ox dont wanna fight Shen because he'd turn his canon to the people of the city, not necessarily because theyre afraid of his cannon

Shen is literally the Dreamworks equivalent of Frollo from Hunchback of Notre Dame and I'm living for it

Another underrated aspect of this movie is the environmentalism. That lies between the Valley of Peace's natural beauty and Gongmen City's polluted economy. The way this theme is delivered encourages the audience to weigh the pros and cons of innovation and preservation.