Perhaps it’s unreasonable to expect anything but “more of the same” from any Hollywood sequel. In the cases of “Kung Fu Panda 2” and “The HangoverPart II,” both technically deliver more of what made the original films successful with audiences.
The difference is the execution. Where “Panda” works hard to bring something fresh and energetic to the screen, “The Hangover” falls flat retracing its own steps.
The Dreamworks Animation follow-up begins with lovable dragon warrior Po (Jack Black) relishing his new role as martial-arts master. He is absolutely giddy about Kung Fu, still displaying genuine surprise when he launches into each awesome move.
His master (Dustin Hoffman) wants the excitable panda to find inner peace, which involves discovering his own origin story. There’s also a dastardly peacock (Gary Oldman) hell bent on destroying all of Kung Fu.
As with most martial arts adventures, the plot of “Kung Fu Panda 2” is as straightforward as they come. Most of it serves to bridge the fight scenes together, and like its predecessor, the sequel is full of clever, visually impressive action sequences. Even with the comedic talents of Black and Seth Rogen on hand, the funniest bits of “Panda 2” involve Po’s unique fighting style (his plump stomach again proves to be his most dangerous weapon).
Oldman is the vocal standout as the villainous bird. However, the rest of the celebrity cast, which again includes Angelina Jolie and Jackie Chan, have little time to make an impression.
“Panda 2” lands its quieter character moments though, most of which focus on the search for Po’s birth parents. It adds an emotional dimension to Po’s action-heavy adventure, adding dramatic stakes to the clever showdowns.
It may not be as fresh as the original (most sequels aren’t), but Dreamworks has made a genuine effort to expand the “Kung Fu Panda” story and include new twists on what worked so well the first time around. It even leaves a logical path to part three.
“The Hangover Part II,” on the other hand,” is the worst kind of sequel – one that doesn’t even try to bring something new to the table. Director Todd Phillips has made a movie of cheap, frantic substitutions, none of which are half as funny as what seemed to happen organically in the first film.
Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis work hard to make the hijinks of “Part II” entertaining, but the script provides no comedic depth. Something crazy happens, then the guys scream obscenities. Galifianakis’ bizarre antics wear especially thin in this outing, as most of the character’s charm from the original is washed away by his ever-escalating stupidity.
In all fairness, “Hangover Part II” scores some laughs in the opening reel, before the notorious evening of shenanigans, this time set in Bangkok. Once theboys wake up, the only thing to do is count the variations from the first film. Baby is replaced by monkey, prostitute is replaced by weirder prostitute, and so on.
“The Hangover Part II” netted a huge opening weekend at the box office, propelled by audience goodwill from the first film. Many fans of the original will probably walk out thinking they were satisfied by the follow-up. After all, when you love certain movie characters, it can be hard to admit when a sequel goes so horribly astray.