Rating PG for sequences of martial arts action and mild violence.
Starring the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, and Lucy Liu
Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda)
I wish Jack Black was always this funny…and this clean.
In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, the Furious Five. But Po’s new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.
I was pleasantly surprised that this sequel turned out to be a good film. We all know how rare that is. And with so many sequels coming out this summer, not only did it entertain me, but it gave me hope.
The animation is impressive and the story is strong, compelling and emotionally powerful. A lot of that story centers on Po’s childhood and the identity of his parents. It is cleverly told through flashbacks that are more traditional looking cartoons (as opposed to the computer animations we are accustomed to today).
Besides the emotional tug on the heartstrings, the film is jam-packed with action, humor and a stellar cast including Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
As crazy as it sounds, this animated film had it all and my kids and I LOVED it. I’m giving it a Theater Worthy.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Yes.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: There is a particularly moving scene in which a character tells Po that his story may not have had a happy beginning, but the thing that matters is what he chooses to be now. Po then shares the advice with his enemy…and adds, “You gotta let go of that stuff from the past, because it just doesn’t matter.”
Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: If we are honest we have all had some bad or ugly or unfair stuff happen to us. The point is that it’s not what happens to us, it how we deal with the mess that matters.
So tell me about something that happened to you that you thought was bad or ugly or unfair. What happened? How did you deal with it?
Read: Romans 12:14, “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.”
What does that verse tell us about how to handle adversity?
Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: How does that passage help us deal with the next bad or ugly or unfair thing that happens to us?
On a scale of 1-10 (1 being easy as pie and 10 being impossible), how easy do you think it will be to live out Romans 12:14?
Paul gives us some great advice for putting this into practice this week. In Ephesians 4:31-32 he wrote, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
And remember to “let go of that stuff from the past, because it just doesn’t matter.”
