Po (Jack Black), the rotund Kung Fu Panda, returns in a sequel worthy of The Dragon Warrior. Revelling in his newfound fame, Po and the Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogan, Jackie Chan, David Cross, Lucy Liu) have brought security to the Valley of Peace. That peace is short-lived as alarming news is rushed to Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). The villainous peac*ck, Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), has returned with a weapon even more powerful than Kung Fu. He has harnessed the power of firecrackers and turned them into deadly, projectile launching devices (aka cannons). Po and the Five race to defeat Lord Shen, but the battle brings back a long forgotten memory. Po faces the realization that Mr. Ping the Goose (James Hong)...is not his real father. And that only Lord Shen knows the true story of his birth. Lost and without purpose, Po must seek inner peace to save China and defeat Lord Shen.

Kung Fu Panda 2 is a story about adoption. Po's reaction to Mr. Ping not being his real father is akin to what many adopted children must feel when they learn the truth about their birth. Was I not wanted? Why am I here? Who am I really? Doubt creeps into Po's psyche and endangers everything he has learned about himself. The ugly spector of failure rears its ugly head. But Po is not alone, or unwanted. He has powerful allies - his friends, his father, and most importantly, the teachings of Kung Fu. The search for inner peace leads Po to the discovery of an awesome power, inside him, that even the weaponry of Lord Shen cannot defeat.

Dreamworks takes a page from Pixar, the kings of tearjerker animation, and make Kung Fu Panda 2 much more serious than the first. The film has a sincere moral message that it conveys beautifully. It helps that the characters are well written and likeable. Po is that chubby kid that everyone roots for to succeed. There's a great line where one of Lord Shen's evil wolves describe him as actually pretty cute and doughy. The audience empathizes with Po's predicament, giving a real dramatic weight to the story.

I don't want to harp on the dramatic elements too much because the film is very entertaining. It moves like a breeze and is loaded with clever humor. The banter between Po and Lord Shen is hilarious. The 3D animation is also great. The filmmakers mix in various styles of animation, apart from CGI, to give the film a unique look. It's that extra ounce of creativity that separates the herd in the 3D deluge. A must see for all ages, kids and adults will love this movie.