Kung Fu Panda 2 review

 Number 962 on the top 1000 films of all time is John Stevenson's sequel to the original 2008 animated wuxia film Kung Fu Panda.

Po (Jack Black) now a respected Kung Fu master is called upon to defeat the peacock Lord Shen (Gary Oldman.) Lord Shen aims to dominate ancient China by using the newly-discovered gunpowder as a weapon. This could spell the end of Kung Fu. Meanwhile, Po starts to learn more about this mysterious past.

What can I say about this film which I haven't said about its predecessor? The animation was gorgeous. And the score was superior. Po remained a goofy yet sympathetic protagonist thanks to Jack Black's performance. James Hong, who plays Po's adoptive father Goose, was also great. As Po's adoptive father, he is very protective of his son. And he is naturally worried when Po goes off on his adventures. This concern was touching to see. One heart-twinging moment was when Po, just about to leave to defeat Lord Shen, reassures Goose that he'll be back before he can say noodles. As Po is leaving, Goose mumbles 'noodles' to himself. I'm not ashamed to say that I nearly cried.

Gar Oldman was also great as Lord Shen. He helped to bring the peacock to life with his borderline over-the-top performance, reminiscent of his villainous role in Leon the Professional. He made Lord Shen a far more memorable villain than Tai Hung.

John Stevenson also changed direction in this film choosing instead to take a darker tone. Nowhere is this more evident than when we learn more about Po's past of which I won't spoil here. Yet he also stayed close to the roots of kung fu films. From the wuxia films that I have seen, I have observed that they always champion the art and prowess behind kung fu. It is a source of national pride. Having this pride threatened with the invention of gunpowder, the tension and stakes went right through the roof.

Unfortunately, Kung Fu Panda 2 shares the same failures as its predecessor in its under-utilisation of its considerable cast. Despite starring in major kung fu films, Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh were majorly neglected.

That notwithstanding, I did enjoy Kung Fu Panda 2. It holds the rare title of being just as good as its predecessor. 

Kung Fu Panda review

 Number 672 on the top 1000 films of all time is the computer-animated wuxia film Kung Fu Panda.

Kung Fu Panda is set in ancient China. It follows the bumbling, but well-intentioned Po (Jack Black) - a giant panda bear who loves kung fu. When he is inadvertently named the Dragon-Warrior, it becomes his destiny to stop the evil snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian Mcshane.)

I enjoyed Kung Fu Panda a lot more than I thought I would. Generally I find wuxia films more style than substance. Sure the martial arts sequences look brilliant, but the films are always so overly-serious. This wasn't the case for Kung Fu panda. The best thing about the film was that it didn't take itself too seriously. And a lot of that was down to John Stevenson's strong direction.

Rather than making a parody like Dreamworks wanted, he instead created an action-comedy that took all the best elements of Wuxia, but also incorporating a lighter tone. Having Jack Black as Po also helped a lot. His comedy is always so expressive and physical which translated well to an animated role. Yet he also made Po a very sympathetic character.

Po is a kung fu enthusiast. He loves the martial arts. But he is also resigned to spending his life in his father 'Goose's' (James Hong) noodle restaurant. As a side note, James Hong was a delight as the over-protective and overly-affectionate father. Po very much becomes an unlikely hero as nobody, least of all, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) - the Red Panda who has to train Po, has any faith in him succeeding.

Jack Black, Ian McShane, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong - there are some acting heavyweights in his film. But that's not all. Angeline Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and Michael Clark Duncan also all lend their voices. But with such a large cast and so many characters a lot of the acting talent was largely underutilised. Jackie Chan - star of so many kung fu films gave a disappointing contribution, while Lucy Liu and Seth Rogen largely blended into the background. Ian Mcshane's voice performance was nothing noteworthy either.

Having said that, I did enjoy Kung Fu Panda. It had gorgeous animation, and real heart. Unlike so many of its predecessors, it embraced portraying Kung-Fu under a more light-hearted lens.

Changeling review

 Number 498 on the top 1000 films of all time is Clint Eastwood's mystery drama Changeling.

Based on a true story, Changeling follows the trials of single mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) whose nine-year-old son Walter goes missing in Mira Loma, California. A few months later, the LAPD claim to have found Walter. But Christine is insistent that this is the wrong boy. However, her claims are dismissed and she is made to look like an unfit mother. Together with Reverend Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich,) vocal critic of the LAPD, Christine begins building a case to challenge them, but the police have her imprisoned in a psychiatric institution.

This is an insane story, made even crazier by how it is based on real life. Yes, the film does play fast and loose with some of the finer details, but the core plot is the same. Christine Collins' son disappears. The police claim to have found the boy but Christine is insistent they are wrong. Rather than admit their mistake and face the ensuing negative publicity, they silence her by sending her to a mental hospital. If it wasn't so horrific, it would be funny. And it really is a case of fact being stranger than fiction.

It's a tale of women being dismissed in a patriarchal society by arrogant men, as well as the corrupt nature of the LAPD. During this time, they had received intense negative publicity after failing to solve other missing children cases. They desperately needed a win and were determined to get it even if that meant ignoring the truth. Eastwood created an atmosphere that was hostile and tense all at the same time. Police captain J.J Jones is an arrogant villain who is too proud to dare admit he was wrong. Instead he attacks Christine for daring to question his authority. 

And it's difficult not to feel for Christine at this point. All she wants is her son back yet she is ridiculed and mocked by the very people who were supposed to help her. Jolie makes her into the most sympathetic protagonist. But Malkovich was also great as the Reverend Briegleb portraying a character that was brave enough to fight against the police department. He was powerful enough to get Christine freed from prison and was the driving force she needed to take justified legal action against the police.

So what really did happen to Walter Collins? Well, like I said, Eastwood played fast and loose with history but he got the main facts right. Collins was kidnapped and murdered by Canadian serial killer Gordon Northcott (Jason Butler Harner) on the Wineville chicken coop. He is caught and sentenced to death, but refuses to admit whether he ever killed Walter. Harner was formidable as Northcott - he was unhinged enough to make him scary, but not so much he becomes a cliche. When he is about to be hung and he has the hood over his face, he starts singing Silent Night. As monstrous as he was, it was difficult not to take pity on him. In real life, Northcott was only in his early twenties - little more than a misguided kid himself. 

As for Walter's imposter, he decided to pose as him, so he could travel to Hollywood and meet his favourite actor Tom Mix. He also wanted to escape the abusive clutches of his step parents, but this was omitted. And as for the LAPD? They were punished but not really - as is often the case for corrupt members of authority. Captain Jones was supposed to pay Christine $10,800 but he never did. And even though he was fired, he was later re-instated. Why am I not surprised?

But this was a great effort from Eastwood. Although it wasn't 100% accurate, it was a fascinating depiction of a horrendous true story. You do wonder if Christine Collins had been a man, would the police have been more likely to have believed her?