Cinema 2011 #55: Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda was something of a surprise hit back in 2008, with very few industry insiders expecting the kiddie-friendly story of an American-sounding martial-artistic bear in a cutesy critter China to become the 50th top grossing film of all time. And yet, against the odds, Po the panda’s quest for self-fulfillment struck a gong with audiences everywhere, especially in China, where its Sino-styled riffs on Asian legends and kung-fu cinema went down a treat. And in one fell chop, DreamWorks established a new franchise to rival Pixar’s dominance of the computer animated cartoon. 

Cinema 2011 #39: Red Riding Hood

So it’s this sexy fantasy film, that’s got all these veiled references to sex, with a sexpot lead actress, who pouts and stares a lot, sexily, and these two sexy guys fighting over her, one of whom may or may not be a sexy werewolf. And it’s not Twilight? Even though it’s got the same director. Framing everything in twisty angles and splashes of sexy colour. So, more like Twilight 2: Twi Harder?

It’s sort of difficult to avoid the inevitable comparison of Catherine Hardwicke’s latest paean to pubescent girls, Red Riding Hood, to the behemoth saga she started back in 2008. Both stories focus on one girl’s sexual magnetism over two beefcakes against the backdrop of daydream fancying and nightmarish monsters. Both films contain a female lead who deserves better material and veterans who frankly should know better. Both films will make you laugh, unintentionally. Frequently. And most tragically of all, both films mark another nail in the coffin of previously promising director.