This universe’s version of China is still human-free. There’s a ruling family of peacocks with a goat soothsayer and wolves for palace guards. Po (voiced by Jack Black) is still the only panda around, but this time we find out why.

In the first movie, Po was pulled from the noodle house to join the Furious Five kung fu experts. Eager but inept, he had to prove he belonged with them. Now, he’s accepted — though Tigress, especially (Angelina Jolie), still seems to feel slightly superior.

The Five, plus Po, learn that they must battle Lord Shen the peacock (Gary Oldman), who’s seizing supplies of metal. He’s also planning to use gunpowder for something besides fireworks. Our heroes also have to find, free, and re-motivate the three kung fu masters of Gongmen city, who are convinced the invention of firearms will make martial arts obsolete. (We all know how that works out.)

Po learns he’s adopted and has disturbing dreams about his birth parents. (The goose, Mr. Ping [James Hong], tells how he found baby Po in a radish crate and took him in. “I fed you, gave you a bath, fed you again . . . and again . . . and again.”)

Like the first movie, where I admired the backgrounds whenever I got bored with the fighting, this is gorgeously made. There’s plenty of street fighting and hot pursuit through an elaborate city complete with palace and harbor.

The mood is darker than the first movie’s, though still lightened with plenty of humor (Po chasing a wolf in a rickshaw is a high point). The flashbacks to Shen’s attempt to wipe out pandas, having been told he’d be defeated by a black-and-white warrior, may upset small children, though we don’t see any onscreen violence. The pull that Po feels toward both his birth parents and his adoptive father is handled with sensitivity.

Going by the final moments, there will definitely be a Kung Fu Panda 3. Let’s hope that, once again, we get more of the original fun plus something new.

This  special edition double DVD combo also includes the short Secrets of the Masters (a bonus story, not a how-to!), previews of the animated TV series, and a free subscription to an online game. It’s a good gift even for kids who have already seen the movie.

The first few scenes of Belle and the town are quite mesmerizing. There is a real depth to the town, and you actually get the feeling of people on the street in different places. However, the difference between the 3D version and the regular version is not so obvious in other parts such as when Belle sits down at the well with her book.

The biggest problem actually came in when Belle was climbing the staircase to the “forbidden West Wing.” The scale seemed to be very off. Belle was very small when visually compared to the castle staircase and hallway. It was here that the 3D effects failed somewhat, because this tended to detract a little from the story.

It wasn’t only Belle who had scaling issues. Lumiere and Cogsworth had some issues as well. In some scenes, they were just teeny-tiny figures, and in others they were much bigger. It probably wasn’t as noticeable in the 2D version as it was in 3D.

Another problem came during the fight scene. It was almost if the 3D effects were completely missing from this part of the movie. Sure, you got some graphical changes but it seems if there should have been more.

Other than these small issues with 3D, the story is still very captivating. It loses none of its character and charm in this 3D makeover. So, if you or your kids are fans of Beauty and the Beast, it certainly is worth a trip to go see this 3D version. Strive for the afternoon run on this movie to save a little on the 3D ticket price.

I, personally, found the movie quite boring.  It had all been done before.  Yes, there was an age where I, too, was all about the Chipmunks, but I am now far past that stage.  Just like there was a time where I would have found their movies hilarious.  But, now I don’t.  20th Century Fox has had some great movies, some grand slams and some home runs.  Then you have the middle of the road singles, doubles, and triples.  But then you get a movie like this that is merely just a swing and a miss.

Sure there were a few decent parts about the movie, but most of it just made me wish it could be over sooner.  Although, I did love the choices of songs they sang.  They did quite a few pop songs that everybody loves.  Even though they chose songs that were a couple years old, they were songs that, if they came on the radio today you wouldn’t be surprised and would start singing along.  I very much commend them on their musical choices.

But, to counteract that compliment, I must say that I completely hate their singing.  Ya ya, I know, they’re chipmunks, their voices are supposed to be squeaky.  But, good lord, their voices are annoying.  That was the thing that I disliked the most about the movie.  Their voices are like a boy’s when he is going through puberty and his voice cracks, except they are nasal!  I can still hearthem in my head and it is driving me crazy!

But, anyways, I thought the movie was about a two point five out of five.  If you asked a child they would probably say five, but if you asked an adult on their perspective they would probably say around a zero or one, so I averaged the two into a two point five.  So there you have, I thought the movie wasn’t very good, but your child will probably love it.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Not that he hasn’t seen it before. But this is the first year that he really sat down and paid attention to the film. And this was the first year that I ever critically evaluated this December staple.

By any objective measure, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is hopelessly outdated.  The animation – Claymation, that is – may have induced oohs and ahs when the stop-motion technology was introduced back in the 1960s, but by today’s standards of computer-generated images and refined animation cells it is positively ridiculous.

Rudolph was made in a time when the prevailing sentiment was that no one over 30 could be trusted.  As such, Santa Claus is… well, he’s kind of a jerk.  He’s really very unlikeable and judgmental.  Santa only warms to Rudolph when he needs him.  And Donner, Rudolph’s father, he’s not so nice, either.

So Rudolph is forced to run away with Hermie, the one elf who has the rebellious streak in him to stand up and say he doesn’t want to make toys. Rather than take the career expected of him by The Man, Hermie wants to be a dentist.  So these two misfits do the only logical thing when faced with such repression from their elders – they run away.

Did you ever wonder what was wrong with the little girl doll on the Island of Misfit Toys?  The elephant has polka dots, the jack in the box is named Charley, the train has square wheels – they’re all misfit toys.  Even their leader has mismatched parts – a lion with wings (although how terrifying would a flying lion be in real life?).  But the little girl doll seemed pretty OK to me.  Anyway…

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is definitely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.  Although the dialogue is stilted, the plot is mystifying, and the characterization is stuck in the 60′s, I loved it as a kid.  I love it now.  My son loved it, too, despite a complete lack of transforming robot warriors or ninja animals.

Puss in Boots

He Said:
I’m a big fan of animated movies and a huge fan of the “Puss in Boots” character from the Shrek films. So when I saw the previews for this film, I was very excited. Did the film live up to my expectations? No, not quite, but it was still very entertaining. Puss is a funny character and the addition of Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) and Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) made for a very comical cast of characters.

The comical behaviors of cats were brilliantly woven into the film. I also thought the villain had an extremely good motive, which kept me enticed. The only thing I didn’t really like was the adventure Puss went on. There just wasn’t enough substance there for me and it wasn’t very original. I felt like it stole from another story to fill content for the plot, which was a little disappointing. Overall though, it was wildly entertaining and makes a great movie for the family or anyone who enjoys animated films and a few good laughs.

My Rating: Worth seeing on the big screen at matinee prices.

She Said:
I’ve always been a fan of Dreamworks’ animated films, especially the Shrek franchise. Of all the Shrek characters, my favorite is Puss in Boots. I mean, come on – what’s not to like about a badass kitty swordsman in fancy boots? And if that’s not enough to bring you on board, how anyone could resist Puss’ make-your-heart-melt-wide-eyed routine is beyond me. So, when Michael and I first saw the trailers for a feature film starring Puss in Boots, I was thrilled.

Even though my expectations for this film were incredibly high, I’m happy to say the movie didn’t disappoint. This wasn’t some lame spin-off from the Shrek series – it was a feature film in its own right. In fact, someone could go see Puss in Boots without ever seeing a Shrek film and they wouldn’t miss a thing. This actually threw me off a little in the beginning of the film, but after 10 minutes into the movie, I was 100% invested in the swashbuckling feline’s story.

Just like the Shrek films, Puss in Boots incorporates several recognizable fairy tale characters and pop culture references into the storyline to appeal to a larger audience, but the story itself is a pretty straightforward plot that keeps the action moving steadily along. The only part of the movie that fell a little flat was with the villains, Jack and Jill. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll just say their continuous conversation got old fast. I felt the writers could have done more with the villains, but it’s not a complete show stopper. Thankfully, the interaction among the three main characters — Puss (Antonio Banderas), Kitty Softpaws (Selma Hayek) and Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) was strong enough to keep the movie entertaining and fresh.

As with most CGI movies, there’s an undeniable benefit to seeing Puss in Boots in 3D. While there are some gimmicky moments here and there, the 3D dimension works really well to bring this animated film to life.

My Rating: See it on the big screen

The Lion King

He Said:
Although Lion King isn’t my favorite Disney movie, I would say it definitely ranks in my top five. I think it teaches a lot of important lessons, such as: “what goes around comes around”, “don’t worry be happy”, and “stand up for what’s right”. As with all animated Disney movies, Lion King did a superb job of making me laugh and connect with the animated characters. How do they do that anyway? I’m always blown away by how I’m able to feel like I’ve known the characters my entire life after watching a Disney movie.

It’s hard not to be impressed by James Earl Jones as the voice of Mufasa. How can anyone not be with such a powerfully deep and unique voice? This is the voice of Darth Vader – one of the most iconic characters of all time after all. However, the character that impressed me the most was Scar. The voice of Scar alone, performed by Jeremy Irons, was just oozing with deception and manipulation. The voice in itself was a character. It was hard not to let a smile creep across my lips after hearing some of Scar’s lines.

This is a movie that’s really targeted at kids and makes for an excellent night of family entertainment. Shannon and I did view the film in 3D, but I didn’t really think it was necessary. There were only a few scenes where I felt it made a significant difference.

My Rating: Definitely worth seeing on the big screen with the family.

She Said:
The first time that I saw The Lion King was a truly magical experience. I was living in Southern California and had a friend with the right connections – several of us were treated to the worldwide premiere showing of The Lion King at the El Captain Theater in Hollywood, California. (The El Capitan Theatre is a fully restored movie palace that’s operated by the Walt Disney Company.) Before the movie even started, we were treated to live song and dance routine featuring several Disney characters, including Aladdin, Cinderella, and Tinkerbell. I remember my first impression of the opening “Circle of Life” scene and wondered if it would still have the same impact on me. It did. Within 30 seconds of the scene unfolding, I was moved to tears. The sheer beauty of the film’s animation is breathtaking.

The Lion King’s characters are engaging and reminded me of Disney’s brilliance in storytelling: the ability to keep young and old audiences engaged. Characters like Timon and Pumbaa provide enough comic relief to keep children amused while characters like Scar slither with enough dry wit to keep the adults entertained. But what I love the most about The Lion King is that it’s a classic epic tale with the Hero’s Journey effortlessly depicted in jaw-dropping hand-drawn animation. For those not familiar with the Hero’s Journey, it’s the main component of an epic: The hero (Simba) leaves his everyday world and enters the supernatural (when he sees Mufasa in the sky) where wisdom is imparted. From there, he must conquer his greatest fear (return to Pride Rock) and slay the dragon (Scar). Once victorious, the hero can return home with power and knowledge that he imparts to his people.

The 3D effects for the movie were hardly noticeable and didn’t feel necessary; it felt like an excuse for Disney to have a limited re-release of The Lion King, but who cares? There’s something magical about seeing a Disney movie in the theater.

My Rating: Worth seeing on the big screen.

He Said:

Will uses a select group of apes to test his formula for a cure and is close to going into human trials when a tragic event causes the project to be halted. Will suddenly finds himself caring for an orphaned baby ape whom he raises as his son — Caesar.

Little does Will know his formula was passed down from Caesar’s mother to Caesar. As Caesar grows older, his intelligence grows off the charts and he eventually becomes aware that he’s being treated as a pet rather than an equal. Eventually, due to certain events, Caesar is put into an animal control shelter with other apes; the facility really resembles an animal prison. Being acutely aware of what’s happening, Caesar is not about to just cope with his predicament – he uses his intelligence to escape the shelter and steal a supply of Will’s 112 formula from Will’s shed. Caesar returns to the shelter and releases the aerosol 112 formula to the other apes and establishes himself as the leader of the pack. Together they plot to escape the shelter.

This movie is all about the story. I thought it had an excellent, and plausible, beginning to the Planet of the Apes story line. It’s amazing how human Caesar looks when showing certain expressions and I was surprised at the emotion I was feeling for him. I’m not just talking about feeling bad for an animal, but more feelings of betrayal of an individual. I also enjoyed seeing the subtle nuances of progression over time as the apes got more intelligent. It was quite impressive really.

My Rating: I would rate this as worth seeing on the big screen

She Said: I have a confession. I’ve never seen the original Planet of the Apes movie starring Charlton Heston. I did study it, though, in one of my English classes in college. From what I recall, Planet of the Apes was a revolutionary science-fiction film that set the cinematic standard for decades to come. Not only was the film a brilliantly told parable about the nature of man, it featured one of the greatest twist endings ever. Since I love prequels, I already had a feeling I was going to like Rise of the Planet of the Apes. What I wasn’t prepared for was how much I enjoyed this movie.

The movie’s premise isn’t based in some outlandish futuristic world – it’s as close to reality as we can get with the genre. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a story about the complicated relationship between fathers and sons; it’s about growing up, growing old, and letting go. I think that’s what roots this movie in reality. The protagonist’s motivation is real and even more importantly – it’s relatable. I could understand, and identify with, his motives every step of the way, even when I thought the film took a clichéd turn.

While I don’t normally comment much on actors’ performances, I do need to call out John Lithgow’s performance as being marvelously brilliant. I’m equally impressed with James Franco and motion-captured Andy Serkis in their stellar performances. Rise of the Planet of the Apes had everything that I want from a science fiction film – a solid, moral commentary, relatable characters, and stunning special effects. I also thoroughly enjoyed the literary allusion to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. In fact, I was giggling like a schoolgirl as one particular scene unfolded.

My rating: See it on the big screen

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

The fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, On Stranger Tides follows Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his long-lost love, Angelica (Penelope Cruz), as they search for the Fountain Of Youth and confront the infamous legendary pirate, Blackbeard (Ian McShane). The fourth installment draws inspiration from the book, On Stranger Tides, written by Tim Powers.

Opens May 20, 2011

The Hangover 2

The boys are back and this time, they’ve gone to Bangkok. This time around, Stu (Ed Helms) is the one getting married. And he’s got one request: no more Vegas and no more drinking, only pancakes and coffee. But things never go as planned. And two nights before the wedding, in a breathtaking resort in Thailand, with one sealed bottle of beer each, what could happen?

Opens May 26, 2011

Kung Fu Panda 2

Po is now living the dream life, as the Dragon Warrior, alongside his kung fu masters, the Furious Five. But a new villain threatens their village and will use a secret, unstoppable weapon that will conquer China and destroy kung fu. Po must now unlock the secrets of his past and use them to succeed in this battle.

Opens May 27, 2011

The Tree of Life

From the acclaimed director of The Thin Red Line and Badlands, Terrence Malick brings us his latest film. The Tree Of Life stars Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain and Sean Penn. The Tree Of Life follows the life of the eldest son, Jack, as he tries come to deals with the complicated relationship he has with his father.

Opens May 27, 2011

Batman: Under the Red Hood

BUTRH is definitely not for kids. The opening scene depicts a really creepy Joker beating a young Robin (Jason Todd, the second person to wear the Robin costume) to death with a crowbar. From there we jump forward in time several years. Batman has mourned the loss of his young protégé and moved on with protecting Gotham City from villains of both the super and the more mundane variety.

When a costumed anti-hero shows up in town to take control of Gotham’s fractured criminal underworld, all the evidence points to Jason. Could his old ward have returned from the dead? Batman and the original Robin, now going under the guise of Nightwing, must find out the vigilante’s identity and put a stop to his violent takeover of organized crime in Gotham City.

The animation is beautiful. The voice actors are top notch (notably Neil Patrick Harris in a supporting role as Nightwing). The story is faithful to the comic book, but not to a fault. BUTRH does a great job of echoing the source material while shedding the unnecessary baggage from the comics that would bog down a 90 minute animated adaptation.

There are plenty of villainous cameos. The Black Mask (voiced by Wade Williams) stands out among a wonderful supporting cast in comic relief. Fans of the comic will enjoy cameos by the Riddler, Ra’s al Ghul, and Amazo. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be a comic fanboy. Everything is well explained in context and without exposition to get you up to speed.

Batman: Under the Red Hood is available only on DVD. It is a worthy follow up to Batman/Superman: Public Enemies and JLA: Earth Two, the two most recent (and best) releases from DC.