Kung Fu Panda is back in action! The fat, lazy but brave and kind-hearted Po will hit China's big screen on Friday.
Before the official release, some of the men behind the animated images paid a visit to Southwest China's Sichuan Province, home of real pandas. They screened the film for a lucky group of insiders.
The lovable high kicking Panda must battle a new evil in the sequel. Backing Po is master Shifu and the Furious Five, while against him is the emperor albino peacock Lord Shen. The sequel will finally unveil the family secret of why Po father is a Duck.
"Through the film, Po is finding his way home, which is very universal. The plot connects us with nostalgia. The feeling is particular strong among Chinese people who traditionally have close family ties," said a movie goer.
More Chinese elements are mixed in the film where the scenes of China's southwest Sichuan Province are set as the background. Spicy Sichuan cuisine, acupuncture, and even some modern-day Chinese slang are smartly blended into the sequel.
"I've never seen such a successful film filled with Chinese elements. It's great. And I'm sure the box office of the sequel will perform better than the first one," said an audience.
The filmmakers took much of their inspiration from Sichuan Province itself. Before the first hit, the team spent five years on research and pre-production including spending some time in China.