Kung Fu Panda 2 3D

Poor clumsy Panda Po (Black) is back in his biggest challenge since becoming the Dragon Warrior. Po must lead his friends and fellow Kung Fu masters, The Furious Five, on a mission of epic proportions to defeat his most threatening rival yet. Also included is Kung Fu Panda: Secrets Of The Masters, where Po and the Furious Five uncover the legend of three of kung fu's greatest heroes: Master Thundering Rhino, Master Storming Ox, and Master Croc. (Gary Reber)

Special features include a feature commentary track with Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Producer Melissa Cobb, Production Designer Raymond Zibach, and Supervising Animator, Kung Fu Choreographer and Story Artist Rodolphe Guenoden; the Kung Fu Panda: Legends Of Awesomeness Nickelodeon television series episode (HD 23:50); The Cast (HD 12:42); three deleted scenes with Nelson (HD 04:21); World Of DreamWorks Animation promos; up-front previews; a sneak peek of How To Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular; the featurette Animation Inspiration (HD 11:35); "The Animators' Corner" BonusView; a trivia track; and a digital copy of the movie. Also included are additional bonus features: "Panda Stories" (HD 07:44), the shell game "Kung Fu Shuffle," Ni Hao Chinese lessens, "Legend Of The Wu Sisters" game, and printables, and D-BOX® Motion Code™.

The 2.37:1 1080p MVC reference-quality 3D picture is stunning and gorgeous and retains all of the exquisite textures and vivid colors of the 2D version. The animation is finely detailed, and the contrast is exemplary, with rich deep blacks and excellent shadow delineation. Colors are vibrant, yet not overly so, for a more natural color palette. Detail is remarkable and revealing of the finest nuances. There is no noise or other artifacts noticeable. The three-dimensional depth and perspective is seamless and natural in appearance. The positive parallax depth is impressively realistic, and there is plenty negative parallax out-of-screen visuals that enhance the excitement. The imagery simply pops to the forefront or out of the screen, but never is this objectionable. Viewers will relish the dimensional depth and frame extensions. Crosstalk ghosting is never an issue, as it simply does not exist. This a perfectly rendered animated picture and among the best 3D releases to be released. No disappointments here. (Gary Reber)

The Dolby® TrueHD 7.1-channel soundtrack is well crafted and at times projects a holosonic® presence, with aggressive enveloping split surrounds and deep, natural bass, at times to sub-25 Hz frequencies. The sound is sweeping in soundstage and soundfield scope, with effective directionality. The added two channels conform to the Dolby theatrical setup at the back. The symphonic orchestral music score is nicely recorded with a deep and wide soundstage presence in the surround channels, providing an enveloping experience. The LFE .1 effects are solid and aggressive. Sound effects and Foley, whether nuanced or in full force, and dialogue are well integrated throughout, and there is no detectable noise, for excellent dynamic effect. Dialogue sounds naturally integrated spatially. This is a perfect sonic experience that is sure to please. (Gary Reber)