'Kung Fu Panda 2' is smart and funny

The secret weapon of the animated sequel "Kung Fu Panda 2" is not martial arts but a knack for sandwiching heavy moments between slices of light humor. Nobody ever stays too serious for too long: Emotional embraces are cut short, profound metaphors tend to get mixed, a climactic speech is delivered from too far away. ("What?" says the villain, leaning forward.)

This is a simple trick, but it stands "Kung Fu Panda 2" in good stead. The film stays nimble and moves quickly despite some wobbly storyboarding, never forgetting that its overall attitude can be summed up in two words: Just kidding!

In 2008's "Kung Fu Panda," the paunchy panda Po (voiced by Jack Black) overcame body issues and lousy hand-eye coordination to join the legendary Furious Five, whose members range in size from Tigress (Angelina Jolie) down to Mantis (Seth Rogen). In the new film, Po faces a different challenge: confronting the fact that he is adopted. His father, a goose, breaks the news.

Po isn't the only one with daddy issues. A new villain, the peacock Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), wants to conquer all of China to get back at his disapproving parents. "They wronged me," Shen says sorrowfully to Soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh), a ewe who foresees his doom and, more irritatingly, keeps chewing on his cape. Eventually, panda and peacock must meet.

"Kung Fu Panda 2" isn't aiming for high art, but it does want to be better and smarter than the usual animated kiddie fare. It succeeds partly because, as Po himself discovers, knowing oneself is half the battle.