Bonnie Owens
Which Movie Will Be A Blockbuster Hit Cars 2 or Kung Fu Panda 2?
Almost every movie has a sequel these days, so why should the Disney movies be any different. As I’m sure you’ve all seen the commercials or heard the kiddies buzzing about them, Cars 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2 are being released into theaters this month along with the third installation of the Transformers series, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, but that’s a different post entirely. Anywho I was just wondering which movie will become a Blockbuster hit in theaters and a a must have for every kid in America. I know my kids love both Cars and Kung Fu Panda, so I think it will be pretty much a split decision or we may just end up going to see both movies. In case you don’t have a rundown on these movies…
Cars (2006)
Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by both John Lasseter and Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar’s final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney. Set in a world populated entirely by anthropomorphic cars and other vehicles, it features voices by Owen Wilson, Paul Newman (in his final non-documentary feature), Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin, Jenifer Lewis, Tony Shalhoub, John Ratzenberger, George Carlin, Larry the Cable Guy and Michael Keaton as well as voice cameos by several celebrities including Jeremy Piven, Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bob Costas, Darrell Waltrip, Jay Leno, Michael Schumacher, Tom and Ray Magliozzi from NPR’s Car Talk, and Mario Andretti. The film is also the second Pixar—after A Bug’s Life—to have an entirely non-human cast.
Cars premiered on May 26, 2006 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, and was released on June 9, 2006, to generally favorable reviews. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature, and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. It was released on DVD November 7, 2006 and on Blu-ray Disc in late 2007. Related merchandise, including scale models of several of the cars, broke records for retail sales of merchandise based on a Disney·Pixar film, with an estimated $5 billion in sales.
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by John Wayne Stevenson and Mark Osborne and produced by Melissa Cobb, and stars the voice of Jack Black along with Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, Dan Fogler and Michael Clarke Duncan. Set in a version of ancient China populated by anthropomorphic animals, the plot revolves around a bumbling panda named Po who aspires to be a kung fu master. When an evil kung fu warrior is foretold to escape from prison, Po is unwittingly named the chosen one destined to bring peace to the land, much to the chagrin of the resident kung fu warriors.
Although the concept of a “kung fu panda” has been around since at least 1993, work on the film did not begin until 2004. The idea for the film was conceived by Michael Lachance, a DreamWorks Animation executive. The film was originally intended to be a parody, but director Stevenson decided instead to shoot an action comedy Wuxia film that incorporates the hero’s journey narrative archetype for the lead character. The computer animation in the film was more complex than anything DreamWorks had done before. As with most DreamWorks animated films, Hans Zimmer (collaborating with John Powell this time) scored Kung Fu Panda. He visited China to absorb the culture and get to know the China National Symphony Orchestra as part of his preparation. A sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2, is in production and set for release on May 26, 2011.
Kung Fu Panda premiered in the United States on June 6, 2008, and has since received very favorable reviews from critics and most of the movie-going public, including Chinese audiences who were impressed with the film’s faithfulness to their culture. The film currently garners an 88% “Certified Fresh” approval rating from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Kung Fu Panda opened in 4,114 theaters, grossing $20.3 million on its opening day and $60.2 million on its opening weekend, resulting in the number one position at the box office. The film became DreamWorks’s biggest opening for a non-sequel film, highest grossing animated movie of the year, the fourth-largest weekend for a DreamWorks animated film at the American and Canadian box office, behind Shrek the Third, Shrek 2, and Shrek Forever After, and the 49th highest-grossing film of all time.
Now that you’ve been briefed on the original versions of these movies I’ll give you a small summary/glimpse into what you can expect from the sequels premiering this month and in June. I’m sure you’re thinking there’s no way that you can top the originals just now way…well you just may be pleasantly surprised.
Cars 2 (2011)
Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in “Cars 2″ when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. Adding to the fast-paced fun is a colorful new all-car cast that includes secret agents, menacing villains and international racing competitors.
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five – Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po’s new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed in his new adventure, Kung Fu Panda 2.
Now that you have all the information on both the originals and the sequels it’s your turn to participate. We need for you to cast your vote on which movie you think will be the blockbuster hit of the summer. Will it be Cars 2? Will it be Kung Fu Panda 2? Who knows?! But you have the chance now to cast your vote and let your voice be heard.
CAST YOUR VOTE NOW!
About the Author
I’ve always wanted to write short stories and (try) to give advice by sharing my experiences and I’ve finally got the chance. That’s what Ramblings Of A Southern Mama is all about. It’s about me sharing (rambling) my thoughts and experiences as a mom and a growing adult. You never stop growing and learning and I’m slowly but surely learning that with the help of my toddlers.
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