Five paws for brilliant 'Kung Fu Panda 2'

There is a moment in 'Kung Fu Panda 2', Dreamworks' stellar follow-up to its 2008 talking-animal blockbuster, that is as clever and subversive as any I've seen in recent animated films.

Just before the climactic final battle, our hero, Po (Jack Black), thought to have been vanquished, re-appears above a rooftop to declare his challenge to the villainous Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), who sits upon a battleship in the canal below, preparing mount his siege. As Po launches into his speech, the camera pulls back to reveal that Shen is in fact well out of earshot; he can't make out a single word the panda is saying. Shen pleas in vain for him to speak up, only to give up in frustration and commence his assault forthwith.