WAMG’s Week of PANDA-Monium – Day 1: KUNG FU PANDA 2 Prize Pack Giveaway & Meet The New Characters

It’s PANDA-monium week here at WAMG! In honor of DreamWorks Animation’s KUNG FU PANDA 2, every day this week the Geeks will bring you a new story on Po and the Furious Five. Afterwards, look for a special daily giveaway of a Panda Prize Pack. Grand Prize will be awarded on Friday! Talk about The Year of Awesomeness!!

Get ready to be introduced to some new characters, as well as some old friends, from KUNG FU PANDA 2.

First up, Lord Shen!

Lord Shen is hyper intelligent, supremely lethal, and burns with ambition. It’s a combustible combination. His past has forged in him the notion that he’s been wronged and that the world owes him something. He intends to do everything in his power to take it, which includes inventing a weapon unlike anything the world has ever seen. He’s intent on wiping out kung fu and taking over China. That puts him on a collision course with Po and The Five.

The aged Soothsayer has been advisor to the Peacocks, rulers of Gongmen City, her entire life. She is wise and gifted with knowledge of the future. She speaks in riddles and nonsense, which can be easily (and foolishly) dismissed by those who do not realize her power. She has lived with the burden of a dark prediction she made years ago. Her redemption lies in a warrior of black and white – Po.

Master Thundering Rhino, wielder of the legendary Cloud Hammer, is the benevolent leader of the Kung Fu Council, which protects the vast metropolis of Gongmen City. Thundering Rhino is descended from a long line of masters. He trained under his father, Master Flying Rhino, and became legendary in his own right by slaying the Ten Thousand Serpents in the Valley of Woe. As head of the Kung Fu Council, he is revered for his wisdom, kind humor, and good deeds.

Master Storming Ox is Master Thundering Rhino’s greatest pupil. As a youngster he skipped his chores, sneaking through Gongmen City into the palace to watch Master Rhino spar. Master Rhino rewarded the young Ox’s enthusiasm by training him in kung fu. Master Ox went on to prove his skill and bravery by taking on the seventy-two bandits of the Wing Cho province with naught but his bare horns. Often hotheaded, favoring action over contemplation, Ox is a constant challenge for his old Master. But he is also a loyal friend and trusted member of the Kung Fu Council, which protects the citizens of peaceful Gongmen City.

Master Croc was once the head of the infamous Wool Stealing Crocodile Bandits of Crocodile Island – a gang of criminals unmatched in their mischief. Anyone foolish enough to stand in Croc’s way was dispatched with his Legendary Lashing Tail of Terror technique – until the day Croc crossed paths with Master Thundering Rhino, whose kung fu was proven superior in their epic battle on the shores of the Wa Su Li River. Beaten, Master Croc prepared himself for death, but the fatal blow never came. Master Rhino asked Croc to use his kung fu excellence for good. Croc was so moved by Master Rhino’s compassion that he quit his criminal ways then and there. He roamed China, righting wrongs and protecting the weak – and eventually came to sit at Rhino’s side as a member of the Kung Fu Council. Croc, as strong as an ox and as wily as a fox, is famous for his many victories, not the least of which was his silencing of the Badger Bandits who talked about his Mom.

The Wolf Boss and his pack were once guards in Gongmen City’s royal palace. The only member of the royal family ever to befriend him was Shen, the albino heir to Gongmen City’s throne. The Wolf Boss swore his allegiance to the young prince. He is Shen’s most loyal servant, military strategist and trusted right paw.

The Gorillas are the muscle in Lord Shen’s army. If his evil schemes require any heavy lifting, they’ll be the ones doing it. Shen’s personal guard is made up entirely of these powerful (and powerfully large) brutes, who are honor bound to their master.

Mantis may be the smallest of the five, but he’d never admit it. The little guy has a textbook Napoleon complex: strong, fast and tiny. He possesses a mean temper and is ready to ‘throw down’ at the slightest insult. Nothing can strike fear into his brave little heart… except a female mantis. (Check with an entomologist & you’ll understand why.)

Crane is the pragmatist of the group. Reluctant to resort to violence, he’s a think first, punch second kind of bird. Sometimes a well placed quip is the strongest technique. He’ll try to avoid a fight, if at all possible… but if he can’t avoid it, he’ll do everything he can to win it. The safety of his fellow Kung Fu-ers is his first priority. He’s willing to risk his life to protect them.

Viper is the ‘mother hen’ of the group. It takes a cool head and a warm heart to manage the sometimes conflicting personalities of the Furious Five. But don’t let her gentle nature fool you. Viper is a lightning fast warrior capable of taking down the most intimidating foe. Her power lies in her strength, her sinuous nature, her precision… oh, and then there’s that deadly strike of hers.

Tigress is the strongest and boldest of the Kung Fu masters. Basically, she’s everything you’d want in a hero: over-achieving, brave, fearless and, well, heroic… she’d do anything to save the day. She is unwaveringly loyal to Po and what he represents as the Dragon Warrior. But underneath her stoic, iron-jawed exterior is a warm compassion that others seldom see.

Mr. Ping may have lost his best, and only, employee to kung fu greatness, but he couldn’t be more proud of his panda son. In fact, Mr. Ping has decked out the noodle shop in honor of Po’s epic exploits. But like any parent left at home, Dad worries about being forgotten. Therefore he makes sure to always have extra helpings of bean buns ready to feed the Dragon Warrior whenever he stops by.

Freshly plucked from his duties as apprentice noodle maker at his dad’s shop, Po is now the legendary Dragon Warrior. But despite all the adulation, Po is the same humble panda. Ever the fan boy, he is just as likely to stare slack-jawed at his fellow Furious Five’s Kung Fu moves, as he is to dish out some himself. Though he is living out his dreams fighting alongside the stars of the Kung Fu world, Po’s journey is not complete. The role of Dragon Warrior comes with new challenges and responsibilities Po must face on his way to becoming the best Kung Fu warrior he can be.

Kung fu giveaway time! What does Mr. Ping own?

– Noodle Restaurant
– Fireworks Shop
– Kung Fu Dojo 

– OFFICIAL RULES:

1. ENTER YOUR ANSWER, FILL OUT YOUR REAL NAME (at least real first and last initial) AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW.

2. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT WITH A US ADDRESS. Prizes will not be shipped  outside of the US.

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.

Synopsis: In KUNG FU PANDA 2, 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. 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. Po 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.

The film features the voice talents of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Victor Garber, Dennis Haysbert, Jean-Claude Van Damme.

The film is directed by JENNIFER YUH NELSON. It is produced by MELISSA COBB. The co-producers are JONATHAN AIBEL, GLENN BERGER and SUZANNE BUIRGY. It is written by JONATHAN AIBEL & GLENN BERGER. The music is by HANS ZIMMER and JOHN POWELL. This film has been rated PG for sequences of martial arts action and mild violence by the MPAA.

KUNG FU PANDA 2 will be in theaters on Thursday, May 26, 2011. Visit the film’s official site: www.kungfupanda.com. ”Like” it on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kungfupanda.