Exclusive: Alberto Corral Discusses Animated Action From 'Kung Fu Panda 2'

By Michael Lopez

There is no doubt that Memorial Day weekend will bring some heavy hitters at the box office. In one corner, you've got the R-Rated debauchery of The Hangover Part II. But for all the younger moviegoers, it's all about the Furious Five from Kung Fu Panda 2! This week, Spanish animator Alberto Corral sat down exclusively with Tr3s to talk about the hard work that went into bringing Master Po back to life.

Hailing from Spain, Alberto has been a DreamWorks animator for over two years. His first project for the company was last summer's smash, Shrek Forever After, but that pales in comparison to the excitement he has for Kung Fu Panda 2.

"I was a huge fan of the first movie," Alberto explained. "Having the opportunity to work on Part 2 was great. It was a dream come true! Believe it or not, this movie took four years to make."

Corral's role for Kung Fu 2 involved creating intricate martial arts battles between key characters. His job required him to animate not just pandas, but rabbits, snakes, crocodiles, and more.

"I did a lot of crowd scenes for the movie. Whenever there were a bunch of people in the city or in the fight scenes, that's probably one of my animations. I worked on sheep, rabbits, and everything in between."

One character that held a special place for Corral was the villainous Croc Master. Not so much for the green slimy scales, but for the celebrity voice that was behind it.

"Jean-Claude Van Damme is the Croc Master in the movie. I’m really a big fan of his movies and of kung fu movies in general. I really didn't have to do a lot of research preparing for this film."

Alberto went on to explain the differences between working on Kung Fu Panda 2 and the most recent Shrek movie. For one thing, animating green ogres requires more of a human touch, while creating furry black belts resembles more of the classic style of cartooning (à la Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck). A self-professed Disney fan, Corral loved the opportunity to create more fluid characters and even dropped in hints of Japanese anime.

"I loved the Disney classics and I love anime,"Alberto explained. "I think one of the keys to succeeding in animation is not watching one thing or one style. Japanese animation is so different from American animation. And if you learn both, you can bring in the best of both worlds."

From just the trailer scenes alone, it's clear that Kung Fu Panda 2 follows that mold flawlessly. You can catch all of Alberto's handiwork in action, when Po and company kick off their next adventure this Friday!

Are you planning on watching Kung Fu Panda 2 this weekend? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Alberto Corral, Dreamworks, Exclusive Entrevistas, Hot Stuff, Jean-Claude Van Damme, kung fu panda, Movies & CineMás, Shrek Forever After, Tr3s Exclusives