For those that missed the Chinese animated phenomenon Ne Zha 2 the first time in theaters, in its subtitled incarnation. A24 is out to make sure even people who hate subtitles or those not old enough to read can experience it by releasing a dubbed version in IMAX this week followed by a wider release next weekend. Already resting comfortably with a world wide box-office of 2.204 billion dollars currently, Ne Zha 2 is effectively the Toy Story 2 of the series, delivering an animated masterpiece followup that is not just a breathtaking spectacle, but also a powerfully moving take on destiny that further builds upon the characters we loved in the first film.
Based on Chinese Mythology, specifically on the story of Nezha – the protection deity in Chinese folk religion, the films work on adapting the take on the myth that transpires in two chapters of Investiture of the Gods (Xu Zhonglin). This is a 16th century novel that explores the world of gods and demons and their trials and tribulations. Ne Zha 2(the film) picks up shortly after the first film with both of our young heroes who were reincarnated halves of the chaos pearl – the Spirit Pearl (Ao Bing) and the Demon Orb (Ne Zha) having both lost their physical forms while keeping Ne Zha from being obliterated by godly lightning meant to eliminate the evil from earth. The unlikely friendship between the two polar opposites and what saved Ne Zha, was something that was fostered by both being outcasts of humanity – one being a demon and the other being born of a dragon – which is almost just as bad in this lore.
Obviously, there’s a ton of nuance and depth to this simple recap, but there’s a dubbed version of the first film that is definitely required viewing if you want to get the most out of this film.
When Ao Bing’s new body is obliterated shortly after its creation in the first half hour, Ne Zha is then tasked with gaining immortality – because only then can he request the one thing that would allow him to grant Bing a new form. Until then however, the two must share Ne Zha’s surly and sullen new form to complete the tasks or win these battles with demons, some of which are giant prairie dogs to earn immortality from the Immortal Wuliang, leader of the heavenly Chan sect. If you caught the first film you know hijinks soon ensue as Ne Zha is forced to subdue demons with kung-fu, but without using any of his Demon Orb energy – since he wasn’t supposed to have survived the last film and doesn’t want to draw attention from The Supreme Lord. This has him taking sleeping pills and letting Ao Bing take the wheel while he slumbers to use his spirit energy. It’s a rather bizarre scenario that works to great comedic effect as expected, since both have very different demeanors, Ao Bing is more thoughtful, kind and respectful, while Ne Zha could be best described as a ‘little shit’.
This all transpires while a host of machinations from the previous film are still working in the background. Simply put, the film is about how Ne Zha must yet again rise above his destiny as a demon and help those around him. It’s a Shonen style hero’s journey through the lens of Chinese mythology. Ne Zha is essentially goth Goku from Dragonball, and I mean that in the best possible way. I mean to throw in another Dragonball layer that property was cribbed from a Chinese myth Journey to the West, so this almost acts as a full circle moment.
First and foremost, Ne Zha is a giant upgrade from the previous film animation and production-wise. While the first film had an excellent story, you can tell the animators were struggling with production limitations to craft their vision. That’s definitely not the case here. I caught the film on IMAX and it held up surprisingly well. Not just that, but there are battles with thousands of demon hunters and demons on screen and it’s truly breathtaking in both scale and execution. Not to be hyperbolic, but there were more than a few shots I was literally mouth agape amazed at what was unfurling on screen, and the work and imagination it took to manifest and create that. While seeing this not in IMAX is not a complete deal breaker, I feel like this is the rare film that really earns that upgrade, due to the detail that will be lost/missed on the smaller screen.
These visuals are coupled with a story that is just as engaging and charming as the original. While I really enjoyed the original, I feel like this film really added so much more nuance to every key player, allowing some sort of peek at all of their motivations – both good and evil. When the credits rolled, I was emotionally exhausted, because the film is such an emotional rollercoaster, because you’re so invested in these characters, experiencing some truly surreal highs and some devastating lows. This is also because of the stakes introduced this time around that makes these moments hit that much harder – this isn’t your parent’s Pixar. This is something that definitely has that juvenile spirit, especially when it comes to its love of potty humor, but isn’t talking down to its audience or trying to shield them from some real consequences to some of these characters’ actions.
Ne Zha 2 most definitely lives up to the hype and it’s kind of insane given the director has only completed two feature length films, Ne Zha and its sequel, with a third teased at the end of this film in a mid credits stinger that is funny as it is shocking. While Ne Zha 1 was a milestone in Chinese animation for both story and style, Ne Zha 2 takes everything that worked about that first film and multiplied it by a hundred elevating it while crafting an animated masterpiece. The story, the animation, the characters, these all work in perfect unison to not only obliterate expectations, but more importantly let kids know it’s okay to be different, which is alone worth its weight in gold in this day and age. I simply loved Ne Zha 2, it’s easily going to be my favorite animated film of the year and I can’t wait for that sequel.
