Ne Zha II, 2025.
Written and Directed by Jiao Zi.
Featuring the voice talents of Crystal Lee, Aleks Le, Michelle Yeoh, Vincent Rodriguez III, Rick Zeiff, Griffin Puatu, Damien Haas, Aidyn James Ahn, Robert Clotworthy, Grace Lu, and Michael Yurchak.
SYNOPSIS:
A rebellious young boy, Ne Zha, is feared by the gods and born to mortal parents with wild, uncontrolled powers. Now he’s faced with an ancient force intent on destroying humanity, he must grow up to become the hero the world needs.
NOTE: This review is of the A24-distributed English dub.
Overflowing with sumptuous visuals rivaling the best the animation industry has to offer and clunky plotting, writer/director Jiaozi’s Ne Zha II is undeniably flawed yet reaches staggering epicness in its nonstop spectacle second half. That’s primarily because the narrative – which is an overwhelming amount of Chinese mythology based lore (these animated features are loosely based on the novel Investiture of the Gods) related to sacred objects (such as a special mystical lotus that can re-create physical bodies for spirits), locales (not limited to land, but also Heaven and Hell), an abundance of characters and factions (immortals, demon hunters, and two magically gifted boys born from separate halves of a powerful pearl) – finally fades into the background to allow that dazzling action to take over.
And while not having seen the first film might have something to do with that, it’s reasonable to firmly believe that there is an issue in that the storytelling here never slows down to let a plot point sink in or its characters breathe. Every character rattles off exposition and information with excessive speed, meaning it feels like the film is pummeling its story into viewers. Even the on-screen graphics for character introductions last for a split second before they can be processed. Then again, all that matters is that, thankfully, the gist of it is clear and makes everything from the darker story beats to the go-for-broke action resembling Dragonball Z meets Final Fantasy (although I’m not necessarily fond of resorting to pop-culture comparisons in reviews, that’s what kept coming to mind and should tell someone instantly if this movie is for them) resonate.
Seemingly picking up immediately after events from that first film, the eponymous rebellious emo child Ne Zha and straight-faced heroic friend, Ao Bing (each born from one half of an orb split into pearls and for different purposes) are stuck in their spirit bodies, albeit not for long as their master (a heavyset comic relief tutor type) is preparing a cure through a magical lotus (look, none of this makes much sense, but one goes with it for the visual flare and strong sense of action scale). That plan quickly goes awry, with Chentang Pass under threat from Master Shen Gongbao and Ao Guang, the latter of whom is the father of Dragon King Ao Bing, and under the assumption that his son is dead. These nefarious individuals are also in cahoots with the three other Dragons, seemingly imprisoned in what appears to be some interpretation of Hell and willing to work with whoever and do whatever it takes to be set free.
After a taste of the action (albeit nothing that compares to the, again, at times utterly spellbinding extended finale), it is made known to Ao Guang that his son is alive, although that something has gone wrong with his new physical body (something to do with overexertion while still freshly created), meaning that another potion will need to be obtained to redo the spell from the sacred lotus. The solution is for Ne Zha and Ao Bing to spiritually share the same body and work together while overcoming their differences, completing three trials to become an immortal and receive one of those potions.
What initially starts as a hero’s journey peppered with battle-based trials and some welcome crude humor, all while learning about the factions mentioned above (Heaven appears to be training demon hunters) and the responsibilities of being an immortal, transitions into a heavier, more emotional story that brings Cheutang Pass and the families of these boys to the forefront (it should also be mentioned that Michelle Yeoh performs the English voiceover for Ne Zha’s human mother).
Bear in mind that part of Ne Zha’s identity comes with a bit of demon flavor, which complicates his undercover matters in a world that has already declared open season on them, even though the majority of them resemble harmless animals. This is also a coming-of-age story for Ne Zha, still with a sometimes off-putting, immature, and moody personality, with aspects of his new, eventual physical form playing up that significance. There is a decently sized dosage of politicking and backstabbing, leading to some moments of sadness that are genuinely affecting, since, even if the specifics of this plotting are routinely incoherent, the base points and themes of identity, class (demons are essentially othered by those supposedly holy), and friendship are clear.
However, what further elevates Ne Zha II (much like its characters fighting in the sky) is its eruption into all-out action and war, with director Jiaozi and animators frequently using striking shots from afar, capturing swaths of armies charging, packed in such a quantity that the factions resemble dusts of paint colliding into one another. One or two shots in particular are worth the price of admission alone. Then there is the exceptional artistic design, whether it be those foot soldiers or the distinct key characters and their eccentric fashion/weapons. It’s also all grounded in emotion that, although the film might not be fully decipherable, is still felt and nearly as powerful as the comically absurd, colorful, over-the-top, dizzyingly breathtaking one-on-one battles that leave each character breathless.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
