Review: Ne Zha 2 – Really shook the pillars of heaven

Directed by Jiaozi
Starring Crystal Lee, Aleks Le, Griffin Puatu, Michelle Yeoh

8/10

Based on the 16th-century Chinese epic Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), Ne Zha 2 is the third dip into this mythological world for the series and China’s highest-earning animated film to date. This dub brings the fantasy-action-comedy to English-speaking audiences, allowing us to bask in its fluid fight sequences and impressive flights of fancy.

After the events of the first film, Ne Zha (Crystal Lee) and Ao Bing (Aleks Le) need to have their earthly bodies rebuilt, but the interference of the demon army leads to Ao Bing’s body being destroyed. Now with his friend’s spirit inside of him, Ne Zha must go on a quest to save the young Dragon Lord’s life, or else his family and home will face destruction.

What starts as an infantile body-function-obsessed comedy soon shifts into a glorious Chinese fantasy epic—complete with an overabundance of characters, shifting alliances, and family drama. It is riveting, and by the end you would have seen some of the best Wuxia-inspired action we have seen in decades and imaginative animated effects that would leave Tsui Hark (Once Upon a Time in China) weeping.

Ne Zha 2 locks into its epic roots quickly, sweeping up the audience in its rapid pace as the host of characters drag you through the escalating drama and set action pieces. The first shows Ne Zha 2‘s ambition to challenge Lord of the Rings in terms of large-scale battles. The second crane kicks its closest western comparison (Kung Fu Panda)’s face down in the dirt, both in terms of fight choreography and animation. From there it gets progressively more fantastic as more supernatural elements are brought into play, and the scale of the conflict increases.

I was fortunate enough to be seated in the cinema next to a professional animator, so hearing him gasp at some of the stunningly insane sequences was confirmation of their technical quality. As more supernatural elements were introduced, the scope for the creativity and beauty in the animation grew. The sense of scale and wonder displayed on the screen is at times staggering, yet Ne Zha 2 keeps it grounded with themes of family, friendship, and loyalty.

Tonally, though, Ne Zha 2 does have some issues. The slapstick comedy peppered throughout tends to play to a younger audience, but at the same time the film doesn’t shy away from darker themes. In one scene, Ne Zha 2 rather graphically shows the aftermath of a battle on a town, and although toned down, doesn’t shy away from showing corpses. It’s entirely appropriate in context, but it’s going to lead to some adult discussions with any younger audience that sees it. With an M rating in Australia, they may avoid this issue, but it might struggle to find the audience it deserves. Surprisingly though, that tonal whiplash isn’t as jarring as you’d expect but rather probably points more to slight cultural differences.

Don’t let the character design fool you; at its heart, Ne Zha 2 is more fantasy epic than Disney wannabe. Its brilliantly creative visuals and martial arts action are a treat for all ages.

DAVID O’CONNELL