‘Ne Zha 2’ Review: A Chinese Folktale-Turned-Mainstream Hit

Like its mischievous demigod protagonist, the Chinese language animated fantasy movie Ne Zha II has been a virtually unstoppable power. Since its preliminary launch in China, over Lunar New Yr, the blockbuster has earned greater than $2 billion worldwide. It’s now the highest-grossing movie of 2025, the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, and the highest-grossing non-English-language movie in historical past.The movie has additionally been a magnet for conspiratorial chatter, with viewers and critics alike theorizing concerning the causes for its box-office success. The movie’s feverish run has been referred to by some English-language shops as proof of “nationwide delight” in China; when it trounced Captain America: Courageous New World in February, Reuters cited Ne Zha II’s victory as proof of China’s “hostility towards rival Hollywood choices.” But as Slate’s Jenny Zhang famous, Chinese language audiences—who’re liable for a lot of the movie’s ticket gross sales up to now—haven’t been uniformly supportive of the film, leaving “verdicts starting from destructive to lukewarm to optimistic.” Some viewers, she noticed, consider that the movie’s imagery certainly accommodates hints of anti-American sentiment; others interpret its hero’s quest for individuality as delicate however sharp criticism of the Chinese language Communist Occasion. When an English-language model of Ne Zha II was introduced for an August debut in the US, through a uncommon partnership between the Chinese language firm CMC Footage and the indie distributor A24, The Hollywood Reporter predicted that the the movie’s theatrical launch can be a “litmus take a look at of the U.S. market’s urge for food for Chinese language storytelling.”Because it seems, the outcomes of that take a look at had been lower than spectacular. Ne Zha II’s re-release, with a voice forged led by Michelle Yeoh, flopped on the U.S. field workplace final weekend, making simply $1.5 million. However as Deadline identified, an English-subtitled model of the movie had simply been launched stateside lower than six months in the past, not lengthy after the Chinese language debut. That launch earned greater than $20 million, which signifies that a not-insignificant variety of Individuals had been keen to point out up for the movie in its unique Chinese language-language type.Learn: What the success of Inside Out 2 means for HollywoodEven if a wider U.S. viewers seems to be unfamiliar with—or bored with—the franchise, Ne Zha II’s bona fides are inarguable. The movie is an epic sequel to a massively widespread film: The primary Ne Zha, launched in 2019, is at the moment the second-highest-grossing non-U.S. animated movie in historical past. The follow-up doubles down on its predecessor’s maximalism, producing a chaotic, overstuffed action-adventure comedy with eye-popping visuals that demand to be seen in a theater. As such, Ne Zha II leaves no thriller about why it has develop into the yr’s largest global-box-office triumph, no matter whether or not U.S. theatergoers turned out for the English dub. The movie’s victory has been large as a result of the movie itself is large—cumbersome in tone and spectacle. Ne Zha II could also be loosely primarily based on a Sixteenth-century novel drawn from Chinese language mythology, however it’s an amalgamation of recognizable kinds and storytelling methods designed to enchantment to as many viewers as potential.Contemplate Ne Zha himself. He’s a preferred character from Chinese language folklore to adapt on-screen, a relentless presence in motion pictures and reveals produced within the nation over the previous century. His ubiquity is partially resulting from his visible enchantment—he can conjure wheels of fireplace beneath his ft to zip round within the air, which is undeniably cool—and since his tales are particularly malleable in tone. Though he’s often portrayed as a insurgent studying to self-discipline himself and obey filial values, probably the most well-known animated variations of him previous to the 2019 movie depict him very in another way: In 1979’s Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, he’s the tragic embodiment of self-sacrifice. Within the 2003 TV collection The Legend of Ne Zha, he’s a cheekier, extra family-friendly protagonist.Ne Zha II understands the character’s versatility and makes use of his story to discover a common theme: coming-of-age rising pains. Certain, he recites Chinese language poetry when asserting himself to enemies and navigates a world awash in Buddhist and Taoist symbolism, however he principally simply wreaks youthful havoc. The Ne Zha motion pictures alter a number of the character’s basic traits. Regardless of how a lot he enjoys inflicting chaos, Ne Zha yearns to slot in—a battle exemplified by his central relationship with Ao Bing, a dutiful and compassionate dragon prince. The 2 appear to be polar opposites in persona and worldview, however develop into finest buddies whose dynamic might be as foolish as it’s affecting. In Ne Zha II, the duo need to share the identical physique, resulting in crude gags (Ne Zha can permit Ao Bing to take over his physique solely after ingesting sleeping drugs, which he typically vomits up), in addition to heartfelt discussions concerning the burden of creating their communities proud. Take away the magical, beyond-farcical setup, and what’s left is a timeless story.Learn: How China captured HollywoodThe animation, too, captures this sense of familiarity. Chinese language-produced animated leisure, known as donghua, has lengthy struggled to ascertain an id. The 1979 Ne Zha movie, for example, was launched shortly after the top of the Cultural Revolution, throughout which the style had been restricted by inflexible tips meant to ascertain a nationwide fashion. The ensuing film relied on conventional illustration practices within the type of ink-wash artwork, layered brushwork, and wealthy colours. Over time, donghua grew to become formed—if not overshadowed—by the look of anime and Hollywood animation; the Ne Zha within the 2003 collection resembles a Disney character, outlined by thick outlines and fluid motion.However Ne Zha and its sequel giddily mix Chinese language aesthetics with different influences: Painterly backgrounds are combined with computer-generated, Pixar-like character designs. The emphasis on rest room humor calls to thoughts bawdy DreamWorks motion pictures akin to Shrek. One villain explicitly references Snow White. The extravagant method mirrors the hero’s untamed vitality, all to yield a genuinely spectacular movie. Ne Zha II is vibrant and colourful in each body, whether or not rendering fantastical areas (floating cities, an underwater empire), legendary creatures (jade birds, clever marmots), or battle sequences. The third act, which captures basically one lengthy showdown amongst deities of all types, is awash with kinetic motion. Intricately designed dragons weave out and in of fight, whereas armies of evil henchmen organize themselves in attractive patterns. At one level, they arrive to appear like an enormous tree festooned with golden blossoms.There’s, in different phrases, nearly an excessive amount of to take a look at in Ne Zha II—however that seems to be the purpose. The movie’s director, Yu Yang (referred to as “Jiaozi”), recruited greater than 4,000 animators for the venture and integrated the efforts of greater than 100 animation studios throughout China. In an interview, he defined that he approached the film as if it had been his final—and certainly, Ne Zha II looks like a movie to finish all animated movies. It overwhelms the senses, remixes kinds, and turns an advanced folkloric determine right into a lovable superhero. The movie’s English dub might not have been successful. However even with out that achievement, Ne Zha II already received.