In an age of locally sourced six-packed superheroes and generically charming Disney-animated protagonists, Ne Zha, the unruly, uncompromising, raccoon-eyed star of an internationally acclaimed Chinese film franchise, stands out. In part because this hero is a toddler. And also a demon.
“Ne Zha II,” the English dub of which has arrived in IMAX and 3-D theaters in the United States, follows Ne Zha as he faces a set of heavenly trials while a war between humans, dragons and monsters threatens to decimate his hometown. The writer-director Jiao Zi uses equally expansive storytelling and visuals to deliver an epic, fantastical hero story about power hierarchies and the fall of institutions.
Though this dub, from A24 and CMC Pictures, is only just coming to America, “Ne Zha II” has already been a unique success. Released in China in February, it has become the most successful animated movie and the highest-grossing non-English-language film of all time.
In his first film, “Ne Zha” (2019), Jiao Zi presented a traditional bildungsroman, focusing on its namesake’s origins and self-actualization as a hero, navigating his demon identity and the bigotry he faced from his community. Ne Zha, the son of respected demon hunters, is born as the hated and feared reincarnation of the evil Demon Orb, which comes with destructive flame powers and occasionally flame-like hair. He forms an unlikely friendship with Ao Bing, the son of the Dragon King, who is born with the pure powers, grace and infinite possibilities of the Spirit Pearl. By the end of “Ne Zha,” both heroes are killed but survive in spirit form.
“Ne Zha II” picks up immediately from where the first left off, with the incorporeal Ne Zha and Ao Bing adjusting to their fragile new bodies, courtesy of a mystical baking process involving a Sacred Lotus and something like a transmutative Jell-O mix. The Dragon King, thinking his son is dead, orders an army of demons and dragons to attack Ne Zha’s hometown, inciting a war. During the conflict, Ne Zha and Ao Bing wind up both temporarily sharing Ne Zha’s body. Both sides, humans versus dragons and demons, agree to a precarious truce wherein Ne Zha and Ao Bing will journey to the divine world to complete three heavenly tasks that will ultimately restore Ao Bing’s own physical body and grant the two immortality.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post ‘Ne Zha II’ Review: A Captivating Demon Hero appeared first on New York Times.
