This article contains spoilers for “Ne Zha” and discusses some plot points in “Ne Zha II.”
This weekend the indie distributor A24 is releasing a movie in the United States that has already become a phenomenon. Just how much of a phenomenon? “Ne Zha II,” which was released in its home country of China and other parts of the world earlier this year, has already grossed more than $2.1 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
But “Ne Zha II” also drops viewers into a sprawling story that might leave American audiences encountering the tale for the first time a little baffled. The film, written and directed by Jiao Zi, riffs on Chinese mythology, featuring epic battles and goofy gags in almost equal measure. It’s safe to say there’s a lot going on. For newcomers, here’s what you need to know.
Wait, is there a ‘Ne Zha I’?
Yes: “Ne Zha” came out in 2019 and earned over $726 million worldwide. That movie gives us the origin story of the title character, a mischievous little boy whose impish glare occasionally resembles that of Calvin from “Calvin and Hobbes.”
In that movie’s prologue we learn that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gave birth to what is called the Chaos Pearl. The Supreme Lord Yuanshi Tianzun then divided that into two entities: the Spirit Pearl and the Demon Orb, the latter of which he deems will be destroyed in three years. The Spirit Pearl is supposed to be entrusted to Ne Zha, the son of the warrior Li Jing, but the evil Shen Gongbao steals it, and thus Ne Zha is imbued with the Demon Orb. And the Spirit Pearl? That goes to Ao Bing, the son of the imprisoned Dragon King, Ao Guang.
Because of his demon nature — and the fact that he is sort of a rude little scamp — Ne Zha is an outcast in his village. Eventually he befriends Ao Bing, even though they are supposed to be mortal enemies. At the end of the first film, after teaming together to save Ne Zha’s home, their spirits are separated from their bodies. This is all briefly explained in an introduction to “Ne Zha II.”
The post What to Know About the Chinese Blockbuster ‘Ne Zha II’ appeared first on New York Times.
