Spoiler Alert
Anyone who loves the 2019 Chinese animated film about a spunky demon-child (no, not Lil’ Hellboy) will be glad to know Ne Zha 2 is finally here. Having some knowledge of the prior events (or reading my movie review from before and my past coverage) helps because this latest takes place moments after.
Both this kid (Lü Yanting) and Ao Bing (Han Mo) have no mortal shell, and if they don’t have a simulacrum to inhabit, they’ll soon dissipate. Thankfully, with Taiyi Zhenren (Zhang Jiaming) around, a possibility of getting their bodies back exists. However, all do not go according to plan. When the Sacred Lotus lacks the power to build, the result is ectoplasm! This leads to a hilarious intro, and I was in stitches.
Eventually, the team come to an agreement that Ne Zha will get regenerated while Bing occupies the back of his mind. The movie written and directed by Jiaozi is pretty much about the boy embarking on a mission to test his worth. If he can accomplish all three trials, the prize is a potion to recharge the flower. That way, Ao has a body. But that will not be easy.
When Master Wuliang (Wang Deshun) is not the person everyone believes he is, I know right away trouble is waiting across the corner. Although he’s achieved the highest level of cultivation, his way is not the right one. When he has the devotion from other disciples, his sect may well be making a power play for domination across all of China!
To reveal any more detail would become massive spoilers, and what I love in Ne Zha 2 is in how visually stunning every frame is. There’s more than adding textures on top of the wireframe models going on! With so many characters, this film requires giving each the attention they deserve. When the aquatic scenes are very stunning in an Aquaman type of way, the sea life looks good!
The best part is in showing how nasty Ao Guang (Li Nan), The Dragon King of the Four Seas, and his subordinates are. They must do more than represent the cardinal directions. And they are very evil except for their leader. As for Shen Gongbao (Yang Wei), the herald in charge of the troops, he gets a much-needed expanded character arc. However, thin his involvement is, to flesh out his role is important.
To fight Wuliang, Ne Zha may need Jiang Ziya’s mentorship, who has found his peace. Because his film exists in the same universe, they likely scrapped the plan to unite everyone. And the finale explains why the two are foes rather than allies. Because of this film’s unexpected twists, what’s happening is even more complex than what J.R.R. Tolkien did when he crafted his notes for Lord of the Rings. There’s a lot more going on when concerning who may govern the world, and that path to enlightenment!
4½ Stars out of 5
Ne Zha 2 Movie Trailer
The films in this series include Ne Zha and Jiang Ziya (distributed by Well GO USA). Fans can get caught up by viewing these two tales back to back, and hopefully this distributor will pick up part two).
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