After viewing The Legend of Hei II (罗小黑战记2) on home video, a few more watches and catching the web series to spot the shift in narrative direction feels like a must. The bonus material helps fill in a few gaps, but that wasn’t enough. The chronological order is easy enough to figure out, but making sense of everything requires paying close attention to every detail and reveal. What’s presented could easily have stretched into a new web series, or even a regular television show, and for Xiaohei (Shan Xin) to stretch his legs and explore the world makes sense.
His shifu, Wuxian (Liu Mingyue), is under house arrest after being framed for an attack at a hall where several humans possessing supernatural abilities are assassinated. Someone claims to have seen him there, and although he has no alibi to truly exonerate him, he’s willing to be placed under watch.
Ne Zha (Shan Xin) is the only individual who can match this monk in skill and strength. He’s not the same type of hero from Beijing Enlight Pictures’ version, but some similarities exist. So while the mentor stays home, Hei, the young child-spirit cat, heads out to find answers. He’s much cuter in cat form, but when the narrative demands it, he’s a boy simply learning how to survive beyond the concrete jungle. Since this is a modern fantasy, complete with smartphones and contemporary trappings, staying grounded is important.
Also, the story dives into a lot of political baggage and philosophy. Although some of that slows things down, had bits been trimmed out, the core story would’ve still survived. I believe a serialized tale would’ve served this material better than a two-hour runtime.
Despite that one shortcoming, the central conflict echoes something very familiar from Avatar: The Legend of Korra. The same divide exists: the mortal and spirit worlds are having difficulty getting along. Despite attempts to play nice, factions remain. It’s worth noting that the Yaoguai are similar to fairy elementals.
As for the wuxia-style action that provides much of the fun, Tom Cruise could learn a few things. When the big set piece involves preventing a plane from crashing, I was completely drawn in. The sequencing matters: close-ups, external shots, who’s doing what, and the team effort all say a lot. To pace that sequence correctly, directors MTJJ and Gu Jie must have done far more than simply storyboard the highlight of this film.
Watching powerful spirit beings save human passengers also speaks volumes: not all of them are bad. As far as raising the stakes for what stunts can happen in an animated world, this film sets the bar high. I was invested. The setup and fallout make sense narratively, and whether all of the kryptonite, called Roumo-wood in the film, has been found remains uncertain. Whoever holds that cache can use it to kill every known Yaoguai known to man.
Elsewhere, Shijie Luye (Zhu Jing) has other ideas concerning the fragile relationship with humanity. She also trained under Wuxian, and her experience with them differs from how others feel. Her motives touches upon matters of jurisprudence. Taken together, these elements make for a dense film that genuinely rewards multiple viewings as layers are discovered. When I needed to remind myself what this series is truly about rather than simply adoring Hei in cat form, having the right mindset was important.
When this work leans into its anti-war message, reading between the lines is important. Here, nobody wants this conflict, but it’s coming. The supernatural community already has enough to deal with, including the pursuit of cultivation. Finding peace may require a third film. As for how Hei grows up, I hope it’s not too soon, because it’s his innocence that sells this work. Coming of age will no doubt arrive and bring closure to the saga, but for now, he’s doing just feline.
4 Stars out of 5
The Legend of Hei II Trailer
