by Cain Noble-Davies
Worth: $18.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Crystal Lee, Michelle Yeoh, Grace Lu, Aleks Le, Aidyn Ahn
Intro:
… one of the best animated films of the decade.
“No one should be denied salvation. Not gods. Not devils. Not mortals. We all deserve to live free from the yoke of oppression. We all deserve the truth.”
While this is a quote from the first Ne Zha’s younger sibling film Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification, it perfectly encapsulates the holistic Taoist perspective shared by the movies in this animation sub-genre. Whether they’re showing a demon learning to become a hero, or a god-in-training finding his own path to enlightenment, the Fengshen Cinematic Universe, with its beautiful animation, well-rounded characters, and an approach to traditional philosophy that effectively conveys and even updates its merits and worldview for young and old audiences alike.
Anyway, here’s another film about an annoying brat who does the full Butters Stotch every time he urinates. Usually on sacred things and/or people.
The first film’s reliance on potty humour is still in full force with this sequel, but at this point, it’s just become part of the film’s charm. It’s filled with the same knowingly silly, but earnest chords as the works of Andy Griffiths like Bumageddon: The Final Pongflict, where the juvenile and the genuinely dramatic balance each other out.
The animation from Chengdu Coco Cartoon and Coloroom Pictures manages to eclipse both the first Ne Zha and Jiang Ziya in its polished rendering and phenomenal sense of scale. The finale, especially, earns this film a recommendation all on its own, comprised of thousands of combatants that become these World War Z-esque flows of pure writhing force as they clash across the sky. Even without being directly adapted from a comic book, there’s a visceral need on display to create a comparable level of grandeur and detail, something that even the better CBMs often lose sight of. Animation lets filmmakers show… pretty much anything, and that fact is taken full advantage of here, from the superb fight scenes to the stunning locations, like the volcanic siege of Chentang Pass, the village of screaming marmot bandits, and the opulent white jade of the temple of the Chan sect.
The storytelling has gotten a considerable upgrade as well, following a reconstituted Ne Zha… who now carries the soul of his best friend Ao Bing within his own body, and must go on a divine quest to bring him back fully. Along with continuing the first film’s Taoist imagery with two seemingly-contrary forces occupying the same form (highlighting yin-yang not as conflict, but as harmony), it strengthens the friendship drama, which gave the original its emotional weight. This has been extended to just about every other character here, as even the darkest figures in attendance are just as driven by their familial bonds as those around them. Returning faces like Ne Zha’s caring (and badass) parents are further bulked up (helped in no small part by Michelle Yeoh voicing the mother Lady Yin), while previous antags like Ao Guang the Dragon King and the duplicitous Shen Gongbao are given dimensions that round them up into the kind of characters worth rooting for; from the highest decrees of Heaven to the lowest spittles of Hell, all is one and all is worthy.
Ne Zha 2 continues the franchise’s astounding trajectory with one of the best animated films of the decade. It looks absolutely amazing, the mix of sublime, awesome to downright goofy all contribute to the entertainment value, and not only does it further build on the first film’s nuanced approach, it keeps the stakes personal throughout, giving a resounding humanity to this battle between forces beyond mortal comprehension. While its explicitly regional mythology may seem unapproachable, especially for Western audiences, the amount of smarts, excitement, and overwhelming feels on offer combined with its unparalleled visuals make recommending this an act of wu wei all on its own.
