Ne Zha 2

The film event of the year belongs to China. “Ne Zha 2,” a Chinese animated film and sequel to 2019’s “Ne Zha,” isn’t just the year’s highest-grossing film at the global box office, it’s the highest-grossing animated film ever made. It’s also the highest-grossing film in a single box office territory, beating out the domestic run of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Only four films have ever made more money (as of now), and three of the four are directed by James Cameron. There is a real chance it surpasses “Titanic” to move into fourth place. 

Now, “Ne Zha 2” is back in theaters all over Grand Rapids.

The film played a limited run in theaters earlier in the year in its original Chinese. However, “Ne Zha 2” generated enough buzz to warrant the English dub playing in several local theaters. The dub is mostly seamless, and even the most dub-resistant viewer will forget they are watching a dub in no time. 

Unlike many direct-to-streaming audio replacements, there is money and artistic performances behind the English voice performers. Oscar favorite Michelle Yeoh even voices Lady Yin, the young Ne Zha’s mother.

Don’t let the “2” in the title repel you from catching this animated leviathan in theaters. A narrated opening catches viewers up to speed with everything they need to know about the demon-boy Ne Zha and his primordial brother and now dragon-man friend Ao Bing. This is a world where anything is possible: flying dragons, incredible animation, magic spells and armies of demon hunters. 

The titular character is the incarnation of something called the Demon Orb. Ao Bing comes from the more noble Spirit Pearl. The demon boy and monster boy prove friendship and justice can overcome long-standing clan rivalries and their divinely ordained fates. With crab armies and mythical quests to recover magical artifacts, there isn’t a more fun film in theaters right now. It’s also quite serious for a children’s film, and that’s a welcome change of pace. Parents die, and a city gets the Pompeii treatment from the villain.

“Ne Zha 2” is the closest thing to “The Lord of the Rings” since “Return of the King” in its sprawling magnitude and immensity. And like “Lord of the Rings,” director Jiaozi’s animated sequel is about vulnerable heroes who sometimes fail and need their friends to help pick them back up. 

Continue reading at The Rapidian.