Movie Review: ‘Ne Zha II’

NEW YORK (OSV News) – Both the strengths and the problematic aspects of the animated adventure “Ne Zha II” (A24) are revealed by a look at two of its main characters: the figure of the title (voice of Crystal Lee) and his enemy by destiny but best friend by choice, Ao Bing (voice of Aleks Le).

The former is a hot-tempered rapscallion of a demon from Chinese mythology, the latter a serene dragon prince. While the fact that they have chosen to be best buddies instead of adversaries is admirable, the idea that — as several images from the film suggest — they are meant to embody opposite yet complementary yin-yang principles is far less easily assessed.

If nothing else, the reality that not all demons are bad (or, at least, not wholly so) within the context of traditional Chinese thought raises potential difficulties for impressionable viewers. This points to the larger departure from Judeo-Christian thought whereby evil is not to be ruthlessly suppressed but merely kept in harmonious balance with goodness.

While grown-ups and well-catechized teens can be expected to grapple successfully with such philosophical tensions, they’re likely to confuse youngsters. Add to that the stylized mayhem and incidents of peril that are chockablock in this coming-of-age story for Ne Zha, and it becomes clear that this is not a cartoon for kids.

As the action of this follow-up to the 2019 original opens, both pals are physically dead. But Ne Zha’s spiritual master, sprightly Taiyi (voice of Rick Zief), knows how to use magic to bring both back.

Unfortunately for Ao Bing, his reincarnation proves transitory. To keep Ao Bing alive until Taiyi can try to resuscitate him a second time, Ne Zha agrees to allow his amigo’s soul to share his body. Once this is accomplished, the duo set off, accompanied by Taiyi, on a quest designed to save Ne Zha’s endangered home region, mythical Chentang Pass, from destruction.

During the battles and challenges of skill this journey involves, Ne Zha is successful only when his irascible personality gives way to the calm assurance of his metaphysical guest. This is presumably a lesson about how to gain mastery of the martial arts.

Returning writer-director Jiao Zi continues to draw on the 16th-century Chinese novel “Investiture of the Gods” to present audiences with a vast and complex epic. It’s a tale that showcases themes about the dangers of making hasty judgments and the value of self-determination.

Those older moviegoers for whom the picture is suitable will probably appreciate its visual richness. But they may also find that the initially engaging story gradually becomes overly complicated before eventually being submerged amid the innumerable dust-ups to which much of the long running time is devoted.

The film contains frequent physical violence with minimal gore, nonscriptural religious beliefs, some gross-out scatological humor, including a scene of urination, and a few crass terms. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.

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