Chinese Animated Blockbuster Ne Zha 2: Breaking Records and Expectations

From myth to masterpiece, a Chinese animation film has broken all the records, even those of Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks etc. The rise of Chinese animation is as fascinating as the emergence of Korean cinema with Oscar-winning movies like Parasite (2019). 

The Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 has recently become the biggest film anywhere in the world. It has done something that Ne Zha could not do. We will explain here why it is a worldwide superlative phenomenon at present. 

Plot details of Ne Zha 2

The story is partly based on the 16th century book Investiture of the Gods and talks about myths like “wrath of heaven”, “sacred lotus flower,” and “third son of Li Jing”. The themes revolve around gods, demons, and immortals who are tangled in some sort of massive divine conspiracy. 

You would get to see the most exciting fantasy creatures like dragon kings, giant turtles, sharks with shields, ancient armies, blade-wielding squids, and even a demon with a cat head. 

A movie that no one had heard about is able to topple the global animation cinema now. How? A not-so-cute hero is up to defy the heavenly authority and write his own fate. Ne Zha 2 begins with his story when the competition with mystic creatures ends in a catastrophe.

It was where Ne Zha had to share his body with a Dragon Prince, Ao Bing. Their physical bodies were shattered. But they were helped by Taiyi Zhenren, Ne Zha’s master and mentor. He helped them both regain their physical strength by using a seven-colored lotus.

Watch the trailer here:

Box office gross earnings of Ne Zha 2

The first non-Hollywood film stands out as it crossed $2 billion worldwide. It has earned more than $2 billion in domestic box office on its Chinese New Year opening, based on The Hollywood Reporter records.  

However, in April, after the release of A Minecraft Movie in China, Ne Zha 2 was dethroned after a long reign. A Minecraft Movie debuted with $14.7 million from 4 April to 6 April, per Variety. 

Why Ne Zha 2 is so special?

Ne Zha wasn’t able to make such a powerful impact as Ne Zha 2. Ne Zha only made $4 million in the United States and roughly £50,000 in the United Kingdom, as per Empire. 

Ne Zha 2’s graphics are much wilder than those of its predecessor. This is the major reason that Ne Zha was not able to make any dent. 

The graphics are visually strong that give the viewers a chance to dig deep into aesthetics, drawing attention to the subtleties of art. We can assure you that Marvel and Avengers fans will love the film as the graphics, as well as the story narratives, are quite similar. 

Ne Zha 2 has a hard-core element of suspense. It keeps the viewers guessing till the end what will happen next. The fact that it is for both children and adults makes it more appealing as it is not confined to only one demographic. It is the first to surpass the success of Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out 2. 

There are childish jokes related to fart and potty whereas there are scenes that adults can understand, easily keeping the sequel sophisticated, relevant as well as entertaining with its humor. 

The best part is that you don’t have to watch Ne Zha in order to understand the story of Ne Zha 2. There comes a brief recap of the previous plot, which is a good start to set up the audience’s interest for the rest of the film. 

Moreover, the shared experiences and cultural themes help make a connection with the audience, even if they belong to diverse backgrounds. That is why the strength of resonation is quite high, and NZ2 inspired curiosity while playing with a distinct diaspora.  

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Pubity (@pubity)

Directors’ views about Ne Zha 2 graphics

The director, Yu Yang, also known as Jiaozi explained that the film was purely and thoroughly made in China since the initial international collaborations for meeting high-level graphics didn’t meet the expectations. He said, 

“Sure, they might be a top-tier studio, but they could be using third-rate staff on our project. So, after outsourcing, many of the shots didn’t turn out as we wanted, and we ended up bringing them back.” [Source]

In one scene, there were almost 200 million characters, all made in China with 4,000 crew members and collaborating with 138 animation companies. Now, that is HUGE!

What do reviews say about the Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2?

China Film Association wrote a congratulatory message when the movie hit RMB 10 billion in China. It said, 

“This film has created a box office miracle, promoting excellent traditional Chinese culture and the modern zeitgeist, innovating the form of contemporary Chinese cinema, showcasing the relentless artistic pursuit of Chinese filmmakers, and greatly boosting the film industry’s confidence.” [Source]

Some of the prominent reviews include:

• “At once awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, eye-rolling and head-scratching, this is animated cinema on a scale rarely seen”- Empire
• “Record-breaking animation is a tale of demons, dragons and dazzling visuals”- The Guardian
• “Jiaozi’s box office hit is made for the big screen”- Screen Daily

Be it The Lion King, Frozen, or Moana, Ne Zha 2 has certainly proved a booster for the dying Chinese animated industry since the director Yu Yang made the earnings from Ne Zha numerous times more, making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time. An IMAX release is in the plans.  

Is Ne Zha 2 available for streaming?

Currently, Ne Zha 2 is not available for streaming as it is creating fire in theatres. It has earned huge at the domestic box office with other international theatrical releases in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Indonesia, Cambodia, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, etc.   

Genre: Computer animation, fantasy epic, martial arts, action adventure 

IMDb rating: 8.2

Rotten Tomatoes: 95 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ score) and 99 percent on Popcornmeter

Cast: Joseph, Qi Lu, Yanting Lu, Mo Han, Hao Chen 

Director: Yu Yang

Writers: Yu Yang and loosely based on writings from Xixing Lu and Zhonglin Xu

Producer: Wenzhang Liu

Release date: January 29, 2025 (in China)

Movie runtime: 2 hours 23 minutes  

Have you watched Ne Zha 2? What did you think about it? Share your thoughts here.