- Chinese: 哪吒之魔童闹海; pinyin: Nézhā zhī Mótóng nào hǎi; also known as 哪吒2; Nézhā èr
- Written and Directed by Jiaozi
- January 29, 2025
- Based on the Chinese mythological character and Xu Zhonglin’s 16th century novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi)
Voice Cast
- Ne Zha-Crystal Lee
- Teenage Ne Zha-Griffin Puatu
- Ao Bing-Aleks Le
- Shen Xiaobao-Aidyn James Ahn
- Rat Second-In Command, Great Master Lingbao, Chi Jingzi, M Lotus Root Harvester 2, Eel Demon, Jinzha-Eric Bauza
- Wuliang Xianwong-Robert Clotworthy
- Shen Zhengdao, Shark Monster, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun, Daohang Tianzun, Elderly Man With Low Vision, M Turtle Soldier 1-Richard Epcar
- Deero-Damien C. Haas
- Rat Boss, Octopus Monster-Aaron LaPlante
- Crana-Grace Lu
- Lady Shi Ji, F Lotus Root Harvester 1-Candi Milo
- Shen Gongbao-Daniel Riordan
- Li Jing-Vincent Rodriguez III
- Ao Guang-Christopher Swindle
- Ao Qin, Yaksha, Guang Chengzi, M Lotus Root Harvester 1-Fred Tatasciore
- Immortal Wuliang-William Utay
- Ao Run-Kari Wahlgren
- Lady Yin-Michelle Yeoh
- Ao Shun-Michael Yurchak
- Taiyi Zhenren-Rick Zieff
With only Ne Zha’s body able to be recreated, Ao Bing’s spirit is placed in the same form as that of his friend until a solution can be found.
Ne Zha 2 is a direct sequel to Ne Zha taking place immediately after events of that film. The story opens practically seconds after the ending of the first making this one of the most direct sequels I have encountered outside of the original Halloween or Friday the 13th films make this one long story perhaps owing to the source material. I was not taken with the first film and watched this mostly to see how it and not its predecessor brought the series to the world.
The first thing I noticed was how much worse the dialogue synced up with the animation in contrast to Ne Zha. Not a slight on the movie since this was definitely made for a Chinese audience first over any international considerations. With a reported 1.5 or so billion people with some familiarity and broader cultural connection to the mythological inspiration this was not aimed first at a global audience.
That may make some aspects of the supernatural come off as silly with other stuff never being explained which one can assume it this was something most if not all Chinese would be familiar with. I fully support not shying away from being rooted in whatever culture or country you’re coming from. You just may need to as a creator take a step back and insert a scene or a few lines in a dub to explain an aspect used so the external audience gets it. Like the magic pills (not the sleepy ones) that turn out to be a very big deal.
The humor gets weird and in other places annoying. Running gags are a long-used tool of comedy but in this story they can go on too long if not be just overused. Master Taiyi Zhenren is still the main comic relief of the movie and it wears quite thin.
Still not sure how Ao Bing and Ne Zha became besties but that is stated in the opening recap. They played a game on the beach and that was it! The opening narration that brings us to the start of the story really drives home how close they were in a way not satisfactorily covered in the first film. At the end though their bodies were destroyed but we start with them getting new bodies through lotus powder. Just go with it.
Some confusion occurs and while Ao Bing is defending Chentang Pass from the forces of his daddy the Dragon King led by Master Shen Gongbao who now has a random stutter his body is destroyed forcing Ao Bing to not only cohabitate in the same body as Ne Zha but for both (in a way) to complete three trials hosted by Immortal Wuliang, leader of the heavenly Chan sect, so Ne Zha can become a xian (immortal) and win a potion that can restore the Sacred Lotus and create a new body for Ao Bing, upon which the Dragon King’s forces will retreat. Sorry for that long sentence.
At this point Ne Zha 2 takes a bit of a downturn. Though it contains the grossest/funniest joke of the two movies, the story of the trials is mostly extended scenes involving the tests that must be passed. It brings the tension and family friendly drama created in the opening to a screeching halt and gets boring. Some of what we see is necessary but not all of it. Without so much time dedicated to those the movie would’ve been a tight 90 minutes and been much more exciting yet family friendly.
The best part of the narrative is essentially the two long battles that bookend the film. The one battle begins and ends and then the other battle begins and finishes off the movie. It’s that midpoint where it breaks down. On those two ends it feels like it’s moving rapidly and chaotically towards something.
The ending battle with the character designs can sometimes appear like a cut scene in a fighting game but is more than made up for in the amount of chaos and epic nature it conveys. I can go with that but it is nothing great. Yet it manages okay thus becoming satisfying. This was a two hour story with so much padding what should be a pulse pounding sequence is watered down.
The twist of the true villain of the story came as a shock to me. I expected this to be some morality lesson since the immortality quest for the potion was based on a lie with the general situation compounded by lie after lie. Plus the source of those magic pills was a touch macabre.
If that middle had been shorter, I would be praising Ne Zha 2 as a huge improvement over the first. It still is a step above but not of the quality it should have been.
Warren Watched A Movie 