After he survived being struck by heavenly lightning, demon child Ne Zha finds himself in a difficult situation. Only seven days are given to him to ascend to immortality and obtain an elixir that will help his best friend Ao Bing regain his physical body. Otherwise, the dragon king and his army of sea demons will destroy Ne Zha’s home in Chentang Pass…
Before I begin this review, I would like to clarify that I don’t know much about Chinese mythology or culture and thus am totally unfit to evaluate this movie under these aspects. But what I know a lot about is animation, be it from the US, Asia or Europe. And what I can tell you is that this is one of the best, if not THE best looking animated film I have seen in the last few years. “Ne Zha 2” may lack the impeccable vibe of the “Spider-verse” or the beautiful animation style of “Puss in Boots” or „Arcane“, but it makes up for that with some of the most breathtaking action and effects I have ever witnessed in the CGI world. Every time you think it can’t become more bombastic, this movie surpasses itself. And that’s on top of the humorous and easy to follow storytelling, which often has more emotional depth than it initially appears. This movie is a milestone in Chinese animation and truly deserves it’s immense international success. (SaL)