A24 brings an English-dubbed version of the highest-grossing non-English language film “Ne Zha 2” to IMAX theaters, from director Jiaozi, who also pens the screenplay, which is an adaptation of the novel “Investiture of the Gods”.
While I had heard about the film’s box office glory, I entered my press screening blind. Thankfully, a few of my fellow critics were able to fill me in on small notes, so I wasn’t lost. “Ne Zha 2” bursts into view not as a mere sequel, but a full-throttle reinvention—so dazzling and emotionally precise that not having watched the original is no barrier. What greets you is a cinematic firework powered by myth, kung-fu choreography, and an emotional core that hits harder than most origin stories.
Set in a world rooted in Chinese folklore and wrapped around the fantastical novel Investiture of the Gods, the story centers on two souls—Ne Zha and Ao Bing—fused into one fragile reborn body. Their task: complete three trials to restore Ao Bing’s body using a sacred potion. Along the way, they must outwit heaven’s elite, dodge vengeful dragons, and unite with a mother whose love feels like a warm hand in a freezing storm.
Let’s talk spectacle. The animation here is the stuff of legend. Sequences look like they’ve been stitched together from ink-wash paintings and martial-arts epics—fists that split skies, spirits that swirl like storm-tossed silk, and landscapes that bleed with color and weight. The action isn’t just kinetic—it’s magic with legs. Despite being only two films into his career, director Jiaozi’s command over visual poetry is akin to that of a master. The climactic battles collapse narrative boundaries, shock the senses, yet never lose the emotional thread.
Then there’s the voice work. Too often, English-language dubs can feel awkward or detached, but here the dubbing is organic, carrying the film’s rhythm without sanding away its cultural textures. Fans of international cinema will be especially delighted by Michelle Yeoh’s contribution—her presence imbues her character with gravitas and a lived-in elegance. It’s the kind of performance that makes you lean in closer, reminding you that even in an animated spectacle, voices can carry the soul of giants.
Of course, the humor is present—fart jokes, puking demons, and just enough silliness to keep things lively. The finale teeters on sensory overload in that “More is More” blockbuster mode, but here, the chaos feels cathartic rather than exhausting.
Yet what lingers isn’t the chaos but the tenderness. Through trials, betrayal, and shared scars, Ne Zha and Ao Bing evolve beyond folklore into something universal. They embody the longing to belong, the need for acceptance, and the undeniable power of family.
“Ne Zha 2” is a bold, brazen animated tour de force. It doesn’t require context from its predecessor—it invites you in with confidence. For fans of myth, martial arts, and animated cinema, this is the masterpiece of the year.
Final Grade: A
“Ne Zha 2” is in theaters today.
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