Ne Zha 2
Epic scale Without Losing Heart
Watching Ne Zha evolve into Ne Zha 2 is like leaping from the innocent wonder of the first Harry Potter into the sweeping grandeur of a Lord of the Rings finale, where a playful adventure transforms into an epic of operatic proportions, with everything elevated to outrageous grandeur and higher levels, longer, more thrilling, funnier, filled with even more heart, and driven by ambition that soars to breathtaking heights.
Costing nearly four times as much as the original, involving more than double the number of artists, and grossing three times more, it became the highest-grossing animated film of all time as of 2025. As a direct sequel to the 2019 movie, still rooted in the mythical saga inspired by a 16th-century novel, it was a massive labor of love. Some sequences reportedly took months, even up to a year, to render only a few seconds of footage. All of that effort shows in a film that feels both satisfying and audacious.
In an age where Hollywood often splits blockbusters in two, it’s refreshing to see one cover so much ground in a single runtime. At first it can feel overwhelming, much like The Lord of the Rings with its density, yet that approach invites repeat viewings while still engaging with the story it pushes forward. Here, Ne Zha and Ao Bing’s fates remain bound together, forcing them through trials that test loyalty, identity, and destiny while facing celestial threats that push their friendship to its breaking point.
All of the first film’s greatest strengths return here, each taken up a notch. It keeps the balance of tone, sprinkling in well-timed jokes even during serious moments. The humor is sharp, the characters endearing, the family scenes sincere, the action dazzling, and the blend of Eastern and Western sensibilities remains one of its strongest assets. What’s impressive is how it grows and develops, beginning with the simplicity of the original and swelling into an epic third act, with enormous battles that both thrill and move, yet never feeling like a jarring leap even though the scope has expanded greatly.
The protagonist and his closest friend, Ao Bing, remain the heart of the story. While their dynamic is sometimes pushed through contrivances, such as the convenient ability to share a body that switches back whenever the plot requires, the effect also looks awkward visually. Even so, it ultimately builds to a moment where one makes a choice that forever changes their friendship. That moment feels genuine and tragic, making the conclusion earned. On top of that, characters are smarter this time around, childish moments are downplayed, and multiple surprising twists give the story more weight and make it work even better in retrospect.
It is fun throughout (including a great post-credits sequence), with thrilling trials that Ne Zha must face, as well as surprisingly heavy and dark moments in the middle. Ne Zha 2 earns its place as the highest-grossing animated feature in history. Re-released in American cinemas with an A-list voice cast that includes Michelle Yeoh, it is definitely a movie worth discovering, an alternative to the familiar U.S. animation bubble that feels grander in scale and more daring in ambition. The studio may not yet have reached the emotional peak of Pixar or DreamWorks, though it comes close, and the longer runtime with so many plot points can make it feel tiring. It is the kind of film that benefits from being watched in parts, especially for younger viewers. Whether in a theater or at home, in English or preferably in Chinese, go experience this heck of a film that will make your jaw drop with its ambition and scope.