Ne Zha II

Not Rated • Theaters

Earlier this year, Ne Zha II blew past Inside Out 2 to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time. The movie has amassed global box office receipts of $2.2 billion—more than $1.8 billion of that coming from its home country of China—and now A24 Films is releasing it dubbed in English for the American market.

Ne Zha II and 2019’s Ne Zha are adventure movies inspired by a 16th-century Chinese story titled Investiture of the Gods, and understanding the events of the earlier movie will keep viewers from feeling lost in this one.

In the first movie, the Lord of Heaven subdues the Chaos Pearl, splitting it into a demon orb and a spirit pearl. The demon orb is accidentally incarnated into the human baby Ne Zha, while the spirit pearl inhabits Ao Bing, the son of the dragon king. Both children lose their lives performing heroic deeds at the end of the first movie. In this movie, Ne Zha gains a new body, and he must complete three trials set by the Court of Heaven to become immortal and save his friend Ao Bing. But how can he impress the other immortals without letting them see his demon nature?

Despite becoming a cultural phenomenon in China, Ne Zha II isn’t likely to become a family favorite with Americans. The film contains no sensuality or foul language, but there is bathroom humor and some truly ­horrifying scenes of destruction.

Many parents will find the talk of demons off-putting. The word demon has a more neutral connotation in Chinese folk religion, but some of these characters still have active temples in modern-day China.

Yet moviegoers wanting an authentic cross-cultural experience to gain insight into the Chinese mindset might find Ne Zha II worth their time. The film simultaneously affirms and subverts traditional Chinese mythologies, and one could even read it as a metaphor for the overthrow of the imperial Chinese government that led to today’s communist regime.