Written by Andreas Babiolakis

The highest-grossing film of 2025 is no longer a secret, but there was a point in time when Ne Zha 2 was this confounding surprise: what on Earth is this dominating film; there was a Ne Zha that came before this; this animated film is how long? Now, Ne Zha 2 is quite well known: it is the underdog success story of the year (well, as much of an underdog as an eighty-million-dollar budgeted animated film distributed by Beijing Enlight Pictures -- one of the nation's biggest film companies -- could be). The film broke its way across the ocean and wound up in cinemas all across North America. The film has a slight chance to be nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature Film. This truly feels like an unexpected win.

However, now that the dust has settled, how good is Ne Zha 2? Well, to me, it is only so good. Much of it feels heavily inspired by the CGI animated tropes of studios like Pixar and Dreamworks (but maybe the more typical parts of these films). There are action sequences that are stunning to watch, but when the film is two-and-a-half hours, it can certainly feel like a lot to withstand. The exploration of Chinese mythology is quite astounding, though, and this leads to the story of little Ne Zha who is granted a second chance at being alive once his original body is destroyed; Ao Bing's soul is placed into Ne Zha's body, and they are now one. Meanwhile, reality and the afterlife collide once the dragon clan, including Ao Bing's father, Dragon King Ao Guang, start to face demons (Ne Zha is a demon child). What transpires is a series of tribulations that are all overwhelmingly animated; you can truly see the spectacle that this film is when it engulfs you.

*Ne Zha 2* is a fun animated epic that does feel a little overlong and manic, but it is at least a spectacle.

Quite a leap in quality from the original Ne Zha film, Ne Zha 2 is quite a ride; albeit it does work a little too hard to wow you. Nonetheless, the lore is so deep and the artistry so rich that I cannot help but be at least a little amazed (even when the film resorts to expected jabs and forced jokes). Seeing as this is not quite a family film (enough of the film is slightly mature enough), I do appreciate how Ne Zha 2 did make me feel youthful again, from the imaginative way that mythology is represented here to the juicy colours of the animation. This is a lesson on culture and ancestral storytelling that doesn't really dumb down its source material, and yet it relays many of the ideas and themes quite seamlessly for all walks of life to understand. It still feels a little long and at times a teensy bit manic, but I at least appreciate an animated film that is going the distance (as opposed to the many that settle for cliches and call it a day). This film is at least quite a bit of fun and a CGI feast for the eyes; if you wish to escape for nearly three hours, this unexpected hit should do the trick.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.