Readers might recall the moment in the mid-2010s when Hollywood blockbusters suddenly seemed a lot less, well, American. The big-budget movies of the 1980s and 1990s were often so alluring to young Brits because of the exotic domestic details to be found in the cracks. (All that unfamiliar branded fast food!)

But in the early 21st century, as globalisation powered on, and China’s cinema market opened up to western produce, a memo went round the business: no more knobbly cultural specificities that might alienate that potentially enormous audience, or rile the censors guarding the gates.

Now that China’s own state-supervised cinema industry has ramped itself up to a Hollywood-rivalling scale, one can’t help but be a little hurt by the fact that the favour has absolutely not been reciprocated.

Ne Zha 2 – a $2 billion smash in its home country, and as of two weeks ago, the most successful animated film ever made anywhere – is, for the international viewer (or this one, anyway), an absolute headache to sit through. By turns frantic, gaudy and puerile, it’s supremely hard to latch onto emotionally, despite the scads of roared exposition that break up the otherwise relentless fight scenes in the second half.

Like its 2019 predecessor, its plot comes from a fantastical Ming Dynasty novel that’s apparently roughly equivalent to Britain’s King Arthur legends. I can’t say I’ve personally read it, though I’d be interested to hear from scholars if the source text features quite as many incidents of a pig loudly flatulating in a blind man’s face (two), supporting characters unwittingly drinking Ne Zha’s urine (three), or Ne Zha beating up a tribe of marmots after vomiting in their soup (once, though frankly once is enough).

In my two decades as a critic, I’ve almost never felt so strongly that a film wasn’t made for me. But cultural relativism as an excuse only gets you so far. I’m not sure deeper knowledge of 16th century eastern literature would have made me feel the character design here was anything other than charmless, or the allegedly groundbreaking animation much better than a video-game cutscene.

The film’s deadening quality stems in no small part from its battles, which unfold at an alienatingly vast scale that has human-sized characters resembling particles of dust getting blown around a car park. As a display of raw processing power it’s certainly a flex. As filmmaking, it’s as mindless as Hollywood’s worst.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/ne-aha-...E69seIAJNQdPYKg

China just showed how big their market is. 2B USD box office from China alone

They say it’s fake numbers only

Becoz they don't understand the legend.
If cowboy or viking they know.
But when come to Chinese or Asia legend they ignorances

no woke, no dei, no trans, no black peopel

of course movie reviewer dont like

Tak faham tak apa. Home box office already smiling to the bank

Box office dont equal solid or award winning stories

I loved that 97 Tsui Hark directed Chinese Ghost Story. Wasnt just the animation but the tongue in cheek humour and well written characters.

It didnt do nearly as good as Nezha 2

Thats the way the world turns

kesian angmoh triggered

I watched NZ1, after first 10 minutes I stop watching. The characters were not appealing to me (rather ugly to be frank), the humour was meh at best.

Yea probably under reported in some markets just to snub China

This post has been edited by xerox900: Mar 19 2025, 12:40 PM

Locally the ticket also quite expensive.

Niamah no senior or children discount. Pay full price

That is on purpose. The message is don’t judge a book by its cover.

All the previous Nezha look cute and live action ones are even sometimes portrayed by girls.

TVB nezha lagi syok, the story line very good

Yeah, for me the animation style is too pixar/hollywoodish, china should develop its own style. But story wise is solid la. I really loved the part where the father willingly sacrifice himself for his child but nz rather take the lightning himmself coz he don't want his parents to suffer. Really choked me up that scene.

Will be going to watch nz2 this weekend despite the ugly animation style

Nezha producer thanks the reviewer for watching. Not everyone can accept that cultures exists outside of the west.

No expectation of AMDK understanding the plot, cultural references nor old jokes of drinking virgin p*ss.

Personally, I think there is already a flood of "investiture of the gods" (fengshen bang) movies/cartoons. This is just another.

because Chinese cerita dongeng Only revolves around monkey king.

western don't understand traditional values of the east, that's why feminism is so strong there

1. it's because they don't understand it
2. nezha 2 is so good, many people/review have said NZ3 might be a let down

rm35 imax, 17 for deluxe. Not much difference anyway
rm20 can barely eat a good ateak

Rm20/person. When you count wife, children, parents then it adds up lor

This post has been edited by andrewhtf: Mar 19 2025, 12:57 PM