Jeri Jacquin
Coming to theatres from writer/director Jiaozi based on the story Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin and A24 is the animated NE ZHA 2.
Ne Zha (Crystal Lee) and Ao Bing (Aleks Le) bodies are in the hands of Master Taiyi Zhenren (Rick Zieff) as he tries to prevent their souls dying. Using the Seven-Colored Sacred Lotus to turn them from mush back to their original form, the two have a lot of healing to do. Ao Bing’s father, Ao Guang, is the East Sea’s Dragon King and he believes that his son is gone. Trying to make things right gets interrupted when Master Shen Gongbao is sent to fight for the Chentang Pass and without time to properly heal, Ao Bing falls once again.
Now, Ao Bing and Ne Zha will have to share one body but it will only last seven days. Master Zhenren tells everyone that Ne Zha will have to do the three trials to become immortal to get the elixir that will fix the Sacred Lotus and bring Ao Bing back. Going to the Immortal Wuliang (Robert Clotworthy), there is no time to waste to begin the tests. Believing Shen Gongbao (Aidyn James Ahn) will maintain a ceasefire during the process, Ne Zha’s parents Li Jing (Vincent Rodriguez III) and Lady Yin (Michelle Yeoh) attempt to reach him in understanding that what is happening is wrong.
But things go horribly wrong and Ne Zha turns his anger toward anyone who stands in his way. It is the love he has for his family that makes him realize that his anger should be focused towards one person – and it is shocking when they all find out about the lies, deception, and abuse of power. Ne Zha and Ao Bing realize working together to battle the true evil is worth putting themselves in danger as long as necessary.
Other cast include Damien Haas as Deero, Grace Lu as Crana, and Michael Yurchak as Ao Shun.
A24 is an American company specializing in film and television production. They are best known for distributing such amazing films as EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, MOONLIGHT, HEREDITARY, THE LIGHTHOUSE, MIDSOMMAR and this years stunning look at WARFARE. For more information, please visit www.a24films.com.
NE ZHA II is a fantastical, thrilling, artistically beautiful, funny and a complex story line that is captivating from start to finish. Using the Chinese mythology, it wraps itself around Ne Zha’s need to find out what he is capable of and Ao Bing trying to return to a form that allows him to help with the turmoil from all sides. There are family bonds that are being stretched to its heavenly limits and bonds being formed from the mostly unlikely places.
The relationship between Ne Zha and Ao Bing is complicated and, at times, frustrating to the little fire bomb. Master Zhenren is wise and at the same time a bundle of nerves and wants fire and water to find their way back to themselves. Ao Guang is a father who has his own anger issues and finds himself in the middle of a battle. Immortal Wuliang lives on his little cloud watching Ne Zha take the trials to become and immortal. Parents Li Jing and Lady Yin want what is best for their son and they have the capability to fight as well as any demon or immortal. Watching the journey of these characters is, shall we say, enlightening.
The animation is crips, clean, and mind blowing all at the same time with a powerful story and a message. A sequel to NE ZHA, the visuals fill the screen with flawless battle scenes and emotional family moments that makes the journey through the film helps it fall into the ‘epic’ category. There are so many characters and how they link test the mind and still manage to be surprising at times.
In the theatre there were families watching and cheering throughout the film. My granddaughter and I had such a stellar time together. Seeing it in IMAX 3D is eye candy completely!
In the end – they will change heaven and earth!
