A rebellious young boy, Ne Zha, is feared by the gods and born to mortal parents with wild, uncontrolled powers. Now he’s faced with an ancient force intent on destroying humanity, he must grow up to become the hero the world needs.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Elsy S. comments, “I love the movie Ne Zha 2, because of the humorous touches, incredible animation, and the several meaningful themes, such as family and good versus evil. It is extremely complex, and the characters all have their own stories.” Harper B. adds, “This film surprised me in all the ways a person can be surprised. Starting with the phenomenal animation, this film truly brings the story to life. The battle scenes in particular are stunning visually and very creative.” See their full reviews below.
Ne Zha 2
By Elsy S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13
I love the movie Ne Zha 2, because of the humorous touches, incredible animation, and the several meaningful themes, such as family and good versus evil. It is extremely complex, and the characters all have their own stories.
The story follows Ne Zha (Crystal Lee), a three-year-old demon boy, a child of two generals, who was reduced to a soul, but gets his body back. His best friend and previous mortal enemy, Ao Bing (Aleks Le) pushes himself too hard in a battle, and the two souls must share Ne Zha’s body. To get a body for Ao Bing, Ne Zha must pass a series of trials, but Taiyi Zhenren (Rick Zieff) has other ideas. He passes the trials, but his village gets attacked, and in the end, there’s a massive battle of betrayal and heartache for which Ne Zha assumes his teenage form (Griffin Puatu).
The animation is incredible! This is visual storytelling at its best. This is a heartfelt movie with heartbreaking, yet sweet moments. One thing that really impressed me is how intense this film is; it fully immersed me in the story, as if I was a part of it. The message is inspiring and hopeful, which really gives the movie a meaningful touch. Ne Zha is portrayed as a demon child grappling with feelings of being replaced; Crystal Lee and Griffin Puatu provide the voice of Ne Zha, for his child and teenage form, very well. Michelle Yeoh and Vincent Rodriguez III portray the emotional depth of their characters so well with their voices. Ao Bing, one of the characters with the most internal conflict, is voiced by Aleks Le, whose voice perfectly matches the character. My favorite scene is when Ao Bing and Ne Zha break free of Master Wuliang’s (Robert Clotworthy) trap.
The film’s message is to be yourself. It reminds us of how we are perfect just the way we are. Be forewarned that it has several violent scenes, many deaths, and mild language, making it slightly unsuitable for younger children.
Ne Zha 2 gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 12 to 18. It releases in theaters on August 22, 2025.
Ne Zha 2
By Harper B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
Ne Zha 2 is an epic film about two destined enemies becoming friends. I love this film because of the characters and the emotional aspect.
Ne Zha 2 is about a young boy, Ne Zha (Crystal Lee) who is a demon and just wants to be normal and fit in. His parents, Li Jing (Vincent Rodriguez III) and Lady Yin (Michelle Yeoh), try their best to help Ne Zha be a better person. He meets a friend Ao Bing (Aleks Le) who is a dragon and contains the spirit pill. Ne Zha and Ao Bing team up to get Ao Bing’s body back.
This film surprised me in all the ways a person can be surprised. Starting with the phenomenal animation, this film truly brings the story to life. The battle scenes in particular are stunning visually and very creative. My favorite scene is the final battle scene. The background music is astonishing and the sound effects are extremely realistic. I really enjoyed watching Lady Yin evolve into the caring mother she was born to be. I also enjoyed watching Taiyi Zhenren (Rick Zieff), taking Ne Zha under his wing. This film is an emotional roller coaster — it made me laugh, cry, and truly brought me joy like I have never experienced before from watching a film. Compared to Ne Zha, Ne Zha 2 is even better. The characters are very similar with some of the same qualities and some differences which made watching the movie fun. Ne Zha 2 taught me life is not in black and white, there is some gray too. The people of Chentang Pass come to understand why people do certain things to protect their people.
The film’s message is that not everyone is all good or all bad. When we see other’s differences and celebrate them, then we can all become one team and defeat the real enemy. Note that there are some violent scenes that are inappropriate for younger children.
Ne Zha 2 gets 5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It will be released in theaters on August 22, 2025.
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