A young boy, Nezha, is birthed from a heavenly pearl by the Primeval Lord of Heaven. Born with unique powers, Nezha finds himself as an outcast who is hated and feared. Destined by prophecy to bring destruction to the world, the young boy must choose between good and evil in order to break the shackles of fate and become the hero.
Since its release, “Ne Zha” is officially China’s highest-grossing animated film of all time. It’s refreshing to see a non-Disney release do so well. Beijing Enlight Pictures, one of China’s major studios, distributed the smash hit. I learned that the story of “Ne Zha” is derived from The Ming Dynasty era and has remained a popular fixture in Chinese folklore.
“Ne Zha” has a particularly involved origin story filled with gods and pearls that grant different powers and destinies. During their pregnancy, the titular Ne Zha’s parents, are mistakenly given a demon orb instead of the preferable spirit orb. Shen, a Taoist-immortal, warns the couple that in three years their demonic son will be struck down and killed by a lightning god (and I thought my childhood was rough). Ne Zha’s mother refuses to believe the omen and begins to raise her son as if he wasn’t possessed by an ancient evil orb.
As Ne Zha is nearing his third birthday, he’s alienated most of his villagers with his fiery, rambunctious behavior. He also begins hunting demons before his training is even finished. To make matters worse, the evil Dragon King has devious plans that could affect the future of Ne Zha and his village forever. This story really focuses on accepting fate and the noble power of self-sacrifice.
It’s no secret that the West has been facing an economic and artistic downturn for years. The release of this and “Parasite”’s Oscars sweep are just minor examples of how the East is more than flourishing and full of prosperous original ideas. Although I found Ne Zha’s character pretty annoying, there’s no denying the talent behind the animation. I read that over thirty production houses with nearly 2,000 artists worked on the visual effects. I normally don’t care for Box Office figures but seeing how much better it did than say “Incredibles 2,” was really well, Incredible. Due to the potentially apocalyptic coronavirus outbreak, there is a delay in the sequel’s production. Maybe a demon god or the Dragon King can put a stop to the pandemic!
Now available on Digital HD and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Combo and DVD March 3rd
