Director: Jiao Zi
Notable Cast: Lyu Yanting, Cao Yalong, Wang Zheng, Chen
Hao, Zeng Hongru, Yang Wei, Zhang Jiaming
One of the more fascinating pieces about the rise of the
Chinese film industry over the last five to ten years is how incredibly
unpredictable the entire thing is as a whole. Films that would seem to check
off all of the boxes to soar in the box office flounder and yet other films
come out as massive surprises. Of the latter category, Ne Zha might be one of
the most astounding. China has been slowly putting together an animation film
plan over the last few years to build an audience there and recent foreign box
office successes like Disney’s Coco and a re-release of Spirited Away
have laid the groundwork for a domestic giant to arise. As it turns out, that
film is Ne Zha. Ne Zha took China by storm, generating astronomical box
office numbers and becoming something of a legend seemingly overnight, enough
so that international distribution label Well Go USA took notice and quickly
generated a theatrical release for the film in the US. A surprising move since,
well, it’s a foreign language animated family film. Still, now that the film
his been unleashed on the unsuspecting US market, it’s safe to say that, yes, Ne
Zha is a blast. The animation is fun and tight, balancing traditional
cartoon choices with lush CGI detailing, and the story and narrative find a
strong balance between the family-friendly moments and key fantasy action set
pieces. This landmark animated film takes the best of the blockbuster formulas
that China has learned from Hollywood and given it a delightful and distinctly
Chinese spin. The results are a rip-roaring ride of laughs, action, and bigger
than life fantasy morals.