I didn’t know what to expect from this Chinese animated movie, and that proved to be a good thing as it took me by surprise, tugging at my heartstrings with its moving plot and exceptional anti-hero.
Ne Zha (also spelled as Nezha) is a 3D computer-animated fantasy film that features the popular Chinese mythological character (a young boy whose birth fuses him with the primordial essence known as the Demon Orb).
As a result of the evil entity living within him, Nezha is the human personification of trouble; he is morose, cunning, mischievous, hot-tempered, stubborn and fearless.
His parents ignore warnings to end his life as a baby, choosing instead to isolate the infant (who, as it turns out, is destined to be destroyed by terrible lightning in the near future).
The inhabitants of the village see Nezha as a demon, running away from him every time they encounter him. This is something he can’t bear. Even as his parents try to instill some good in him, the boy chooses to lean on the evil within, channeling his rage towards a world that has written him off as an aberration of nature.
Nezha’s chance meeting with the youngster who had the second primordial essence of the Spirit Pearl put in him during birth leads him on the path of truth as he finds out what his parents have been hiding from him.
When his village is threatened by a cataclysmic event, his parents and teacher turn to Nezha for help. But the youngster’s blind rage threatens to be the death of them all. Will he finally succumb to the demon within and fulfill his evil destiny, or will he choose to defy his fate and show that light can still come out of the darkest of places?
From its opening frame, this animation shows gorgeous visuals and is laced with enough humor to make a sadist fall down with laughter.
Ne Zha is a wonderful work of art; it combines beautiful action, unforgettable characters, gut-wrenching emotion and one heck of a protagonist to bring movie buffs a tale that will leave them spellbound.
The little boy around whom the tale revolves is a well-fleshed out character. As a child, the range of emotions he displays is what makes the movie transcend its genre.
Nezha represents the outcasts in the society. They are scorned and rejected, so they find refuge in their pent up emotion. When provoked, they lash out with extremity and can be quite unforgiving when crossed.
I don’t know how else to describe the little boy in this story other than this; he is not someone you want mad at you. His bond with the evil entity has given him superhuman strength, agility, and speed so he looks for any opportunity to unleash his anger on anyone who will dare anger him.
Another thing, even though this is an animated movie, there are scenes that children will find quite disturbing so parental discretion is advised. Also, the action sequences are pretty intense but this is to be expected as we glimpsed a bit in the trailer.
I want to mention the animation once again because it is just awesome. The character designs are cool, the details given to the environment and natural phenomena are just staggeringly realistic, and the visual effects are next to none!
There are a lot of reasons to see Ne Zha but I will give movie fans just two; it is the second worldwide highest-grossing non-English language film of all time and is also the highest-earning animated movie in China, setting numerous box office records.
Viewers shouldn’t worry about the language issue because the version released for those outside China has been dubbed in English.
I was shocked to learn that the film is the debut feature of its director (Jiaozi) and the animation studio (the director’s own Chengdu Coco Cartoon). They have done an amazing job! I strongly recommend this movie for nomination in the Best Animated Movie category in all the prominent awards.
Rating 8/10
