Ne Zha 2 stands as a titan of 2025 cinema, comfortably ranking among the most impressive animated achievements of the year. It holds its own even when compared to cultural juggernauts like Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man Movie — Reze Arc. Despite stiff competition for Best Animated Feature from films like KPop Demon Hunters, this sequel has carved out an unprecedented legacy. Since its Lunar New Year debut, it has amassed a staggering $2.2 billion globally on a modest $80 million budget, making it the highest-grossing non-English film and the first animated feature to cross the $2 billion threshold. Currently sitting at fifth on the all-time box office charts, it remains a surprisingly under-discussed masterpiece in Western circles.
With the A24-distributed English dub arriving on Max on Dec. 20, audiences have the perfect opportunity to witness a landmark film. It reimagines Chinese mythology with the adrenaline-fueled kineticism of Dragon Ball, weaving profound emotional narratives between bouts of unapologetically juvenile humor.
Director and writer Jiao Zi deepens the emotional stakes established in the 2019 original. The film centers on the evolving bond between the demon-child Ne Zha and the dragon prince Ao Bing, whose friendship is pushed to the brink by celestial conflict. When Ao Bing sacrifices himself once more to shield Ne Zha’s home, Ne Zha absorbs his spirit, launching a high-stakes quest for resurrection. The result is a series of tectonic battles that double as visceral explorations of grief, loyalty, and the desperate lengths one goes to protect their kin.
What makes Ne Zha 2 so compelling is its thematic progression. It moves past simple self-acceptance, challenging its hero to own his contradictions and flaws entirely. Both Ne Zha and the former antagonist Shen Gongbao arrive at a shared realization: authenticity is far more valuable than fulfilling societal expectations. While the film’s villain thrives on deceit, our heroes find strength in their raw, unfiltered selves. Even the director’s use of crude, scatological humor serves this theme, mirroring the protagonist’s refusal to be “refined” or “proper.”
Visually, the film is a tour de force of photorealistic CGI. The fight choreography is breathtaking, rivaling the best sequences 2025 anime has to offer. It serves as definitive proof that modern computer animation has reached a level of sophistication capable of capturing both immense scale and subtle, expressive movement.
Despite its technical brilliance, the film maintains a PG-13 spirit with a penchant for gross-out gags. From projectile vomiting to aristocrats accidentally consuming urine-infused water, the “low-brow” humor is plentiful. While these elements might seem at odds with the epic mythological scope, they ground Ne Zha as a character—a temperamental demon child who refuses to hide his crass nature even in the face of divinity.
Ultimately, Ne Zha 2 is a cinematic triumph that deserves the same spotlight as its peers. In a year where Demon Slayer rivaled Superman and Zootopia 2 broke records, this film stands as a unique pillar of the medium. Make it a priority this holiday season; the sequel is headed to Max, and the original can be found there as well, or for free on Tubi.
Source: Polygon
