In this sequel to the Chinese box-office animation hit Ne Zha (2019), the rebellious child deity Ne Zha (voiced by Lu Yanting) and his ally, the dragon deity Ao Bing (Han Mo), have become spirits.
Without physical bodies, they face annihilation. The Taoist Immortal, Master Taiyi (Zhang Jiaming), volunteers his Seven-Coloured Precious Lotus, a life-giving device.
The rejuvenation process works, but complications arise after Ne Zha’s home is attacked by the Dragon Kings.
Currently the highest-grossing animated film of all time, this movie is a lot to take in. It is a surreal blast to the brain, a set of epic battles that crosses heaven and earth, punctuated by jokes about pee.
It is also a study of fate versus free will, filled with flawed gods and mortals with godlike powers, to the point where the line between the two is blurred. Some characters are noble but villainous, while the demonic, monstrous ones turn out to be on the side of good.
There is no world-building here in the same sense as in movies from Marvel or Pixar. Chinese writer-director Jiaozi, who also made the first film, does not spoonfeed backstory. Nor does he ground it in a framing device, such as a narrator. From the first scene, he plunges viewers into a cosmos thick with meaning.
The goings-on can be bewildering, and those more conversant in Chinese mythology will find some of the changes to the classic 16th-century novel Investiture Of The Gods baffling.
Viewers should just let its peculiarities wash over them and pick out the bits they like, as it is a buffet that aims to have something for everyone.
There is a strong video-game influence in Jiaozi’s style in the way the young deity and his dragon companion move from battle to battle.
The dizzyingly kinetic fight moves are games-inspired, as is the way new fighters pop into frame with only a title card explaining who they are.
The storytelling is split into a main quest, with a few side quests, each with challenges that the two protagonists must overcome.
Embedded in the story is a sly message about the leadership: The ones claiming to be chosen by the gods to lead the flock might just be leading the flock to slaughter.
Ne Zha and Ao Bing, as allies, reflect the Taoist principle of balance – one is prone to fits of rage, but is also filial, while the other is principled and noble, but hobbled by loyalty to his Dragon clan.
The baby-faced god is the uncouth guest at every gathering, which gives the film a chance to insert funny – if puerile – jokes, including the one about pee, as well as one with screaming marmots, which has become a meme.
This visual fever dream throws out Western-style hand-holding in favour of pure mythological chaos and potty humour. For all its peculiarities, it works. — By JOHN LUI/The Straits Times/Asian News Network
Summary:
It's a lot to take in, but it works, somehow.
