Chinese film “Ne Zha 2” becomes a box office hit
Ne Zha 2 | Beijing Enlight Pictures
The long anticipated arrival of “Ne Zha 2” has finally come to international theaters! According to the box office, it has grossed $28 million worldwide and was screened in 945 theaters. It has even placed number one in the top animated films of this year according to IMDb.
“Ne Zha 2” explores the tale of ancient Chinese folklore with some comedy that provides a degree of modernization. At times, the humor may seem like something based out of an Illumination movie, but it surprises you with its cleverness. They even refer to the screaming groundhog meme.
This is now the third in a series of films by producer Wenzhang Liu. He released his first film “Ne Zha” in 2019 and “Jiang Ziya” in 2020 where the character Ne Zha appears at the end.
The team behind “Ne Zha 2” spent the last five years perfecting this film and it shows in the animation. Approximately 4,000 artists banded together across several companies on this project with a stunning use of After Effects that can especially be seen in the clouds and the water. All the colors are vibrant as each scene shifts.
A wide variety of scene changes are treated to the audience as we see the heavenly Jade Palace, the underwater Dragon Palace, and Chentang Pass. Many of the other backgrounds are very vivid and pleasing to the eye as the artists used “advanced computer graphics technology and algorithms,” according to producer Liu.
Each character has an excellent design, especially the dragons, whose human forms are introduced in this movie. The Dragon King, Ao Guang, is introduced with shining armor and large horns. The rest of his dragon companions’ forms are distinct, such as the lady with the long claws and the other bulky figure.
The story of “Ne Zha 2” is also extremely heartfelt as it explores the dynamics between the characters. It acknowledges the grey morality of each character and explores their motivations with such intricate detail it makes your heart hurt when they face severe conflicts.
If you wish to know more, go see this movie while it’s still in theaters as it is worth the watch!
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