2025’s Biggest Animated Film Ne Zha II Is Now in Theaters Near You
Ne Zha II (2025) is big, really big. One month after its Chinese release in early 2025, it grossed over $2 billion in the box office. It even surpassed the animated world’s crowned sequels Frozen II (2019) and Inside Out 2 (2024). As the first non-American film in cinematic history to break into the top ten highest-grossing films of all time, it’s currently sitting in fifth place as the biggest animated film ever.
Written and directed by Jiao Zi, Ne Zha II has been five years in the making, and the effort is unmistakably obvious. The animation is otherworldly, the environments are immersive, and the characters are distinctly eye-catching. It’s a product of unbelievably large-scale collaboration, with over 130 animation companies unified in creating thousands of animation and special effects shots — and it was worth it.
Ne Zha, the little, demonic gremlin, has captured the hearts of millions of viewers. Now, Ne Zha II is set to capture millions more with its American release. Dubbed in English with a spectacular voice acting cast, the film will be available to watch in theaters in both IMAX and 3D formats starting August 22.
Yin and Yang: Ne Zha and Ao Bing
As the sequel in the Ne Zha film series, Ne Zha II is best understood as a continuation of the world-building established in the first film. However, for viewers who don’t want to miss out on the big screen experience, Ne Zha II is still perfectly enjoyable as a standalone film, with context developed throughout.
Ne Zha (Crystal Lee) is the reincarnation of the Demon Orb — gifted with demonic powers and superhuman strength unreasonable for a child, let alone an adult — and he knows it. He strides with his hands shoved inside his pants and boasts a feisty attitude that bubbles underneath his nonchalance. Unfortunately, he’s also three. Like all three year olds, he’s wholly associated with destruction. His recklessness paired with his stubbornness is a wild combination that adds more fuel to the flames, dragging his best friend Ao Bing along with him.
Ne Zha isn’t the typical hero, with flaws that become the heart of the film. Director Jiao Zi even claims his bold nature to be a key differentiator, insisting that “Ne Zha has always represented strength… people are drawn to that defiant spirit — he embodies a guiding force within us all.”
From the flaws that society has deemed unworthy to the expectations of who society believes he should be, the weight of society’s unrelenting pressure doesn’t stop Ne Zha’s unyielding spirit. He burns and burns, reaching and yearning to forge his own path that isn’t dictated by others — fate be damned.
Meanwhile, Ne Zha’s best friend Ao Bing (Aleks Le) is the reincarnation of the Spirit Pearl — associated with water and purity. He’s the beloved son of the Dragon King of the East Sea (Christopher Swindle), and essentially dragon royalty. Unlike his fiery friend, Ao Bing is soft-spoken with an elegance that stands out twofold in contrast to Ne Zha’s wild nature. His composure is only broken when he whips out his martial arts prowess or, as he does for most of the film, acts to defend Ne Zha.
They are two counterparts that are incompatible in theory but inseparable in reality. Their friendship continues to transcend what fate has dictated, standing firm amidst the challenges that continue to test their bond. Whether that bond will last will be determined in Ne Zha II, as things begin to spiral out of their control and pit them against each other.
Straight Into the Plot
Ne Zha and Ao Bing now exist in spirit form, having lost their corporeal bodies in the aftermath of the events in the first film. Determined to restore them, Master Taiyi (Rick Zieff) aims to use the power of Sacred Lotus to give them their physical bodies back. A delicate ritual in Chentang Pass commences, with its completion of the utmost importance. If things go wrong, their new bodies will fracture or worse, their spirit form might disappear altogether.
Without Ao Bing’s physical presence, the Dragon King of the East Sea thinks him as dead, sending Shen Gongbao (Daniel Riordan) to attack Chentang Pass in a rage. The ritual is rudely interrupted. Awakening in a panic, Ao Bing overexerts himself to defend Ne Zha and Chentang Pass, wearing out his newly-created body and reverting him back to his spiritual form.
The Sacred Lotus — having done its job of creating Ne Zha’s and Ao Bing’s new bodies — has withered away. Ao Bing, once again bodiless, needs a new body fast before his misty form fades away. With time running out and a newly-informed Shen Gongbao, the original plan gets reformed: revive the Sacred Lotus by obtaining a heavenly elixir that’ll help create another body for Ao Bing.
Before Ao Bing dies, for real this time, he temporarily shares Ne Zha’s body, embarking on a journey to the heavenly Chan sect — home to the elixir and sworn enemy of demons. They fly away on Master Taiyi’s dumbo-esque pig and start plotting; they’re going to share Ne Zha’s body and present themselves as the Spirit Pearl, masking Ne Zha’s demonic energy with Ao Bing’s. It’s a scheme that’s dependent on the heavenly officials never finding out and Ao Bing taking control over Ne Zha’s body at the right times.
With three trials looming before them, Ne Zha scarfs down sleeping pills to lend Ao Bing complete control over his body. It’s absolutely stressful to witness, with every interaction a possibility of the entire scheme falling apart. With Ao Bing’s life on the line, a single mistake could be fatal.
Visuals: Heavenly
It’s a waste to not see Ne Zha II on the big screen. The film is that detailed. From the unbelievably intricate jade palaces nestled above the clouds that echo from refined stone to the grim prisons entrenched in bubbling pools of lava that swish with a menacing presence, every scene is expansive, building up the corners of Ne Zha II’s fantastical world of magic.
For every environment built, from the civilians to the architecture, it truly feels like flying between different worlds. It’s impressive and highly immersive to the point where it feels real, and it’s a shame that it’s not. The colors are striking with a vibrancy that feels otherworldly — the forests are the most luscious of greens, the oceans are shimmering with light, and the skies are rich with clouds only possible on the best of earthly days. Imagination is simply reality, with the vastness of animation’s possibilities creating realms that cannot be reproduced in any other medium.
Every character, from the dragon royals to the minions that create shields, makes you look twice. Pigs fly, goats fight, and humans are pretty cool too. The most spectacular of scenes is when the action kicks in, with the world feeling like it’s falling apart. To Ne Zha, it quite literally is. Skies are torn open, with swarms of enemies dropping from portals in uncountable numbers, and grounds are littered with bodies from every side.
Powerful abilities shake up the screen as elements are wielded in forms never seen before. Ao Bing wields gigantic ice lollipops while Ne Zha spins on wheels of flames. With other immortals and magical beings joining the fray, the fight scenes are absolutely fantastic, filled with a fervor that makes every second in battle count.
Life Lessons: Family and Beyond
The best part about Ne Zha II isn’t just the amazing action scenes filled with animated wonders, but rather the depth of storytelling that lies behind the visuals. Filled with humor in one moment but showered in grief the next, the experience of watching the film mirrors exactly what Ne Zha feels as he treads his journey. All of Ne Zha’s emotions — the loneliness of being outcast, the grief of losing family, and the betrayal of those you’ve never doubted — is raw and all too real. It’s reminiscent of childhood, when emotions felt bigger and all the more heavier.
His relationship with his mortal parents Li Jing (Vincent Rodriguez III) and Lady Yin (Michelle Yeoh) is complicated. But Ne Zha, at the end of the day, is a son who wants to make his family proud. He’s young and naive, and that’s okay. He makes mistakes but he owns them, learning to navigate his emotions and relationships while striving to become his own person.
Ne Zha II brings friendship, family, and fights to new fantastical heights, and it is absolutely worth watching.
Be sure to check out Ne Zha II at a venue near you.
For more information on Ne Zha II, check out A24’s official website and Ne Zha II’s official Instagram.
Interested in more ACT!ON fantasy film content? Read our piece on KPop Demon Hunters here!
