Ne Zha (2019) Review: A Demon Child Defies Fate

Is Ne Zha worth watching?

Yes. Ne Zha is an exhilarating animated fantasy that turns an ancient Chinese legend into a rebellious, laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story, and its final act is as spectacular as anything in modern animation. Director Jiaozi gives a mythic figure the personality of a sulky, lonely kid, and the result is both hilarious and touching. The reservation is its humour, which leans on crude gags that can jar with the film’s emotional moments, and a first half that takes a while to find its rhythm.

What is Ne Zha about?

Ne Zha reimagines a figure from the classic Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods. Due to a scheme among the immortals, the child born to Li Jing, commander of the town of Chentang Pass, and his wife Lady Yin, is created from a demon pearl rather than a heavenly one. Branded a monster, Ne Zha (voiced by Lü Yanting) grows up feared by the townspeople and confined to his family’s estate, with a heavenly curse set to strike him down in a few years’ time.

Frustrated and lonely, he meets Ao Bing, the gentle son of the Dragon King, and the two outsiders form an unlikely friendship. Ne Zha’s parents and his eccentric master, the Taoist immortal Taiyi Zhenren, try in their own ways to prove that the boy can choose his own path rather than accept the fate written for him.

Jiaozi wrote and directed the film, a Chinese production in Mandarin that runs 110 minutes. It became one of the biggest box-office hits in China’s history and launched a franchise.

A legend rebuilt as a rebel

The film’s masterstroke is its version of Ne Zha. Rather than a noble hero, he is a scruffy, snaggle-toothed troublemaker with dark circles under his eyes and a chip on his shoulder, a child who acts out because everyone has already decided he is bad. That makes his journey instantly relatable, and the film’s central idea, “my fate is decided by me, not by heaven”, lands as a genuine emotional argument rather than a slogan.

Ao Bing is the perfect counterpart: polite, burdened by his own family’s expectations and just as lonely in a different way. Their friendship gives the film its heart, and the tension between loyalty to each other and duty to their families drives the story forward.

Family, comedy and a spectacular finale

Some of the film’s most affecting material involves Ne Zha’s parents. Lady Yin, a warrior who tries to find time for her son between battles, and Li Jing, a stern commander who struggles to show his son affection, add an emotional grounding that many animated fantasies lack.

Taiyi Zhenren, a portly, bumbling immortal, provides much of the comic relief, and the film’s mix of slapstick, wordplay and pop-culture energy keeps the tone lively. When the action arrives, it is breathtaking: fluid, fiery battles and transformations rendered with a scale and imagination that announced Chinese animation as a major force.

Toilet jokes and a slow start

Not everything works. The film’s comedy relies heavily on crude jokes, and some running gags go on too long, particularly in the early stretches. The opening section also spends a lot of time on exposition before the central friendship takes shape. These flaws are minor compared with the film’s energy, but they keep it a notch below perfect.

Who should watch Ne Zha?

It is ideal for animation fans, families with older children and anyone curious about Chinese mythology. Some battle sequences and demonic imagery are intense for younger viewers, and the humour includes toilet jokes that some parents may find tiresome. It is essential viewing before the sequel.

Where to go next:

• Ne Zha 2, the record-breaking sequel, which expands this world to epic proportions.
• Spirited Away, another animated classic about a child navigating a world of spirits and gods.
• The Monkey King, a live-action take on another famous rebel of Chinese legend.

The verdict

Ne Zha is a thrilling, funny and heartfelt reinvention of a classic myth, anchored by a wonderfully flawed hero and some of the most spectacular animated action of its decade. A few misjudged jokes aside, it is a landmark of modern Chinese animation.

Rating: 4.5/5