LAST MINUTE: Ne Zha II (2025) directed by Jiao Zi @ Regal Columbus Stadium 12

We decided to watch the animated Chinese spectacle Ne Zha II while it happens to be back in theaters. Independently watching the first Ne Zha (2019) if interested in doing so, although the plot may be self-contained.

RUNTIME: 144 minutes

SYNOPSIS (via Trinity CineAsia): Ne Zha, a demon child raised by humans, forms an uneasy alliance with the Loong prince Ao Bing in an epic battle to protect their clans. In the aftermath, their bodies teeter on the edge of destruction. Ne Zha must now embark on a perilous quest to obtain an elixir to restore Ao Bing’s body. During this demon-slaying journey, he uncovers a conspiracy that will ignite a devastating war between good and evil. He must defy treacherous forces to protect what he holds dear.
Rooted in Chinese mythology with a bold reinterpretation, NE ZHA 2 is a groundbreaking animation visual spectacle crafted over five years by a team of 4,000 animators that has now become the world’s highest grossing animated film.

BLURBS:
"You’ve likely never seen anything like this before, and its message about standing proud as an outsider resonates in America now more than ever." - Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News

"The colors, designs and fight choreography are so well articulated, even in scenes of such a colossal scale of action, that the film serves as a testament to the level of artistry in the Chinese animation industry right now." - Maya Phillips, The New York Times

"At once awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, eye-rolling and head-scratching, this is animated cinema on a scale rarely seen. It doesn’t always hang together, but on its box-office achievements alone, Ne Zha 2 has earned a place with the immortals." - John Nugent, Empire Magazine