A colossal hit in China that also won over American audiences, Ne Zha clearly offers catnip to kids. Its title character is a little malcontent who has been cursed with the powers of a demon; so although he’s gleefully bad, he kind of can’t help it. Part of the movie’s appeal—for kids and adults—is the way it is attentive to the impossibility of Ne Zha’s situation. Is he bound to his fate as a demon? Can he resist his worst impulses? What is the best way for his earthly parents to raise such an unruly child? One question ultimately drives the heart of Ne Zha, uttered by another celestial being caught between good and evil: “Might he be granted redemption?” Swirling around such questions are numerous action set pieces driven by a child’s sense of inventive anarchy (a mystical paintbrush that can create reality on the fly especially opens endless realms of possibility). Writer-director Yang Yu, who goes by the professional name Jiaozi, employs an active “camera,” with shots from the point of view of a moving punch, 360-degree swerves, and freeze frames for punctuation. If the movie, at times, feels exhausting, there are also painterly details to savor, like the flowing locks of a dragon or the shimmer of a seascape at sundown. Then there is Ne Zha’s default posture, with a frown on his face and his hands shoved down the front of his pants. It’s as if he’s refusing to eat his peas, rather than being told he can’t blast a bunch of teasing village kids with fire.
(8/11/2025)
