Nezha 2

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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34956443/

Date Reviewed: 25/08/2025

Nezha 2 is hands down one of the best movies to have come out this year. Not only does it fix all of the flaws of the original film, it improves on it with never-before-seen animation that raises the bar of what is possible in an animated film. Director Yu Yang has truly delivered a must-watch classic that I highly recommend everyone watch.

Taking place right after the events of the first film, Nezha 2 does not hold back on the spectacle, delivering us right into the plot. Nezha and Ao Bing, the dual protagonists and the spiritual incarnation of the Demon and Spirit Pearl, are in the midst of retaining their physical bodies, which were destroyed in the first film.  Due to a mishap, Ao Bing’s newly constructed body is destroyed, and now the Dragon Kings, which include Ao Bing's father Ao Guang, hold the town of Chentang Pass hostage. Nezha must undergo a series of trials to save Ao Bing and his home. Initially, the story is quite predictable, following an easy set of tropes. Then the narrative takes a turn, and I cannot truly do it justice just by writing about it. From here on out, the narrative goes full throttle and does not hold the audience's hand as the stakes and scope go to a whole new level. My only minor criticism is the fact that there are so many elements juggled in the story that it does make it a bit convoluted and hard to follow at times. 

The animation and cinematography are by far the strongest aspects of Nezha 2. It sets a new animation standard for future films with jaw-dropping visuals and borderlines the impossible from a technological standpoint. This is not just an animated film with impressive visuals. Nezha 2 has some of the best animation I have ever seen, and you could make an argument that it has far transcended anything that Disney or Pixar has ever put out. I think this film is worth watching in cinemas, just for the animation quality alone. 

The colourful cast of characters is all a wonder to behold and follow, with many standouts such as Nezha himself and even the antagonist from the first film, Shen Gongbao. The two protagonists of the film have some of the most interesting character work that I have seen in a long time. They depict a powerful friendship with divided loyalties. Never before have I seen a more stunning depiction of two sides of the same coin done in film, and I truly believe this film does it perfectly. But I think the true standout is definitely Shen Gongbao. He goes from a one-dimensional villain to arguably the most interesting and well fleshed out character in the entire franchise. 

The voice cast picked for the English release is, for the most part, very solid. Big-name actors such as Michelle Yeoh as Nezha’s mother and Aleks Le as Ao Bing are probably the star power necessary to transcend this film. I do, however, think that despite this, Michelle Yeoh doesn’t quite fit her character, and it really took me out of the film from time to time. It doesn’t really take away from the vocal performances altogether, but I personally found it quite jarring. 

Overall, Nezha 2 is a groundbreaking must-watch film from just the artistic elements alone. This film took all of the criticisms of the first film and not only fixed, but improved and exceed everything. Despite some minor grievances, this fantasy adventure film is nearly flawless. It’s fun, it's heartfelt, and I truly recommend that everyone give it a shot.