Ne Zha is a Chinese animated film in which the protagonist is a small child. He doesn’t look small, but he is. Ne Zha is an evil child having been fused with the Demon Pearl at birth. Attempts to keep him locked at home usually fail and chaos ensues in the nearby village. The film is currently streaming on Netflix. It was a film I had never heard of, but I’m ultimately glad I watched it.
The animation is gorgeous. There are beautiful sequences featuring fire and water and it’s breathtaking to watch. The protagonist is unusual for an animated film, but it makes him all the more interesting.
Ne Zha is actually two years old, but looks older presumably due to the Demon Pearl’s influence. He’s got permanently bags under his eyes, the creepiest smile and the insignia of the pearl on his forehead. He’s a troublemaker and despite all the trouble he’s caused, you sympathize with him because none of it is his fault.
His parents Lord Li and Lady Yin lie to their son and tell him he’s actually fused with the Spirit Pearl. The creature fused with the Demon Pearl is fated to die at the age of three after a lightning strike and the parents want their son to live as happy a life as possible until then. Ne Zha’s childhood is filled with loneliness and manipulations as he’s made to live without the company of others and with the lies he’s told. Despite his malevolence, Ne Zha is endearing. He can’t help being evil and all he wants more than anything is a friend.
The main message of the film is that you alone are responsible for your fate. Ne Zha is being influenced by a whole slew of people including the spirits responsible for his fusion and his friend Ao Bing.
There’s a lot going on in this film and it all happens rather quickly. The best moments of the film occur when things slow down and we can truly appreciate the action of the film even if it is as silly as a battle with a water troll.
“Ne Zha” is fun. There is a lot thrown at you at once. The beginning is a balancing act of reading the subtitles and trying to process all the information given. Stick with it, though. It’s worth it.
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