Posted on January 21, 2026
Posted by Athena Scalzi
It would stand to reason that the highest-grossing animated film of all time would be more well-known, yet it seems that Ne Zha 2 remains unknown to practically every single person I’ve talked to about it. It’s especially wild to think how many people have never even heard of the film when you consider the fact that it’s #5 on the list of highest-grossing movies of all time, right underneath Avatar and its sequel, Avengers: Endgame, and Titanic.
Not only did Ne Zha 2 become the king of all animated movies, but sits proudly in the top five of all movies. Is that not absolutely wild? So why is no one talking about it?
And I know you’re probably thinking, well of course people are talking about it, haven’t you seen all the articles over it in The New York Times, seen the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, etc.?
Listen, journalists don’t count as people. What I mean when I say no one is talking about it, is if you go into work and you ask your coworker Becky if she’s seen any good movies lately, chances are she’s not saying she threw on Ne Zha 2 with original Chinese audio.
If you walk up to literally anyone on the street and ask “have you heard of Avengers: Endgame or perhaps Titanic?” chances are not only have they heard of it, they’ve probably seen it. So why is it not the same answer when you ask if they’ve heard of Ne Zha?
Anyways, I’m here to tell you about this incredible film, since I’m guessing even if you’ve heard of it, you might not have seen it yet, as it’s only available through streaming on HBO Max (and there’s no Chinese audio if you watch it on there).
Ne Zha 2 is an absolutely amazing film with the most spectacular animation and passion behind it. It is a true feast for your eyes, with practically every moment being worthy of being a desktop background. So often I found myself saying “oh my god that’s absolutely insane” in regards to the art and animation. Even if the story was downright terrible (which it isn’t), it would still be worth sitting through the almost two and half hours of the movie just for the art.
While I do really like Ne Zha, its sequel is better in every way. Ne Zha 2 has less childish humor that the first one suffers from, a more intricate and interesting story, develops its characters and their relationships better, and of course, superior animation.
Ne Zha is one of those movies where the last half hour makes sitting through the first hour of the film worth it, where as Ne Zha 2 is all gas no brakes. Ne Zha 2 had my jaw on the floor the entire time.
I want to talk about the story, but I don’t know how I can without just spoiling the entire movie! It’s such a… let’s say, involved plot. There’s a lot going on, and if you’re unfamiliar with Chinese mythos and gods, it can feel sort of overwhelming. Almost like when you start reading a high fantasy novel and you’re having a hard time keeping all the proper nouns straight in your head.
I honestly find it easier to keep names and places straight when the subtitles are on (which, if you watch it in Chinese, chances are you’ll probably have them on anyways).
I personally prefer the original Chinese, as I find the mouths not matching up with the English dub distracting and a lot of lines are delivered oddly in an attempt to make the mouths fit the words better.
One of the reasons I love Ne Zha and its sequel is because of its originality. So many movies that come out these days are revivals of old franchises, “live-action” remakes of old classics, and just stuff we’ve seen a hundred times before. Ne Zha and Ne Zha 2 feel so much more unique and interesting than any animated movies has felt for me in a long time.
I find it unfortunate that truly the only reason it feels like no one has heard of it is because it’s a foreign film. That’s really all it comes down to is that it’s a Chinese film, and Americans don’t consume a lot of foreign media. America pumps out so much media that foreign gems can sometimes get lost in translation.
I’ve been intentionally vague about the plot this whole time because it really feels like something you should just experience without knowing too much about it. It’s a wild ride, and one I went into pretty blind, and recommend the same for you.
If you want to watch it with the Chinese original audio with English subtitles, my best recommendation is to buy it on YouTube since HBO Max only has the English dub. I know, it sucks buying movies on YouTube, mostly because they can remove it from your library at any time and you don’t get your money back, but this is unfortunately the era of streaming monopolies and whatnot that we live in. Consuming media is difficult even though that’s all any company wants us to do.
Have you seen Ne Zha or Ne Zha 2? Did you manage to catch either in theaters? Are there any foreign films you like that you feel like most people haven’t heard of? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
-AMS
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