Jackie Chan Fans Need to Watch This $743 Million Fantasy Film With 88% on Rotten Tomatoes

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The Karate Kid revival may be prompting audiences to revisit old Jackie Chan classics, but it’s masking one of wuxia’s most recent gems, Jiaozi’s Ne Zha (alternatively spelled Nezha or Né Zhā). Debuting in 2019, the animated action film combines all the best elements of the genre. It’s packed with death-defying action, high-flying acrobatics, and over-the-top choreography. Unfortunately, it appears to have been largely overlooked by Western audiences.

Upon release, Chengdu Coco Cartoon’s addition to the world’s cinematic lineup was hailed as one of China’s most beautiful films. Its lush animation and rich cultural heritage easily earned it both critical and casual praise. The modest $22 million budget yielded a massive $742.7 million in box office sales.

Ne Zha Is an Action-Packed Fantasy Masterpiece

Among domestic audiences, one of Ne Zha’s strongest pulls is its classical source. Anyone familiar with Chinese mythology can vaguely guess the plot, a modern spin on a snippet of the 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods (or Fēngshén Yǎnyì). By extension, it is not the first adaptation of the tale. Its older predecessor, Ne Zha Conquers the Dragon King, is a perennially beloved traditionally animated film from 1979. A 2003 made-for-television animation, The Legend of Ne Zha, still enjoys similar praise. However, Jiaozi’s Ne Zha is marked by and adored for its deviation from the classic myth.

The central protagonist is, unsurprisingly, the titular Ne Zha, son of Li Jing and Lady Yin, in the town of Chentang Pass. Originally meant to be the reincarnation of the blessed Spirit Pearl, a plot by Shen Gongbao causes the child to, instead, be born from the cursed Demon Pill. From this event, Ne Zha gains magical control over fire and a non-negotiable three-year lifespan. His “evil” birth is marked by a (literal) fiery rampage and an ultimatum from the concerned citizens of Chentang Pass: Ne Zha must be confined to the palace.

Meanwhile, Shen Gonbao delivers the Spirit Orb to the cunning Dragon King, who uses it to birth his own son, Ao Bing. Unlike his fated rival, Ao Bing controls ice. He has no set lifespan and is set to be the banished clan’s ticket to ascension. Assuming his mission is fulfilled, his kin will, ideally, be deemed worthy of joining the ranks of the tian (immortals).

This complex premise underpins Ne Zha’s 110-minute runtime. It also forms the basis for Ne Zha’s mischievous nature, as he believes himself to be the true Spirit Pearl. For this reason, he reluctantly joins aspiring immortal Taiyi Zhenren for training. The tutelage goes predictably awry, and the resulting destruction further sullies his image among the people of Chentang Pass. Shortly thereafter, Ne Zha has an understandably bad time at his third birthday party.

And this is where Jiaozi’s brilliant twist comes into play. In the original mythological retelling, young Ne Zha fails to escape his curse. As shown in previous iterations, the young boy — still biologically a toddler — bids his parents farewell before returning his flesh to his mother and his bones to his father via heroic suicide. In the 2019 film, however, he and Ao Bing work together to prevent the apocalyptic annihilation of Chentang Pass.

Fans of Jackie Chan and Wuxia Will Love Ne Zha’s Gorgeous Action Sequences

• Ne Zha’s appearance is another intriguing deviation from classic mythology. Traditionally, the Third Prince is depicted as a beautiful child in earlier adaptations. Conversely, Jiaozi emphasizes his demonic origins by giving him comedically “ugly” features.
• The film’s extensive array of special effects required over 1,600 animators from 20 different studios to produce. Over 1,318 resource-intensive effects are scattered throughout Ne Zha, with one particularly complex scene’s production spanning over two months.

Now, that premise may sound intimidating. Fortunately, Ne Zha’s team offers a built-in “crash course” — via a wuxia-typical fight sequence — at the beginning of the film. The heavenly sequence encompasses the creation of the Spirit Orb and Demon Pill, detailing the intricacies of their powers. It also serves as an eye-popping example of the many heart-pumping action sequences to come. And don’t be fooled by the “cutesy” character designs. Beneath the titular Ne Zha’s admittedly adorable exterior is a fierce warrior. The fighting skills of his mythological rival, Ao Bing, are even more impressive.

Needless to say, Ne Zha is an absolute delight for any action film buff. In some ways, the film’s animation even gives it a leg up on Jackie Chan’s usual high-flying stunts. The characters can bend and stretch in ways no living person can. Their faces can be distorted and squashed to emphasize the sheer force of a literal heavenly wrath. Yes, it’s a family movie; there won’t be as much grit as a “darker and edgier” piece in the same bracket. But that same dedication to widely enjoyable entertainment also gives Ne Zha that necessary sense of silliness.

Perhaps the best example of such visually stunning fights is the mid-film exchange between Ne Zha and Ao Bing. Enraged by Ao Bing’s apparent “stealing” of his yaksha (water demon), the Demon Prince engages in a Jackie Chan-style martial arts battle. The film’s animation shines, and the audience is treated to a spectacular show of force. The contrast between Ne Zha’s aggression and Ao Bing’s pacifistic tai chi would fit perfectly in the kung fu classic Drunken Master.

Even the most fantastical scenes, like the seemingly unwinnable battle between Ne Zha’s “proper” form and Ao Bing’s dragon form, wouldn’t look out of place in such works. And that may just be the nature of martial arts action. Like the rest of its rich cultural heritage, Chinese fighting styles have had centuries to evolve. Even the most innovative choreographers will follow the same basic rules; doing otherwise invariably leads to unbelievable or campy sequences.

Ne Zha’s Success Led to a Record-Breaking Sequel

• On August 2, 2019, less than a month after its release, Ne Zha surpassed Zootopia as the highest-grossing animated movie in China. Within 46 days of its release, it became the first animated feature in the world to reach $700 million in box office sales in a single territory.
• A supplemental piece, Jiang Ziya, was stifled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like Ne Zha, the “extra” film is part of Jiaozi’s adaptation of Investiture of the Gods, albeit with a different protagonist.

And here’s some good news for fans of Ne Zha: The film’s unprecedented success is far from a fluke. On January 29, 2025, the film received its long-awaited direct sequel, Ne Zha 2 (sometimes referenced as Ne Zha: The Demon Boy Churns the Sea). Its Chinese New Year debut gave it a considerable box office boost, as did its existing prestige. Its stateside release received similar fanfare, raking in an impressive $7.2 million during its opening weekend.

Like its predecessor, the smash-hit sequel revolves around Jiaozi’s “modernized” vision for the beloved Chinese myth. It eschews the more subdued reaction of older generations and embraces a bolder, more vocal approach to life. It expands the core ideal that “my fate is my own to choose” and expertly builds on its predecessor’s successes.

Unfortunately, fans will have to wait to see the newest addition to Ne Zha’s story. The film’s ever-expanding global reach has earned it additional theatrical airings, pushing its release to consumers further back from its originally projected fall 2025 window. An April reveal of a professional English dub further muddles the murky streaming release date.

Ne Zha

NR Animation Fantasy Adventure 1

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