Xin Shen Bang: Ne Zha Chongsheng
2021 / 118m - China
Action, Fantasy - Animation
3.5*/5.0*
Nezha Reborn poster

Watches

May 15, 2021

3.5*/5.0*

China's big cinema boom has launched a frantic search for stories to adapt. It's no surprise then that Nezha is seeing a big spike in popularity lately. Nezha Reborn is a more sci-fi/fantasy interpretation of the character, with some of his old friends (like the Monkey King) receiving notable updates too.

Li Yunxiang is a young guy living in a slum. He partakes in bike races and does a little smuggling on the side, trying to provide the people in the slum with extra water (a valuable property in his world). When he gets targeted by the son of Boss, an arrogant rich prick, he gets the help of Nezha to plan his revenge.

While technically not quite up to par with its US counterparts, the film sure is ambitious. A sprawling fantasy world, big action scenes and bold designs make Nezha Reborn a film that stands out. I wasn't quite on board with the "cool" rock vibe and the flashback scene in the middle shows there are more interesting art styles to work with, but all in all this was a pretty fun flick.