Despite the original Chinese-language release being the highest-grossing animated film in history, the English-dubbed release of Ne Zha 2 hit the U.S. market on Aug. 22 with barely a whisper, largely due to insufficient promotion. While the dubbing ranges from decent to awkward, the breathtaking animation of the movie largely makes up for its shortcomings. 

Although the animation picks up right where the first movie left off, it can function as a stand-alone film. The sequel launches with Master Taiyi Zhenren (Rick Zieff) working to create new physical bodies for demon Ne Zha (Crystal Lee) and dragon prince Ao Bing (Aleks Le). However, these new bodies are fragile. 

So, when Shen Gongbao (Daniel Riordan), Ao Bing’s former master, attempts to kill Ne Zha, Ao Bing sacrifices himself. This leaves his new body broken again, prompting Ne Zha to embark on a journey of immortality trials with Ao Bing’s soul to obtain an elixir that will bring Ao Bing’s body back. 

A critical part of animation dubbing is syncing the dialogue with the character’s mouth movements. However, the studio behind the English version, A24, delivered inconsistent results. Characters often forgot to close their mouth on sounds like “m” or “p,” creating an unnatural feeling that pulled viewers out of the experience. 

In addition, colloquial nuances were lost in translation from the original version. In one dragon-fighting scene, for instance, a culturally significant Chinese tongue twister was simply replaced with “sea shells by the sea shore.” 

Despite these moments, A24 did an admirable job capturing the contrasting personalities of Ne Zha and Ao Bing through their dialogue. For example, Ne Zha frequently used English slang and informal phrases like “old fart” and “pee,” while the more refined Ao Bing spoke politely, avoiding crude language. 

A24’s solid casting choices for each voice actor also brought the characters to life with their distinctive tones and personalities. The villains’ voices in particular each had a unique timbre ranging from piercing highs to menacing lows, making them all the more chilling. 

However, the English-dubbed version ultimately flopped because of poor release timing and advertising. The dub was released several months after the original February premiere, so most interested viewers likely saw the subtitled version already. Between having virtually no marketing and being released the same weekend as the highly anticipated KPop Demon Hunters, it’s no surprise that the film failed to draw attention. 

Still, the animation was undoubtedly worthy of its global success. The visuals reach their peak in the final battle, with millions of dark and light creatures charging toward each other like clashing tides, intertwining and contrasting in waves of black and white. It’s the kind of scene that truly comes alive on the big screen.

Additionally, the film plays with silence and noise to heighten emotional impact. When Ne Zha’s mother dies, only the slow thump of Ne Zha’s heartbeat remains, building tension until Ne Zha breaks free from his restraints with a powerful explosion. 

And while the plot twist was cliché, sometimes we need a healthy dose of “power of friendship” and “loss of a loved one as motivation” narrative. There’s a reason these tropes are clichés—they work. 

So despite its flawed dubbing, the English-dubbed Ne Zha 2 still delivers an emotional impact where it counts. If you’d rather not read while watching, you can rent or buy the English dub at Prime Video for $19.99 or $24.99, respectively.