Empowering youth has finally been recognized as being vitally important. Give young people the ability to believe in themselves and they will be better people for it. Today’s world (and probably at all times/eras) is tough. Young people need all the help they can get in order to just get through it.
It is films like this which will speak to young people. Despite the seemingly out there story they will relate to Nezha, the young hero. And that, my friends, is half the battle.
Plus this introduces a story from Chinese mythology. It has not been adapted or altered so the rest of the world can understand it. It is a story told from the Chinese perspective. As such you gain some insight to the culture there. A nice touch is the score which is filled with traditional Chinese instruments. Plenty of attention has been paid to the details.
The epic kind of tale is amplified by a strong script and some eye popping animation. All the animation is cool whether you are watching a scene involving a landscape or watching a battle. It is not an exageration to claim that visually the film is like a work of art. Plus due to the solid writing you understand the mindset of each of the characters.
Nezha (voiced by Griffin Puatu) is a product of the Primeval Lord of Heaven. He has been created to do battle against evil. As such he has certain special powers. While, at first glance, this might seem super cool, his powers leads him to be feared by most. Nezha is an outcast. People fear and, as a result of this, hate him. Life is tough.
On top of that there is a prophecy that Nezha will bring about the destruction of the world. True? In order to go against what is seemingly his fate, Nezha has to make the tough choice between good and evil. Will he be a hero despite what others believe him capable of?
