New Gods: Nezha Reborn
新神榜：哪吒重生
Detailed parental analysis
New Gods: Nezha Reborn is a dark and tense fantasy animated film rooted in Chinese mythology revisited within a futuristic urban setting. The plot follows a young motorbike courier who discovers he is the reincarnation of a legendary deity, thrust against his will into a conflict beyond his comprehension. The film is aimed primarily at adolescents and young adults, with no particular concession towards a younger audience.
Violence
Violence occupies a central and sustained place in the film. Fantastical combat is frequent, intense and visually charged: injuries from bladed and firearm weapons, burns, loss of limbs and deaths are shown without hesitation. The demonic imagery accompanying these sequences reinforces the oppressive atmosphere. The violence is narrative in nature, meaning it structures the plot and reflects real stakes of power, but it is not morally interrogated: it is treated as a legitimate spectacle. One scene departs from combat territory: a character deliberately kills a kitten to demonstrate his cruelty. This moment, brief but gratuitous, has provoked a strong reaction from many adult viewers and warrants anticipation, particularly for those more sensitive to such content.
Underlying Values
The film is structured around the refusal of imposed destiny: the protagonist fights to exist on his own terms, beyond what gods and the powerful have decided for him. This theme of self-determination is sincere and can fuel a useful conversation about free will and identity. However, the narrative offers little counterweight: the resolution passes almost exclusively through individual strength, and authority figures are systematically corrupted or hostile. Contestation is valued as an end in itself, without genuine nuance as to its collective implications.
Parental and Family Portrayals
Parental and family figures are present but fragile. The main character carries an emotional weight linked to his heritage and to expectations that crush his own identity. The family appears more as a constraint or burden than as a space of support, which reinforces the overall pattern of an individual alone against the world.
Substances
The main character drinks alcohol in a moment of distress, in a scene explicitly presented as an attempt to drown his suffering. It is not glamourised, but nor is it criticised: it passes as one state among others. Adult characters smoke tobacco on several occasions. These elements are minor but present.
Language
The language contains a few mildly vulgar or profane expressions, infrequent and without particular emphasis. The impact is limited but worth noting for younger children.
Strengths
The film offers an ambitious reinterpretation of a foundational myth from Chinese culture, transposed into a cyberpunk universe that grants it genuine visual energy. The art direction is inventive and cohesive, and the fusion between traditional imagination and contemporary urban aesthetics works well. For an adolescent curious about non-Western mythologies, the film constitutes an engaging gateway towards narratives that circulate little in Francophone popular culture. The question of destiny against free will is posed with a sincerity that transcends mere pretext for action.
Age recommendation and discussion points
The film is not recommended for children under 12 due to sustained violence and certain particularly harsh scenes, including the kitten's death. From age 14 onwards, it can be watched comfortably by a teenager accustomed to intense fantastical narratives. Two angles of discussion are worth pursuing after viewing: to what extent can one refuse the role others assign to us, and to what degree is recourse to individual force a sufficient response to injustices?
Synopsis
While living as an ordinary deliveryman and motor racing fan, Nezha encounters old nemeses and must rediscover his powers to protect his loved ones.
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 2021
- Runtime
- 1h 58m
- Countries
- China
- Original language
- ZH
- Directed by
- Zhao Ji
- Main cast
- Yang Tianxiang, Zhang He, Xuan Xiaoming, Li Shimeng, Keer Zhu, Ling Zhenhe, Liu Ruoban, Zhang Yaohan, Guo Haoran, Zengzhi Gao
- Studios
- bilibili, Alibaba Pictures Group, Light Chaser Animation Studios