Two Oscar judges have highly praised the Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2", calling it a major and incredible achievement made by the Chinese film industry.
The animated epic fantasy film, released on January 29, has shattered multiple box office records so far, becoming the first film to cross 1 billion U.S. dollars in a single market and the first non-Hollywood film to join the coveted billion-dollar club.
The film was screened on Friday in a limited theatrical release in North America, with its North American pre-sale box office exceeding the opening weekend record for any Chinese-language film in the past 20 years.
After watching the film in Los Angeles, Oscar judge Sheila Sofian expressed her admiration for the Chinese hit, highlighting the cutting-edge production design and the skillful storytelling.
"I'm so impressed on so many different levels with the accomplishments of this particular film. Because I had already seen the previous film, I was sort of expecting the same level, which was brilliant. But this grows even higher in terms of production design, sound design, and music. The story itself was so complicated, and all the twists and turns kept me guessing the entire time. So I was very engaged, sort of on the edge of my seat the whole time," she said.
Another Oscar judge, Alan Ellasof, described the Chinese animated film as a major achievement, praising its action design, emotional appeal, and philosophical elements.
"What's expanded and great about this movie is, first of all, the quality of the animation, the production design -- everything is amazing! Also, the different ways the story operates on different levels. Obviously, there's a lot of great action, but there are also a lot of touching scenes and a lot of philosophy. I think it combines a lot of layers, which I think is really incredible. It's a major achievement. I think everyone in China, particularly in the Chinese film industry, should be really proud," said Ellasof.
As of Saturday, the total box office of "Ne Zha 2" (including pre-sales and overseas earnings) has surpassed 11 billion yuan (about 1.52 billion U.S. dollars), making it the 11th highest-grossing film worldwide.
Oscar judges praise Chinese blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' as major achievement
Oscar judges praise Chinese blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' as major achievement
