2019’s “Ne Zha” rejuvenated the Chinese animation industry, bringing worldwide attention to itself with the $719 million cume it made in China alone and the genre as a whole. Taking place immediately after the original, “Ne Zha 2” expands in scope, narrative, and adopts a darker tone that makes it more engaging for wide audiences, all while having elements that will successfully satisfy fans of the first.

For a while now, the Chinese film industry has been growing and growing year-over-year. Bigger, better, and more polished, their tentpoles have come a long way in the past decade. China’s “Creation of the Gods” franchise, their attempt at making a big-budget LOTR-like franchise of the stories contained in the mythological “Investiture of the Gods,” is back with its 2nd installment, aptly titled “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force.” Given the iffy quality of the 1st one, does this manage to surpass expectations?