Ne Zha 2 is sweeping global cinemas



The Academy Awards may be later this week, but a film's success isn't just measured by its accolades. Box office numbers play a role too, of course. Chinese animation Ne Zha 2 has reached a major milestone, raking in almost $2 billion in just four weeks. It's now eclipsed Pixar's Inside Out 2 as the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Here's Ella Bicknall.



Ne Zha 2, a film that has taken the world by storm. Its protagonist, a mischievous and powerful child spirit, reincarnated into a new body and forced to battle the burden of his past to protect the world from a growing evil force that threatens to destroy everything.



Action meets fantasy and mythology with stunning special effects. Critics have called it a visual masterpiece. Those rave reviews on top of a prime Lunar New Year release date and a booming sense of Chinese nationalism. Audiences have been flocking to the theatres in droves. It's also been a hit in Japan, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, and it's now on show in 800 cinemas across North America.



"The animation in it was amazing. The attention to detail was really nice. I really  the characters in it. It had a nice mixture of seriousness and fun and a little bit of a comedy."



"I really enjoyed the fight scenes as well. The animation was so fun. It was super pretty and beautiful. Aesthetically distinct from a lot of Western animation and I really liked that. I think that was a breath of fresh air."



The film has grossed more than $1.9 billion, overtaking animated blockbusters such as The Lion King, Toy Story and Frozen. As well as booming box office figures, there are hopes Ne Zha 2 will cause a boom for Chinese tourism.



(Viewer) "The fight, the picturesque area, seeing something I saw on film, and now I see the reality. "



English teacher Alexandros Rolis has been following the footsteps of Ne Zha's legendary journey through East China's Yangxi province.



"I found out in the movie that it was about a certain location here in China, so I figured I'd go with my son because he loved the movie. The fact that he's half Chinese and half Canadian and he's really excited about learning more about the Chinese culture, I'm happy for that and I'm all for it."



China State Railway Group wants to capitalize on the increased interest. Xiao Qingchun is a train conductor in the region.



"We're giving commentary at every train station, linking the movie's storyline with the local culture. That, and we recommend tourist routes and destinations in the Jiangxi province. The movie's popularity is a boost to both tourism and our local culture."



Despite its recent release, Ne Zha 2 is now the eighth highest-grossing film of all time. It's expected to pass the two billion mark soon, further solidifying its place in cinematic history.





词汇表

sweep [swiːp] 席卷，横扫，迅速传播  

Academy Award [əˌkædəmi əˈwɔːd] 奥斯卡金像奖（美国电影艺术科学院颁发的年度电影成就奖）

accolade [ˈækəleɪd] 荣誉；赞扬

Box office 票房；售票处

animation [ˌænɪˈmeɪʃn] 动画，动画制作

milestone [ˈmaɪlstəʊn] 里程碑，重要事件

rake [reɪk] 狂揽，收获，大量赚取（钱）

eclipse [ɪˈklɪps] 超越，光芒盖过，使黯然失色

Pixar [ˈpɪksɑː] 皮克斯（美国著名动画制作公司）

highest-grossing [ˈɡrəʊsɪŋ] 票房最高的

animated film [ˈænɪmeɪtɪd] 动画电影

take…by storm 风靡，席卷，大获成功

protagonist [prəˈtæɡənɪst] 主角，主人公

mischievous [ˈmɪstʃɪvəs] 顽皮的，淘气的

spirit 神灵，灵魂

reincarnate [ˌriːɪnˈkɑːneɪt] 使转世，化身，重生

evil force [ˈiːvl] 邪恶力

fantasy [ˈfæntəsi] 奇幻，幻想

mythology [mɪˈθɒlədʒi] 神话，神话学  

stunning special effect [ˈstʌnɪŋ ˈspeʃl ɪˈfekt] 令人惊叹的特效  

rave review [reɪv rɪˈvjuː] 热烈好评，盛赞

on top of  除此之外，加之  

prime [praɪm] 黄金的，最佳的  

booming [ˈbuːmɪŋ] 高涨的，蓬勃发展的  

nationalism [ˈnæʃnəlɪzəm] 民族主义，国家主义  

flock to…in droves [flɒk][drəʊvz] 成群涌入，蜂拥而至

aesthetically [iːsˈθetɪkli] 美学上，审美地  

a breath of fresh air 令人耳目一新的事物  

gross [ɡrəʊs] 总收入，总共赚得

overtake [ˌəʊvəˈteɪk] 超越，超过  

animated blockbuster [ˈænɪmeɪtɪd ˈblɒkbʌstə] 动画大片  

boom [buːm] 繁荣，蓬勃发展  

picturesque [ˌpɪktʃəˈresk] 风景如画的，优美的  

legendary [ˈledʒəndri] 传奇的，著名的  

be all for something [biː ɔːl fɔː ˈsʌmθɪŋ] 完全支持某事，全力赞成

China State Railway Group 中国国家铁路集团  

capitalize [ˈkæpɪtəlaɪz] 利用，从……中获利  

train conductor [kənˈdʌktə] 列车乘务员  

commentary [ˈkɒməntri] 解说，评论  

storyline [ˈstɔːrilaɪn] 故事情节  

tourist route [ˈtʊərɪst ruːt] 旅游路线  

solidify [səˈlɪdɪfaɪ] 巩固，使稳固  

cinematic history [ˌsɪnəˈmætɪk] 电影史

Inside Out 2, The Lion King, Toy Story, Frozen《头脑特工队2》《狮子王》  《玩具总动员》  《冰雪奇缘》  



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