Tone is somewhat confusing: starts off with the same childish and somewhat crude humor of the first film (which isn’t a problem for a kids movie) but then veers into pretty dark territory for the middle / end to the point where it feels in many ways like a different movie by that point.
Pacing and plot are a little disjointed and feel ad hoc. It still feels like plot points are introduced as they are needed rather than set…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Character development was weak and pacing was not very coherent. Action sequences were pretty slick but there was no establishment of power scaling / ability of the characters so it was hard to feel invested in the stakes of any given fight. This also contributed to the feeling that the creators were just making up stuff as the story went along. Arbitrary rules (e.g., the ring that nezha wears can be moved somewhere else all of a sudden) and timelines…
A pretty blatant cash grab to capitalize on Sabrina Carpenter’s popularity. Little to no substance.
Positives:
* was only 50 minutes long
* the Nonsense Christmas remix was fun
