Written by: Kevin Berge
I've missed so much of Dragon Ball that I didn't know they got 2 more power stages. Last I knew Super Saiyan 4 was the top then I realize SS4 was probably never canon because no one watched GT. (Image Courtesy of: funimationfilms.com)
Quick Take: Dragon Ball Super: Broly takes very few chances but does have often incredible animation that matches up with an effective one-beat plot. It is a great introduction back to the Dragon Ball franchise for those who might be missing out on Super and introducing some fascinating piece for the future.
***This review will not contain spoilers beyond its basic set-up. Readers can take in the whole review without losing anything from the first film-going experience.***
There once was a day where Dragon Ball Z was integral part of my daily routine. I would watch it. Think about it. Write about it. Wear shirts and backpacks with images from the show all over them. I was hooked. However, it was always a fantasy that was going wear thin with time for me.
Returning to the series in the last few years (including in a review) reminded me just how much you have to just enjoy the power fantasy to stay hooked. While there's some solid story beats, the overall arcs often get bogged down in the fundamental "fight until you get strong enough to win" pacing.
For that reason, I have not watched Dragon Ball Super. To me, it felt unnecessary, yet I was fascinated when I saw so much attention behind this latest film. DBZ's film library is not all that engaging, but I enjoyed the Broly trilogy more than most, at least the first two movies.
This new movie wasn't just bringing back Broly. It was truly adding him to canon with Akira Toriyama at the helm of the storytelling. That was enough to convince me it was worth my time and money even though I was behind on 130 episodes of the series.
While Broly is better watched with clear knowledge of how the character have grown since DBZ ended, I still found it effective. It pulled me back in to being a Dragon Ball fan. It reminded me why I loved the show so much growing up even at its weakest points. However, it is also an indication of why the series feels limited.
This movie is fast and energetic. It takes risks early on with its rebranding of familiar background to ramp up to a ferocious final 30 minutes that may be top five among all fights in the franchise. It also slacks a bit on its character work even when it makes attempts to really dive deep.
There once was a day where Dragon Ball Z was integral part of my daily routine. I would watch it. Think about it. Write about it. Wear shirts and backpacks with images from the show all over them. I was hooked. However, it was always a fantasy that was going wear thin with time for me.
Returning to the series in the last few years (including in a review) reminded me just how much you have to just enjoy the power fantasy to stay hooked. While there's some solid story beats, the overall arcs often get bogged down in the fundamental "fight until you get strong enough to win" pacing.
For that reason, I have not watched Dragon Ball Super. To me, it felt unnecessary, yet I was fascinated when I saw so much attention behind this latest film. DBZ's film library is not all that engaging, but I enjoyed the Broly trilogy more than most, at least the first two movies.
This new movie wasn't just bringing back Broly. It was truly adding him to canon with Akira Toriyama at the helm of the storytelling. That was enough to convince me it was worth my time and money even though I was behind on 130 episodes of the series.
While Broly is better watched with clear knowledge of how the character have grown since DBZ ended, I still found it effective. It pulled me back in to being a Dragon Ball fan. It reminded me why I loved the show so much growing up even at its weakest points. However, it is also an indication of why the series feels limited.
This movie is fast and energetic. It takes risks early on with its rebranding of familiar background to ramp up to a ferocious final 30 minutes that may be top five among all fights in the franchise. It also slacks a bit on its character work even when it makes attempts to really dive deep.
Is power level based on how cool you look? Because that would explain why normal Super Saiyan Broly is completely unstoppable. (Image Courtesy of: movieweb.com)
For the most part, this is the Broly movie. It is about his upbringing and makes him surprisingly sympathetic. There's a humanity to his overwhelming power. He's certainly far more realized than anyone else to the point that you would have to be a big fan of the general franchise to know who anyone else is in this movie.
Goku and Vegeta are the heroes in charge of saving everyone as always, disappointingly marginalizing everyone else, but it is fun to see them working together. They are overwhelmed from the start in a way that doesn't always make sense, but this is Dragon Ball where power levels are whatever the show tells us they are.
As a whole, the action is the centerpiece. The animation is better than Dragon Ball has ever had though there are more than a few moments that the movie gets so CGI-heavy that it looks like the scene was ripped from one of the recent videogames. When it works, it is loose and exciting and just slow enough not to be overwhelmingly fast.
The story beats could have been better, but they worked to get to that final act. Cheelai and Lemo are a hint at a movie that could have been much better if the script leaned into developing Broly more. Frieza has a fun role though ultimately feels like he's just there to give fans another recognizable face.
What I will say more than anything is that this made me want to watch Super. It made me want to go back and watch the other two Dragon Ball movies that Toriyama had a hand in writing. It made me for some part of its run time feel like a kid again, and that is something I feel too rarely these days.
It may be a long time before I get to Super fully, but there is a part of me just itching to dive in. I want to see how it all got to this point, and I want to feel that rush again. I just hope beyond all hope that it's not all about Goku and Vegeta. They're great, but I want to spend more time with Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin (as if), Trunks, Goten, even Tien, maybe even Yamcha.
Goku and Vegeta are the heroes in charge of saving everyone as always, disappointingly marginalizing everyone else, but it is fun to see them working together. They are overwhelmed from the start in a way that doesn't always make sense, but this is Dragon Ball where power levels are whatever the show tells us they are.
As a whole, the action is the centerpiece. The animation is better than Dragon Ball has ever had though there are more than a few moments that the movie gets so CGI-heavy that it looks like the scene was ripped from one of the recent videogames. When it works, it is loose and exciting and just slow enough not to be overwhelmingly fast.
The story beats could have been better, but they worked to get to that final act. Cheelai and Lemo are a hint at a movie that could have been much better if the script leaned into developing Broly more. Frieza has a fun role though ultimately feels like he's just there to give fans another recognizable face.
What I will say more than anything is that this made me want to watch Super. It made me want to go back and watch the other two Dragon Ball movies that Toriyama had a hand in writing. It made me for some part of its run time feel like a kid again, and that is something I feel too rarely these days.
It may be a long time before I get to Super fully, but there is a part of me just itching to dive in. I want to see how it all got to this point, and I want to feel that rush again. I just hope beyond all hope that it's not all about Goku and Vegeta. They're great, but I want to spend more time with Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin (as if), Trunks, Goten, even Tien, maybe even Yamcha.