Directed by: Tatsuya Nagamine
Written by: Akira Toriyama
Starring: Sean Schemmel, Christopher Sabat, Vic Mignogna
As a long-time fan of the Dragon Ball franchise, this was everything I wanted it to be and more, with levels of hype and fan indulgence only a show about super-powered alien apes becoming gods by fighting each other can create. That said, if you're not already a fan, I can't see this offering a particularly fulfilling experience, so if you're looking for a jumping off point for the show, this isn't it.
After a Super-Saiyan load of set-up where we learn the retconned details about the backstories of Goku (Schemmel), Vegeta (Sabat), and Broly (Mignogna), the film brings the three Saiyans together via a newly revived Lord Frieza (Christopher Ayres) and has them battle it out because Broly is damaged by his father and neither Goku nor Vegeta are one to turn down a fight. There's some scant themes about legacy and fatherhood amidst the battle, as Broly's complex but antagonistic relationship with his father informs most of the fight's turns, and Goku quickly realises how Broly is being manipulated, but for the most part the film is half build-up, half fight.
While the build-up is sometimes slow or awkward as the film needs to re-explain a dozen or so pieces of lore that most fans of the show are already aware of and that aren't enough to catch up non-fans on their own, the fight is the main event, and it almost never disappoints. The sense of scale is lost a bit as a quick reference to how their energy could destroy the planet if they touched Earth is seemingly forgotten as endless barrages of energy blasts somehow keep their destruction contained to one continent, but the fight's escalation is damn-near perfect, first earning a few points from Vegeta fans as he kicks Broly around effortlessly, before Broly himself begins to tap in to and learn to harness his power, losing all sense of self and becoming a mindless engine of destruction, literally learning techniques on the fly and brutalising the other two Saiyans effortlessly. It all looks breathtaking too, the sort of raw power on display is animated gorgeously as the film swirls around a constantly crumbling landscape, the force behind each fighter's punches and blasts given the extra oomph they need to pop on-screen dazzlingly.
That said, what made the experience for me was the sense of humour. While Dragon Ball has for the longest time had an identity as "that show where muscular men scream for twenty minutes", it's always had a funny side too. The whole conflict begins because both Bulma and Frieza are looking for the eponymous Dragon Balls, not for infinite wealth or immortality, but (for Bulma) to be younger or (for Frieza) to be taller, but not so much younger or taller that it looks unnatural. The once villainous God of Destruction Beerus has to be the one to watch Bulma and Vegeta's baby while they save the world. Goku and Vegeta's failed attempts at fusing are interspersed with Frieza getting the absolute crap beaten out of him. Despite the film's world-ending and hype-building nature, it never lets go of a slightly whimsical tone that makes the whole experience that much more fun. There isn't exactly substance here, but there is a vision for what the collective audience wants, and the film delivers spectacularly.
The Short Version: No amount of preamble or clunky, unnecessary dialogue is enough to dilute the raw, unadulterated indulgence this movie offers to fans. The themes are barely explored and the content is so steeped in the lore that only long-time admirers will find it appealing, but I am one, so for me this was nothing short of glorious.
Rating: Gogeta and Broly punch each other so hard that they rip holes in to other dimensions/10
Published January 28th, 2019
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