Dragon Ball Super: Broly slams into UK cinemas for a limited time only – but is it worth going along to?
Whenever anybody mentions Dragon Ball Z, a few things tend to come to mind: wacky characters, over-the-top fight scenes and a lot of shouting. The latest instalment in the franchise, Broly, is packed with each of these features but arranges them in such a way that makes it one of the most enjoyable and accessible pieces of Dragon Ball media yet.
While the titular antagonist appeared in three previous movies, Broly marks his introduction to official Dragon Ball continuity with a screenplay by original series creator Akira Toriyama. Broly (Vic Mignogna) yields from the same planet as heroes Goku (Sean Schemmel) and Vegeta (Christopher Sabat), but was exiled and thus seeks revenge on his fellow Saiyans in this film directed by Tatsuya Nagamine.
The story begins with the history of the Saiyan race, successfully setting the scene for viewers unfamiliar with Dragon Ball while simultaneously providing brand-new insights for more seasoned fans. This cosmic setting is creative and engaging – in fact, it could easily constitute an entire film.
Unfortunately, the rest of the film feels very rushed, jumping almost immediately to the big fight scene. The plot is carried forward by clunky exposition, which helps to keep new fans (and forgetful ones) in the loop but can feel very cheap and forced. There’s very little in the way of surprises and the film fizzles out into a less-than-thrilling conclusion that largely feels like set-up for future stories.
Despite being marketed as the villain, Broly is more of a tragic antihero throughout. So much more depth has been added to the character since his original appearances from the nineties, with his reworked personality being akin to a mix between Tarzan and the Hulk. Classic Dragon Ball Z villain Frieza (Christopher Ayres) is established as the true antagonist from the start and is written and voiced extremely well, with hilarious motivations.
The number-one reason to watch this film is its superb animation. Its art-style is as close to the original Dragon Ball manga as you can get, enhanced by ambient colours. Collectively, the fights are some of the slickest 2D animation out there and are truly breath-taking to watch – there are a couple of shifts to CG here and there, but these are smoothly integrated into the rest of the film’s style and add some extra oomph where necessary.
Dragon Ball Super: Broly is undeniably flawed in terms of plot, but its excellent characterisation and animation still make it a highly entertaining watch. Not only is it a must-see for those who’ve followed Goku’s adventures from the start, it’s a great introduction for anybody who is interested in the Dragon Ball world.
Find out when and where you can see it at brolysback.co.uk
By Jamie Morris