Dragon Ball Super: Broly (Review)
/By Justin D Williams
A planet destroyed, a powerful race reduced to nothing. After the devastation of Planet Vegeta, three Saiyans were scattered among the stars, destined for different fates. While two found a home on Earth, the third was raised with a burning desire for vengeance and developed an unbelievable power. And the time for revenge has come. Destinies collide in a battle that will shake the universe to its very core! Goku is back to training hard so he can face the most powerful foes the universes have to offer, and Vegeta is keeping up right beside him. But when they suddenly find themselves against an unknown Saiyan, they discover a terrible, destructive force. Locked into battle with the formidable Broly, Goku and Vegeta face their most dangerous opponent yet!
Story - Dragonball Super: Broly is lightyears ahead and far more superior than it’s predecessor Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan. Akira Toriyama the creator never had his hand in the creation of the character. Since Broly is a fan favorite he wanted to finally give his take on the character or one might say actually make Broly canon. Dragonball Super: Broly doesn’t take much away from the core of the character of Broly. Instead they strip away silly motivations like his hatred for Goku due to baby Goku crying so loud as a baby. In replace we get a villain who is more of a tragic victim of circumstance. Broly now has layers to his character and motivations while those motivations might not be his own you can feel for him. One thing I’ve really have enjoyed about the Dragonball Super series is the focus on character development. The Z warriors are not just these muscle bound guys who fight all the time. We see Vegeta dealing with fatherhood. We see Goku try and fail at adapting to a normal life as a farmer. We see Gohan as a father and coming to terms with being a fighter. This same focus on character development applies to Broly. Dragonball Super: Broly doesn’t offer too much new story wise but it does recons some established lore and adds onto it for the better. The addition of female Saiyans and a more flesh out look at the Saiyan culture is a major improvment.
There are a couple of surprises and a backstory on the Saiyans that the movie offers that will put smile on the faces of longtime fans. One thing I will say is that fans will really start comparing Goku and Superman more often after this film. See the backstory of Goku in this movie to know what I mean. While the characterization of Broly is spot on in this film. Some of the new additional supporting cast members felt flat and really didn’t need to be in the film. These two new characters feel more like a plot device to give Broly some more depth. It really isn’t a bad thing but it would be more meaningful if they had some history with the character. Overall from a story standpoint Dragonball Super: Broly hits it mark. The story explores an establish lore and recons it to fit an overall narrative for the canon Dragonball anime franchise. Fans won’t be disappointed of the treatment of Broly. Last but not least you are going to love Frieza as he is proving why he is one of the most complex characters in Dragonball.
Animation: If you see any Dragonball movie then you know the animation in the films are usually a slight step up from the show. This film isn’t any different from that statement. Dragonball Super: Broly has some really good stellar animation with a blend of cgi for landscapes shots and a bit for the fight sequences. There are certain shots some fans might have mixed feelings for because the animation will feel like you’re watching someone play Dragonball Fighters Z at times. However the fight choreography is great. Broly is a very formidable and believable threat. The color use, the lighting and camera angles all make it a very fun ride to watch.
Voice Acting: Do I really need to tell fans that the voice acting is great? We have been listening to Chris, Sean, Vic and the rest of the cast for years now as these characters. Every actor knocks it out the park and even the nice cameos will put a smile on your face.
Music: While many will miss that awesome rock soundtrack and the insert song “10” by Pantera from the previous Broly movies. The orchestrated music makes the fights and tone more meaningful. I can’t think of a better fit for Broly musically than an orchestrated soundtrack with a choir in the background to give him an epic big boss fell. This is how you raise the stakes and make every fight feel important by having music that compliments the film.
Final Grade: Dragonball Super: Broly will be enjoy by Dragonball fans. There is a few surprises that makes characters canon, a bit of humor and make Broly a character your feel sorry for. The voice acting is top notch as always. The animation is stellar with some great fight sequences and Frieza has return to form.
