Item Reviewed
Toei animation releases it’s 20th Dragonball film!
Fantasy/Action/Martial Arts “Dragonball Super Broly.”
This hour and forty-one minutes of PG-rated action and fantasy is the first “Official” time for seeing Broly on the big screen.
2019 marks a spectacular return for Dragonball fans. With the series renaissance starting back in 2008, none of us knew what to expect going forward. Especially not a whole new series continuing the original manga run! The emergence of Dragonball Super along with Akira Toriyama back at the helm continues to dazzle and delight fans worldwide. What if however, Toriyama took things a step further? What if Toriyama took ideas, concepts, and characters from Dragonball’s past and put his interpretation on them?
You get the beautiful Dragonball Super Broly.
The entire story to DSB [Dragon Ball Super Broly] can be summed up into two straightforward things. A reintroduction to the Sayians destruction and Broly not only surviving but coming back for revenge. Crazy stuff right? While it may be simple in practice, that’s the magic of Toriyama back at the helm. You don’t have to jump through countless hoops to tell an interesting narrative. Dragonball is always at its best when things are clear and concise.
Make no mistake, however, while this version of Broly may have similar attributes to his the past iteration, he’s an entirely new character. This new Toriyama-revised version of Broly is very different in design and nature from the original 1993 version. He’s much more of a well-rounded character with thoughts and emotions this time around. The screaming is still there for sure, but there are sadness and purpose behind them. He’s thankfully much more than the rage-inducing psychopath that loves to shout about carrots. Muscles and all, he’s finally the real deal.
The amount of love and care for DSB is felt incredibly deep throughout the film. Not only with just the character of Broly, but to even the tiniest bit of animation as well. The visuals accompanying the film are absolutely breathtaking. It really does feel as if the original manga was brought to life! The dedication Toei poured into DSB is outstanding. I cannot express the amount of praise I have to the final product we’ve gotten to see. Visuals alone merit enough recommendation to see this movie.
While the film does seem fantastic to look at, it’s not exactly perfect either. I personally felt as if the backstory on Planet Vegeta took just a bit too long to get everything going. The pacing of the movie is surprisingly slow until halfway through its runtime. By the time our epic showdown actually takes place, you’ve already sat through a good hour of the movie. This in no way makes the film unwatchable, but I was definitely tossing and turning until that point. Coming from a franchise of action, aliens, demons, and gods; the last thing the viewer should be is bored.
Other than the pacing issues, DSB does suffer from one other major problem. It’s a significant lack of stakes. While in the past we’ve had the earth/universes destruction at hand. This time, we have an all-out brawl with Sayians. Again, cool and all, but you can’t shake the feeling that it’s just another Tuesday for the cast. You have to make your audience believe that there are real concerns and danger for us to get invested in your story. Something this film does sadly miss the mark on.
If those are my only two negatives for the film, then I could give you another ninety-eight positive to still go see it. As it’s the 20th movie, Dragonball Super Broly is a gigantic love letter to fans new and old to the series. Everyone will find at least something to love when it comes to this movie. May it’s success inspire many more things to go with our loveable Sayians! Whether you’re a fan of the action, comedy, or just the new and improved Broly in general. Absolutely put this on your radar. Dragonball has yet again stated it claims as one of the best franchises of all time.
(Final rating – 8/10)