In 2017, I did a four-part retrospective of the Dragon Ball GT series. This year, I'm undertaking a similar endeavor by looking back at another aspect of the franchise that's also not considered part of the "official" continuity: the original Dragon Ball Z movies released in Japan between 1989 and 1995.
The Dragon Ball films originally were produced with the intent to premiere at Toei film festivals, making them special events for the fans and families to gather to watch. The films had no bearing on the ongoing anime series at the time with the best way of looking at them as stand-alone stories with character designs and power levels resembling how they were in the series at the time of the film's release. The plots were generally simple, being more action heavy with our heroes fighting against the newly created villains for the film. The first film to be officially considered canon wouldn't come until 2018 under the Super series. Despite the non-canonicity of the original films, their legacy left an impact on the Dragon Ball franchise, helping to inspire some story ideas and some aspects being readapted into the main canon.
In the United States, the movies would be dubbed and released alongside the main series, though not at the same schedule they both first premiered in Japan. As a kid at the time, I had no understanding of canon and was just happy to enjoy more DBZ. While I would later learn the true nature of the films, it doesn't really take away their entertainment value and I think if things were tweaked a little, the stories they tell could fit within the series' timeline. It's been a long time since I watched these, so I think it'll be fun to see how well they hold up.
Much like the series, the films can be broken up into three eras based on the saga of DBZ they were released during. This post will cover the first five DBZ films which were released during the Saiyan and Frieza sagas.
SYNOPSIS: Garlic Jr. is on the hunt for the seven Dragon Balls, and Gohan lands on the hit list when he refuses to surrender his own magic orb. Goku is ready to fight to save his son, but the situation takes a dire turn after the pint-sized villain summons Shenron and wishes for immortality.
MY THOUGHTS: I didn't expect nostalgia to kick in so early when starting to rewatch these movies, but here we are. Timeline wise, "Dead Zone" takes place just before the Saiyan saga, so for those who started watching with DBZ, this gave viewers of taste of the original Dragon Ball series. There was no mention of aliens, the fights were more about martial arts (and included Goku's power pole) than energy clashes, Kami got more hands on in the conflict, and Goku and Piccolo were still enemies turned reluctant allies for this film. It seemed so simple compared to how universal the franchise is today.
The biggest strength of the film in my opinion is the animation. The setting of Garlic Jr.'s castle with its spiky structure and the red skies does a good job in creating a demonic landscape where we spend most of the film, the fight scenes are entertaining (again due to the martial arts), and a lot of the facial expressions are top notch (particularly when Nicky gets enveloped by Goku's Kamehameha wave and when Gohan unleashes his power to push Garlic Jr. into the Dead Zone). I also think the film does well in hyping up the tension. For example, I got goosebumps during this rewatch at the start of the film when Garlic Jr.'s henchmen arrive at the Son family house; there's such an air of menace as they've already took down Ox King and circle around Chi-Chi with the four year old Gohan clutching to his mother's leg in fear.
It's worth noting that the villains of some of these films are considered retreads of villains from the main series. In the case of Garlic Jr., he's essentially a more competent version of Emperor Pilaf (which isn't helped by the fact that they basically have the same voice in the dub). Still, I thought Garlic Jr. was well done for the kind of villain these films bring to the table. He seeks world domination and seems to have the strength to make it happen, especially once he receives immortality. Garlic Jr. is also a pioneer of transformation in the series, which would become a staple for the main DBZ villains. And considering he goes from a light blue imp to a hulking dark green monstrosity, it's a transformation that should definitely evoke fear.
Aside from the inconsistency that Bulma, Krillin, and Roshi are aware of Gohan's existence, "Dead Zone" works well as a prelude to Dragon Ball Z. It's somewhat essential viewing as the film received a follow up story within the main anime. As series creator Akira Toriyama had intended to end the series at the Frieza saga but decided to continue, he needed time to begin crafting the Android saga. As such, we received the infamous ten episode Garlic Jr. saga to fill up some time.
There are a couple plot points in the film's story that are questionable though. First, why did Garlic Jr. try to have Piccolo and Kami killed before he used the Dragon Balls given all three's existence are intertwined? Yeah, it doesn't make much sense; the only explanation I can think of is because they needed a reason to have the two become aware of the villain's plan. The second is why the now immortal Garlic Jr. would open the Dead Zone? This one I can defend. Garlic Jr. was getting overwhelmed by Goku and Piccolo and pulled his trump card, protecting himself with an energy shield as the portal began sucking up everything. And let's be honest, DBZ villains have a tendency to try to destroy everything when things aren't going their way. Plus, this showed Garlic Jr.'s overconfidence which would prove to be his undoing as Gohan would release his own tremendous power to push Garlic Jr. through the portal and cause it to close. And now that I think about it, this was Gohan's first big victory in the franchise and would be a harbinger of great things to come for the character.
For the first Dragon Ball Z movie, "Dead Zone" is certainly not dead on arrival.
SYNOPSIS: After his cunning assistant gathers the Dragon Balls, Dr. Wheelo is finally freed from his icy tomb. The deadly duo plans to conquer the world with their brilliant biotechnology, but first they must find a body worthy of the doctor's amazing brain. Number one of the wish list - none other than Goku.
MY THOUGHTS: So this is where it all began for me. When DBZ was first starting in the United States, the first three movies were split into multi-part episodes, and I caught the final part of "World's Strongest" late night on Cartoon Network as a kid. Knowing nothing of what I was getting into, I saw these different looking characters fighting a brain in a giant robot with lasers coming out of their hands, tons of explosions, and a fight above the Earth's atmosphere in the end. And I was hooked. Over twenty years later, this film holds up extremely well.
During this rewatch, a thought occurred that "World's Strongest" could be looked at as a sci-fi horror film, which certainly helps it stand out in the Dragon Ball franchise. Dr. Wheelo is a unique movie villain, being a mad scientist with these creatures he's created to aid in his quest for domination; you could argue he was a precursor to Dr. Gero in the main series, even down to his brain occupying a robotic body. And of the forementioned creatures, the higher-ranking Bio-Warriors have some nice designs and unique power sets that make for some entertaining fights. A bulk of the film takes place in the confines of Wheelo's fortress/laboratory, which really stands out when you realize most Dragon Ball fights tend to take place in an open space. The structure and lighting (or lack thereof) within the fortress certainly creates a threatening environment and the feeling you're trapped along with our heroes.
While the characters match their stats as they were at the end of the Saiyan saga, the events of "World's Strongest" (as well as movies three and four) can't really take place until during the three-year training period for the Androids. Yes, you do have to fudge the power levels a little to make the threats credible, but it could work. While Goku was a Super Saiyan by then, I argue that Goku would normally get a feel for his opponents and raise his power to what the fight needs; and personally, I feel like Goku wouldn't want to use Super Saiyan as a crutch.
Everything that I thought was great about "Dead Zone" also applies to "World's Strongest" and to a higher degree at that. Aside from the Biomen just being blue Saibamen with different faces, I have nothing but positive thoughts toward the film. And at this point in my rewatch of the films, it's certainly reaffirming my belief that nothing beats old school Dragon Ball.
SYNOPSIS: Turles, a Goku look-alike with very bad intentions, pits father against son with the help of a plant designed to consume the energy of an entire planet.
MY THOUGHTS: Of the original Dragon Ball Z movies, I have one main favorite and three runner-ups. "Tree of Might" is one of those runner-ups. What I love about the film is its "all hands on deck" nature. This is one of two films where all the Z-Fighters at the time of release got involved in the conflict. As someone who grew up on Power Rangers and Justice League, I always liked seeing heroes teaming up. While Goku is the only one to really get anything done, it's still cool to see the other characters in action and showing off their skills. Plus by this point as a kid, this was the first time I saw the Earth nearly destroyed in the franchise, what with the Tree of Might absorbing all of the planet's resources.
Of course one of the biggest topics of discussion of the film is its main villain Turles and his resemblance to Goku. Thematically, his appearance is supposed to be a dark mirror of Goku had he embraced his Saiyan instincts and took over the Earth as he was sent there to do. The two prevalent theories for his looking like Goku are that low-class Saiyans have similar features to each other or that he's simply another brother of Goku. I tend to side with the latter, because of what we would learn later about the nature of Saiyan hair both pure blood and hybrid. Throw in other characters from Goku's family including Bardock, Goten, and Goku Jr. from GT, it's clear that Saiyan hairstyle is hereditary (which can also be seen in Vegeta's family with his own father and descendent in GT). Turles being another son of Bardock isn't that impossible.
Turles and his role in the film has been considered a retread of Vegeta in the Saiyan saga. I don't really see that though as his motives were quite different. I'd say he's closer to Raditz, but that could be the potential familial ties influencing that thought. And while he does chastise Goku for turning his back on his heritage, that's pretty par the course when it came to Saiyan characters by that point.
Appearance and personality aside, I thought Turles was an impressive villain. He brought one of the most brutal moments in Dragon Ball by blasting Goku multiple times in the back while he was down and it was shocking to me when he was able to deflect Goku's initial Spirit Bomb (albeit a weaker one, but still). It certainly made his defeat through a wild west style showdown all the more satisfying in the climax.
While not perfect, "Tree of Might" is a worth a watch for those who want to see good triumph when things seem their darkest.
SYNOPSIS: Goku and Krillin race to save Earth from a giant asteroid, but a far greater menace lurks in the shadows. Lord Slug, a Namekian with legendary powers, seeks to create a new home for himself in the wake of his banishment.
MY THOUGHTS: To be blunt, "Lord Slug" is a serviceable film, but it's not one I'd go out of my way to watch outside of a movie marathon. While its biggest criticism is that it's a blatant retread of the King Piccolo saga from Dragon Ball (even down to Goku flying through Slug's chest), it's still very entertaining. The fight between Goku and Slug through a desolate city is a real highlight, both on the ground level and when Slug goes full kaiju. I also have to give a shout out to one of Slug's minions, Medamatcha; his rolling bulgy eyes and ability to spawn mini-me's that absorb energy make him a unique adversary in Dragon Ball as a whole.
So something to note is that the Japanese title for the film references Super Saiyan. And we do see the power-up...in a way.
Something else to note is that with movies four and five, the dub included then-current hard rock music, featuring bands like Disturbed, Deftones, Finger Eleven, and more. A real highlight of this aspect for "Lord Slug" is the use of "Stupify" by Disturbed, kicking in when an exhausted Goku catches Slug's fist and goes "Super Saiyan." Honestly, that moment alone makes the film worth a watch.
Cooler and his Armored Squadron are quite similar to Frieza and the Ginyu Force, but they still stand out to me. The Armored Squadron play a much bigger role compared to other movie villain minions, which makes them easier to remember than others, especially their fights with Piccolo and their deaths at his hand. Showing how strong they are also hypes up how more powerful their boss could be.
Along with being more methodical in his actions, what I think really sets Cooler apart from Frieza is his power level. Being set after Frieza's defeat, it only makes sense that Cooler would be stronger than his brother, especially if he's to be taken seriously as a threat in the movie. It was a good start with Cooler incapacitating Goku with a shot in the back from his eye lasers. The most iconic thing about Cooler though is he has one more transformation than Frieza; not only is it an intimidating design (and also more creative than the new forms Frieza would get in Super), but it's in that form that Cooler is able to give Goku a pretty brutal beatdown, including being able to fly through a Kamehameha to deliver a punch in one of the more amazing visuals of the film.
As such, this beatdown leads to Goku's first official Super Saiyan transformation in the movies. It's a spectacular sight in its own right and one of the best "going Super Saiyan" moments of the franchise, but it's the dub's use of "Change" by Deftones that takes the scene to a higher plane. Between this and the scene in "Lord Slug", the dub really knew how to hype up the legendary transformation.
As mentioned, the connections "Cooler's Revenge" has to events of the main series helps hype up the film and it would be easy for someone to see it as canon. Along with Frieza's defeat being Cooler's motivation for coming to Earth, the opening of the film shows Cooler was present during Bardock's last stand against Frieza and the destruction of Planet Vegeta. Said scene also shows Cooler witnessing a baby Goku's Saiyan pod flying from the planet but allowing it to go believing it to be Frieza's problem, which makes his defeat by Goku even more satisfying when he realizes he could have prevented his family's demise. While movies two through five can be placed during the three-year training period for the Androids, "Cooler's Revenge" is the one with the least trouble doing so. The only real inconsistency is Gohan's hair retaining its bowl cut from the Frieza saga and his tail randomly appearing for a majority of the film despite not being there when we first see him at home or at the end after Cooler's defeat. Plus, as I brought up way back in the Super Android 17 Saga post, Cooler's appearance in GT among the villains who escaped Hell does make "Cooler's Revenge" canon to the anime in some regard.
And so, "Cooler's Revenge" gives us a strong finish to a strong start to this series of posts. Will the second batch of films from the Android Saga keep this streak going? Find out next time on the Dragon Ball Z Movie Retrospective!
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