'Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero' Review
Image Source: Mind Life TV
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is currently the #1 film at the box office and is breaking records for an anime film released in the United States. The film grossed $20.1 million on its opening weekend and bested other major Hollywood pictures as well during its opening. For Dragon Ball fans, however, this movie is more than just a simple box office smash. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero sets out to give the spotlight to two of the franchise's underdogs: Piccolo and Son Gohan, the son of Son Goku. In this action-packed animated feature, the film proves that these two and others can pull their weight alongside the likes of Goku and Vegeta.
The main conflict of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero revolves around the revival of the Red Ribbon Army that was rather active in the original Dragon Ball series and somewhat revived in the Android Arc of Dragon Ball Z. As such, the film begins with a recap of the history the organization, starting with Son Goku’s thrilling victory over them and leading to present day, where Magenta, the son of the late Commander Red, is head of the Red Ribbon Army and its current cover organization, Red Pharmaceuticals. Magenta is seeking the help of Dr. Hedo, the grandson of Dr. Gero (creator of Cell, and Androids 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20). Dr. Hedo, a scientist and licensed medical doctor at only 24, adores superheroes and is sold a twisted tale in which Bulma and those that are associated with her are actually evil and trying to take over the world, while the Red Ribbon Army is striving for “peace.” It is this story and funding for his research that convinces Hedo to come on board. Hedo builds two superhuman androids (Gamma #1 and Gamma #2) to defeat them, with the revival of Dr. Gero’s prized project, Cell, lingering in the shadows. However, as Goku and Vegeta are training off-world, Buu is in his “dormant state,” and Gohan is unmotivated and out of practice. It is up to Piccolo to stop the organization and save the world. For the first time since Dragon Ball Z: Bio Broly, the plot does not revolve around Goku and Vegeta. This is an interesting and welcome choice considering the popularity and immense focus on the Saiyans, making the film a breath of fresh air for longtime fans.
Image Source: Indie Wire
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The reintroduction of the Red Ribbon Army is also a nice treat for longtime fans of the series, especially since the organization itself was brought back rather than just a scientist with a tenuous connection to it. In fact, the film is filled with references to other points in the franchise, such as a callback to Gohan turning Super Saiyan, and Piccolo’s forgotten ability to become a giant. Piccolo is even referred to as “Demon King Piccolo” by the Red Ribbon Army, harkening back to his former life. However, while this film is filled with moments longtime fans of the franchise will enjoy, it is not completely inaccessible for newcomers to the series. The plot is easy enough to follow even if you are unfamiliar with the world of Dragon Ball.
It is not without its flaws, however. While the focus on Gohan and Piccolo is nice, it feels slightly forced at times. This is seen when Piccolo summons Shenron with the Dragon Balls and asks the dragon to unlock his potential. After he does so, and following Bulma’s rather trivial wishes relating to her physical appearance, the two quickly realize they could have used the Dragon Balls to wish Goku and Vegeta to Earth. Speaking of the Dragon Balls, it does feel a bit too convenient that Bulma already has them gathered, though the in-universe explanation of her wanting to keep them out of the wrong hands does make sense. Also, while it is appreciated that Cell returned in the form of Cell Max, his potential does seem wasted, especially considering the popularity of the character. What was once a refined yet strong villain is reduced to an uncontrollable beast. At the end of the day, the plot, while a nice change of pace in some areas, is your standard Dragon Ball plot of good vs. evil and power-ups galore. The writing, however, is delightfully pure Toriyama and is filled with his specific brand of absurd comedy.
Image Source: Game News 24
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is the first film in the franchise to be completely animated using 3D CG. While the style may be jarring for longtime fans, it is really done well in this film and does not distract in any way. It looks and feels like a typical 2D animated film in the franchise with a bit of added depth. Another interesting aspect regarding the art style of the film is that the colors from the manga are used rather than the anime. This is seen well in Gohan’s Cell saga-inspired gi, where his obi is red rather than blue like it was in the anime. The fight sequences are especially well done. One that stands out is the training sequence between Goku and Vegeta for relying purely on hand-to-hand combat rather than ki blasts. Overall, the animation is a nice update to the classic style of the anime and manga franchise.
No matter what language you watch this in, the cast truly gives it their all. The Japanese cast portrayed the characters brilliantly with a large variety of nuance and finesse. Stand-out performances include Masako Nozawa as Gohan in addition to her moments as Goku, and Goten and Toshio Furukawa as Piccolo. Both do a tremendous job as their characters as always and do not let their age slow them down when doing the more vocally strenuous scenes the franchise is known for.
Image Source: GameSpot
The English dub is no slouch either. Series veterans such as Sean Schemmel (Goku), Chris Sabat (Vegeta, Piccolo, Shenron, and Korin), Sonny Strait (Krillin), Kara Edwards (Videl), Robert McCollum (Goten), Eric Vale (Trunks), Monica Rial (Bulma), Meredith McCoy (Android 18), Jason Douglas (Beerus), Ian Sinclair (Whis), and Justin Cook (Dende) all turn in tremendous performances. It is also interesting to hear Piccolo match Furkawa pitch-wise at times. Sabat also seem to have chosen a more subtle approach to Vegeta similar to his performance in Dragon Ball Z Kai rather than go all in on the gravelly voice as he has previously done in Dragon Ball Super. The performances by franchise newcomers Zach Aguilar (Hedo), Aleks Le (Gamma #1), Zeno Robinson (Gamma #2), Jason Marnocha (Carmine), and the voice of Mario himself Charles Martinet (Magenta) are also exceptionally great additions to the Dragon Ball legacy. It is especially humorous hearing Martinet using a voice similar to the one he uses for Wario for Magenta. Furthermore, though not exactly new to the franchise, Johnny Yong Bosch does a tremendous job as Broly, making him a worthy successor to the previous actor. Furthermore, Jeannie Tirado does an excellent job as Pan and matches Yūko Minaguchi (the Japanese voice actress of Pan) quite well.
With regards to the writing of the dub, it is pretty much 1:1 with the original Japanese. Beerus’ crush on Cheelai is made more obvious in the English version. Piccolo is unfortunately written in a way that focuses more on his warrior side in the dub, but it is leagues better than how he has been portrayed previously in English, with there being an equal balance between his warrior and wise sage side. Gohan is written more casually in the dub as well as opposed to the more formal and studious tone he has in the Japanese version. However, whatever version you decide to watch will not detract from the epic action and story of the film.
Whether you’re a newcomer to the franchise or a longtime fan, this film is definitely one movie you will not want to miss. It is filled with intense action, hilarious and absurd comedy, and some honestly touching moments. Gohan and Piccolo truly got their moment to shine in this high-intensity blockbuster. Whether you watch it in Japanese or English, the film is a delight visually and storywise and features tremendous performances from actors who have been with the franchise since the beginning and those joining this “mystical adventure” for the very first time. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is currently playing in theaters, so don’t miss your chance to see it on the big screen!
P.S. Don’t forget to stay after the credits! This film does have a post-credits scene!
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