Broly Appears! Dragon Ball at Its Best!

Dragon Ball Super: Broly Review

I could write an entire essay about how much I loved this movie, but that would not do it justice. Dragon Ball Super: Broly was everything that the fans wanted and then some! By the time I’m writing this, I literally got out of a full house, so I am striking while the iron’s hot.

Plot

Let’s start off with the basic plot. The film shows how Broly’s exiled to a desolate planetoid by King Vegeta. All because he can’t handle the fact that Broly’s stronger than his son. Paragus goes to get him but gets stuck on the planet with him, which saves them from the Saiyans’ genocide. That takes up thirty minutes. Flashforward to the present day, Paragus and Broly get rescued by Frieza’s men. Frieza then takes Broly the two to Earth so he can fight Goku and Vegeta while he steals the Dragon Balls.

Broly

Unlike the psychopathic monster we grew up knowing, the new Broly is a kind soul who can’t control his power. He fights, but only to protect the people he cares about. His father Paragus forced him to become a warrior, even using a shock collar to keep him in line. I’ve seen that kind of thing used on animals, so I loathe it with all my heart.

After spending a little less than half the film building it up, we finally get to the fight we’ve been waiting for. And it is worth it! Goku and Vegeta don’t hold anything back in the fight, but Broly manages to keep pace with them. I won’t say what happens as that’s part of the fun, but it’s the best animation I’ve seen since Battle of Gods.

Before I get into the good stuff, I want to voice the one complaint I have about the film: the prologue.

Put. The Pitchforks. Down.

The Prologue

I loved the prologue. It helps build up the universe. Although, was adapting the Goku origin story from Jaco necessary? It may be me being mad that it erases Bardock: the Father of Goku from the canon, but it seemed like extra padding. It could have been an extra short released online or something, but it had no bearing on the plot.

Now that that’s done, let’s say what I loved about the film. First off, I love how they changed Broly’s backstory. He’s no longer motivated by what Team Four Star dubs “really dumb” and a “crying infant“. Yeah, they traded off his hatred of Goku, but now he has a personality and friends.

Speaking of whom, I like the new additions to the Frieza Force, Lemo and Cheelai.

I loved these two characters, and think that including them was the smartest thing the movie did. Usually they’re only cannon fodder I never considered that there might actually be decent people in them.

New Characters

First we have Lemo, the old veteran and grandfatherly figure. He’s been in the Frieza Force since the time of King Cold. Put that into perspective: more than fifty years! That’s impressive considering the Frieza Force was almost non-existent by the time the Tournament of Power ends.

On the opposite side, we have Cheelai, the young and impulsive delinquent. Right off the bat, it’s made clear that she’s meant to be the new “Ms. Fanservice” for Dragon Ball. We get several scenes of her that are supposed to be suggestive. Case in point:

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I thought she was cute and plenty of others do, as well. People wouldn’t stop laughing at this stuff in theaters. She’s more than just eye-candy, though. She has an actual personality. She’s quirky, kind, impulsive and acts on her emotions without a second thought. She’s the opposite of Lemo, and that’s what makes their dynamic work and they become the friends Broly needs to stay grounded. I genuinely hope to see more of them in the future of the franchise.

Minor Spoilers

While I won’t say what happens, I have to spoil some of it for my next good point: Frieza and Broly both live. Frieza got brought back after the Tournament of Power, and even though I hate him, I freaked out over whether he’d die. He’s a good villain, and it would be a waste to kill him after bringing back again. We will see him again, one day soon. As for Broly, he’s safe and sound. Something tells me that we will be seeing him again soon. And I can’t wait to see where he goes from here!

All in all, this movie was the hype that it had built itself up to be, and signals the start of an amazing new chapter in Dragon Ball. It may have stumbled a little at the start, but it rockets to the finish line. If this is what they came up with to top the Tournament of Power, then I can’t wait for what’s next.

I give Dragon Ball Super: Broly 4.5/5 stars. Saiyans have no limits.

Some Stray Observations

• Anyone catch the remark about Vegeta being “Vegeta IV”? Who are the first two Vegetas?
• Kid Raditz is so adorable! But still worthless.

• Cheelai= new fanservice material. See?

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• Who were those other two Saiyans that were with Nappa, Vegeta, and Raditz? We never heard anything about them. What happened to them!?!
• I will pay money to see Frieza get beaten up by Broly for an hour.
• This movie made $7 million opening day. That’s another sign that anime has become mainstream!

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