Let me get this out of the way.
*ahem* I am not a Dragon Ball fan. I have a well-known love/hate relationship with the series, stemming back to the caricatures of those who were of African descent. Now with those are being heavily considered, and with a challenge from my library teens, I took advantage of AMC Theaters' $3 deal during Labor Day weekend to see Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. In this latest installment of the series, the central focus is on the series' favorite father-son duo, Piccolo and Gohan (yes, I went THERE). Piccolo is now training Gohan's three-year-old daughter, Pan. Their relationship is just as precious as when Gohan was a child. However since the last movie, DB Super: Broly, our heroes have become very lax, with the exception of Piccolo. Gohan is more focused on his research than training and his daughter, while Goku and Vegeta have left Earth to help Broly control his emotions. Even Bulma is more focused on Capsule Corp and her looks. When the Red Ribbon Army returns under new leadership, Piccolo immediately senses the danger, and has to find a way to stop them and get Gohan ready for battle. Now, I liked how the movie shows how the rest of the group treats Piccolo. He was once their most feared adversary before becoming their ally. Now he's their glorified babysitter/grandfather, looking after Pan just like he did with Gohan. When Piccolo tries to warn the others, they really don't take it seriously. Even after his battle with new androids, Gamma 1 & 2, Piccolo sees how even the Eternal Dragon is being used that illustrates how lazy and unassuming the rest have become (cosmetic enhancement... really, Bulma?). The only one who takes Piccolo seriously is Pan, even going along with a ruse to get Gohan back into action. It's actually pretty funny. There's a lot of comedic aspects to this movie:
The action was fast-paced, and just awesome to watch. And the new power levels Gohan and Piccolo achieved were awesome. When the Eternal Dragon gave Piccolo the ability to unlock his true potential, it also gave him "a little extra." And that little extra did not disappoint. My only gripe was the new big bad they had to face. It just left me feeling underwhelmed. But the battle was great and there is a sad, but heroic, sacrifice that got me in the feels. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and give it a 4.5/5. It's by far the best Dragon Ball movie ever made, in my opinion of course. Also, make sure to stay for the post credits scene to find out who won the Goku/Vegeta match. It's absolutely stupid, which makes the movie even more fun.
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Who am I?The Library Lady is a Young Adult Librarian and reviewer. She's also a music, anime, and film nerd. Archives
January 2024
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