The Red Ribbon Army has returned. Recruiting the Grandson of Dr. Gero, Dr.
Hedo, to their ranks, the nefarious Commander Magenta orders the construction
of brand new Androids, aiming to use them to crush those who defeated Cell
years ago and resume their conquest of the world. With Goku and Vegeta training off world with
Broly, it falls to Piccolo, Gohan and a handful of others to protect the planet
from this new threat. Things only get
more dire when Gohan’s daughter, Pan, is kidnapped to get his attention. Can Gohan tap into the power he once had and
attain a new level to save his daughter and the planet?
Even though Dragon Ball Super wrapped up its TV run in
2018, the need for more Dragon Ball is still going strong today.
While I’m sure a new TV Series is inevitable
at this point, the movies are doing a good job continuing the saga of our
favorite Anime fighters while expanding the mythos in amazing ways.
DBS: Broly reintroduced the movie exclusive
Broly and gave him an amazing character arc that he was more than deserving of,
a great official welcome into the official Dragon Ball timeline (most of the Z
movies are one off/non cannon adventures).
With Super Hero, not only do we get a new generation of one of Dragon
Ball’s earliest foes, it also does something few Dragon Ball films are ever
willing to do: give the central spotlight to someone other than Goku for a
change.
And while the animation is gonna
get mixed reactions from the fan base, everyone might agree that a movie
dedicated to other members of Dragon Balls massive cast is long overdue.
While Super Hero can see Gohan as a co-lead, it’s mostly
Piccolo’s movie and it is so awesome for it.
Nothing shows how far everyones favorite green bad ass has come since
the early days of Z than to have his first scene be training Gohan’s adorable
daughter, Pan, with a smile befitting that of a supportive guardian.
Piccolo may be a bit more mellow but he hasn’t
softened as he isn’t only training Pan but also trying to keep Gohan on task,
both as a protector of the planet and as a Parent.
It’s crazy to think how much like Goku Gohan
has become in his own way.
Whereas Goku
is eternally obsessed with punching things in the face 24/7, Gohan has become
the science obsessed nerd he’s always wanted to be, so much so he cant even
pick up Pan from school.
There’s plenty
of historical echoes here as Piccolo has to remind Gohan that there are things
more important than passion, such as family, and Piccolo will go to several
hilarious lengths to remind Gohan of this.
Seriously though, Piccolo provides some of the best humor in the entire movie
and much of that has to do with his perfect pairing with Pan.
He really has become a proud Grandfather in
his own way since Gohan will always be like a son to him.
Don’t think Gohan isn’t totally oblivious to family though.
Once he learns Pan’s been abducted, he gets his
act together ASAP and man it is good to see a Cell Games level Gohan back in
action alongside Piccolo.
Dragon Ball
has long been a pioneer and legend in the Action Genre of Anime and each
successive series or movie has tried to improve itself so that the franchise
can stand alongside new mega level hits like Demon Slayer or My Hero Academia.
Super Hero has some awe inspiring action,
bringing back vibes of the early days of Z, only everything is far more
cinematic.
I’ll give the new 3D art
style this, it allows for greater camera work than ever before and makes the
action feel more personal and hard hitting than ever before.
This is the kind of epic scale Dragon Ball
fights have always been meant to be presented.
That said, yeah, the 3D artstyle is a mixed bag. When it comes to the
action, it looks mostly good though it can look more like an extended cutscene
from Dragon Ball Fighterz sometimes.
And
when characters are standing still, they can look super stiff, like they haven’t
been completely rendered.
Personally, I
prefer more of a fusion of animation styles like we got in Broly.
But yeah, once that action kicks in, it might
not matter cause the movie gets awesome when Piccolo and Gohan square off
against the resurrected Red Ribbon Army.
The titular Super Heroes are fun new additions to the Dragon
Ball universe.
It was shocking to get a
callback to not just the Red Ribbon Army but also making Dr. Hedo the grandson
of Dr. Gero.
That alone gives cause to
worry considering the havoc dear old grand pappy’s creations wrecked on the
world.
Thankfully, Hedo might be a bit
annoying at times but he isn’t a retread of Gero, as seen in his two Android
Heroes.
Unlike the cold and ruthless
Androids of the past, Gamma 1 & 2 are modeled after the Heroes Hedo idolizes.
They can be a bit arrogant but they aren’t diabolical
terminators hellbent on the destruction of mankind.
It adds some good depth to their character
arcs and their interactions with the Z-Fighters.
And if you aren’t familiar with Gero or the
Red Ribbons, don’t worry, this movie takes careful time to explain everything
in a way that’s both a good refresher for old time fans and newcomers alike.
No ones gonna feel lost no matter your level
of Dragon Ball fandom.
The only other gripe I have with Super Hero besides the
animation is…well, this is gonna be tough to say…but it’s the Goku and Vegeta
scene.
DO NOT GET ME WRONG!!!!
It is good to see them and its equally good
to get an appearance from Broly and his friends from the previous film (definitely
nothing wrong with seeing more Chelai).
But when the movie cuts to them training on Beerus’ homeworld, Super
Hero kind of just stops for a few minutes.
Look, I get it, Goku and Vegeta are the faces of the franchise.
But Super Hero is a Piccolo and Gohan story
through and through and while I don’t think a couple minute cameo would’ve been
a problem, stopping the story to have another Goku and Vegeta sparring match isn’t
really necessary and kind of hurts the momentum a little.
It’s tough to admit that like I said…because it’s
a pretty cool fight, especially with the parameters Whis sets in place,
allowing for a more old school brawl that harkens back to Goku and Vegeta’s
earliest rivalry days in Dragon Ball Z.
But yeah, it’s ok to only let us have a quick glimpse of the fight
rather than stop a good Piccolo story to service their mandated screentime.
While I don’t think it was as good as Broly, Dragon Ball
Super: Super Hero shows that the Dragon Ball franchise still has plenty of life
left in it and tons of stories to tell.
The franchise could actually learn a thing or two from telling
theatrical tales about the supporting cast often overshadowed by the big
two.
Heck, I think even a teenage Goten
and Trunks have earned their own movie (Pan could def use some comedic
shorts).
If they are going to continue
with the 3D animation, it needs to be ironed out a lot more before the next
Super movie outing.
Where story is
concerned though, this is Piccolo’s movie and it is about damn time he got
one.
I think the demand for more Dragon
Ball isn’t going away anytime soon and you can bet I’ll be waiting for the next
movie with much anticipation.
It’s a
good time to be a Dragon Ball fan and Super Hero is a good celebration of why
that is.
8/10
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