Friday, August 19, 2022

Dragon Ball Super: The Movie-Super Hero

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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