[Please note: the reason I have taken so long to review this is because I was watching the English dubs of Dragon Ball Super with a viewing partner, and so had to watch this once that had finished. Therefore, there are situational spoilers for that entire saga, and Dragon Ball Super as a whole.]
The first official movie in the Dragon Ball Super series, Dragon Ball Super: Broly is a 2019 anime action film. Not simple a re-telling of the 1993/2003 Dragon Ball Z movie, Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, this new movie introduced the fan favourite into the new canon of Dragon Ball Super for the first time. Following the Universal Tournament of Survival, Goku (Sean Schemmel) and Vegeta (Christopher Sabat) are still honing their skills in battle, when Frieza (Christopher Ayres) returns to Earth, wishing to use the Dragon Balls for selfish purposes. Unbeknownst to the Saiyans of Earth, Frieza has a pair of Saiyans of his own in tow, the mighty Paragus (Dameon Clarke, Borderlands 2’s Handsome Jack) and his son, Broly (Vic Mignogna).
+ fantastic animation, including incredibly smooth fight scenes with actual strikes and martial arts, rather than the oft-used ‘flurries’ of the anime. A short but gorgeous first-person fight sequence was a joy to watch, as well, and it was great to see the various transformations taken seriously again, with real build up and explosive shockwave effects
+ a new and unique story was the perfect way to introduce a canon version of Broly into the new Dragon Ball Super timeline (as well as a few other aspects not seen in some time, or at all in Dragon Ball Super thus far)
+ some genuinely funny, lough-out-loud lines, most of which coming from Frieza (aka the best Dragon Ball villain, fight me irl), and some particularly pulse pounding moments from the fights and match-ups we are shown
+ the soundtrack is maximum hype, taking the best of fighting video games and adding them to signature soundtracks for various characters. Having the animation/transformations timed perfectly to a blasting “KAKAROT VERSUS BROLY” is great (and yes, it’s on Spotify, so I know what my work transit will no be to)- beware of spoilers in the Spotify album track listing!
– it is hardly even a real negative point at this stage, but these power levels just don’t make any sense, and in some ways actively detract from the spectacle. If you need a spoiler-filled rant, hit me up, because I have a lot to get off my chest (seriously, just how powerful is Whis?)
Should you see this film: I absolutely loved this. The crystal clear animation, the real stakes in battle and the introduction of a new character all flowed seamlessly together to not just be a great Dragon Ball movie, but perhaps one of the best anime movies of all time.
MoshFish Reviews 