Dragon Ball Super: Broly parents guide

Dragon Ball Super: Broly Parent Guide

A fine film for fans but for everyone else? Not so much.

Overall B-

When an evil Frost Demon has seven Dragon Balls stolen, Goku and Vegeta must battle to get them back. And by battle we mean flex, yell, punch, and kick throughout almost the entire film.

Release date January 16, 2019

Violence B-
Sexual Content A
Profanity A-
Substance Use A

Why is Dragon Ball Super: Broly rated PG? The MPAA rated Dragon Ball Super: Broly PG for prolonged frenetic sequences of action and violence, and for language

Run Time: 100 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

The latest installment in the extensive Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super universe sees extra-terrestrial Saiyans Goku, Vegeta, and their friends enjoying some time off on a beautiful island. Sadly, their holiday comes to an abrupt end when thieves steal six of the seven wish-granting Dragon Balls on behalf of Frieza, a villainous Frost Demon. When the heroes confront him, Frieza reveals his new allies : Broly and his father, Paragus, both of whom are immensely powerful Saiyans . Who will win in the duel between these powerful adversaries? Can Goku and Vegeta best the untamed Broly?

If none of that made much sense to you, then join the club. As someone who hasn’t seen an episode of the show since he was seven, I struggled to connect the dots in this story. If, however, you’re a long-time fan of the series, then you will surely enjoy this fast-paced exploration of new power levels, Saiyan history, and nearly an hour of the punching, screaming, and flexing which I remember so dimly from my childhood.

Despite my confusion with the plot, I can offer some qualitative observations about the film. I was pleasantly surprised to see that much of the movie has been hand-drawn, which is increasingly rare and wonderful. I’m not trying to bash Disney/Pixar’s intricately rendered computer animation, but there’s a very warm quality to hand-drawn animation which you can’t quite get on a computer. Unfortunately, some of this movie has been computer generated, and it stands out like a sore thumb against the rest of the animation. Unless you’re careful to match the styles, there isn’t really a good way to mix animation and CGI. The difference in lighting and textures is a great way to pull your audience out of the drama and remind them that someone somewhere doodled that spaceship/explosion/planet on a PC and had it rendered.

Another plus for this film is that it managed to get a PG rating from the MPAA. There is almost no profanity, sexual content, or drinking. The violence is extensive and frequent, but heavily sanitized. Characters grunt when hit, or their clothes get torn up, but there is no blood or serious injury shown. This actually makes trying to figure out when a fight is going to end difficult, as characters seem to be able to pound on each other endlessly until the plot decides to wrap it up.

Pluses aside, this isn’t a film that was made for me. I was never much into the TV show, which makes following the intricacies of the Dragon Ball universe difficult. However, the film’s targeting of hardcore fans seems to have paid off.: the theatre was packed full on a Wednesday night, and when credits rolled, it got a round of applause from the audience. Clearly, the film’s real super power lies in the loyalty it inspires from its fans. It’s not likely to appeal to anyone else.

Directed by Tatsuya Nagamine. Starring Sean Schemmel, Christopher Sabat, and Chris Ayres. Running time: 100 minutes. Theatrical release January 16, 2019. Updated

Watch the trailer for Dragon Ball Super: Broly

Dragon Ball Super: Broly
Rating & Content Info

Why is Dragon Ball Super: Broly rated PG? Dragon Ball Super: Broly is rated PG by the MPAA for prolonged frenetic sequences of action and violence, and for language

Violence: Extensive martial arts combat throughout. Characters are routinely slammed into the ground/mountains/icebergs/the ocean/lava, hit with energy beams, punched, kicked, thrown around, and generally bruised. However, they usually show no injury from the violence. Two individuals are executed with lasers, but this is not gory. No blood is shown at any point in the movie. A planet is deliberately destroyed, killing all occupants.
Sexual Content: None.
Profanity: Three instances of language in the “Mild” category.
Alcohol / Drug Use: None.

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Dragon Ball Super: Broly Parents' Guide

Despite the difficulties between Goku and Broly, Goku remains warm and friendly towards him. How should we act towards people we have had disagreements with?

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Home Video

The most recent home video release of Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie is April 16, 2019. Here are some details…

Related home video titles:

Japanese animators have a distinctive style. Those looking for animated Japanese films that are suitable for family viewing can start with Ponyo, the story of a mermaid-like creature who wants to be human. The Secret World of Arrietty is the story of a tiny family that lives underneath the floorboards of a Japanese home, similar to the tales in The Borrowers books. The Red Turtle tells the story of a castaway who meets the titular red turtle. This story has no dialog and unfolds entirely through animation. Perhaps the best known film in this genre, Howl’s Moving Castle, is an adventure involving a curse and an enchanted moving castle.