Dragon Ball Super: Broly Parent Guide

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.