*Note: While there won’t be any major plot reveals in this mostly spoiler free review, small details will be covered throughout the review. Read at your own risk!
In the years that I’ve been a Dragon Ball Z fan, it’s been really easy to get caught up in things like power levels and storyline hype. As time has passed, my memories of the classic anime series has shifted from the impressive power of villains like Majin Buu to a growing appreciation for what Frieza represented as a character. The self proclaimed emperor of the universe brought DBZ to a much darker place by serving as both the one responsible for the plight of the entire Saiyan race with his immense strength and the perfect antithesis to the eternally pure hearted Goku. Arrogant, powerful, and cruel, the only likable thing about the guy was that he was so much fun to root against! So to say I was thrilled when the follow up to Battle Of Gods would revolve around the revival of the iconic villain would be an understatement, but not without a few worries. Namely, how would Frieza be able to stand a chance after the main cast had grown so much since their time on Namek? Fortunately, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F does a mostly satisfying job of giving the villain the showing he deserves, with plenty of surprises to keep Akira Toriyama fans as a whole happy. However, it’s not without a few concessions to the established lore.
Resurrection F wouldn’t be much without an actual resurrection, which comes to pass thanks to Sorbet, who continues the trend of food based names. As a member of the famed Frieza Force who has taken over as its leader since the destruction of Namek, Sorbet and the remnants of the army have had to bide their time before being able to accomplish their true aim, the return of their leader. After tracking down some familiar faces on Earth who have accumulated six of the seven Dragon Balls, Sorbet intimidates them into giving up their wishes after uncovering the final ball, leading to the return of one of Goku’s greatest foes. Except… he’s revived in the same form as he was when he died. So… in pieces. After a trip to the regeneration pod and a bit of plot magic, Frieza is fully restored, and eager to pay Goku back for the humiliation caused by his defeat.
Golden Frieza shines in his battle against Goku. Get it?
Right off the bat, Resurrection F amps the audience up for what’s sure to be what promises to be an adrenaline filled rematch that revisits what I feel is the most iconic battle in franchise history, and it delivers on all fronts. Being able to watch Frieza be so unapologetically evil is just so much fun, whether he’s terrorizing his enemies, or abusing his henchmen. Even more impressive however, is how this fairly early enemy is made to seem like such a threat early on. Veering a bit into spoiler territory, the most impressive reveal of the entire film to me was when the catalyst for his much talked about Golden Frieza transformation is the result of him training for a mere four months. While not a big deal on its own, it’s mentioned that he was so naturally powerful, that he had never trained before this point. Sure, it’s a bit of a convenient plot point, but the fact that four months of training puts him at a level where he can go toe to toe with Goku, who has an additional decade plus of experience since their previous fight, helps explain where his characteristic overconfidence comes from.
Naturally, an antagonist is only as good as the protagonists he goes against, leading to the assembly of one of the most varied supporting casts in any DBZ movie. While most movies revolve around the Saiyans and their immense power, it was great to watch forgotten favorites like Tien, Krillin, and even Master Roshi, (who hasn’t had a significant battle since World’s Strongest), take on hundreds of foot soldiers in an incredible fight sequence against an entire army. Knowing that a common complaint of the series has been about how most of the cast has been pushed aside for Goku and Vegeta, you wouldn’t be able to tell in this film, since each gets a decent amount of time to shine. In fact, even a non Dragon Ball character gets a chance to show what he can do, but I won’t give away the surprise here.
Master Roshi with some much needed screen time.
Speaking of, the attention paid to the cast goes for both inside and outside of fights, since a few refreshing scenes show what life is like in the world outside of the fighting bubble. Despite some of these scenes dragging to the point that it slows down the movie a bit, it was great to see how normal society functions for those who aren’t shooting energy out of their hands. I mean, Krillin has a job! Doesn’t get any more real that that.
But despite each character getting their moment in the spotlight, the focus eventually shifts back to Goku, who remains as simple minded and kind as always. Picking up after Battle Of Gods, him and Vegeta have spent the last few years training with Beerus, the God of Destruction, and his handler, Whis, in order to master the Super Saiyan God form. At this point, it’s expected. I mean, when are Goku and Vegeta NOT training? But get this… Is it possible that these two actually get some character development from Whis’ guidance? When the inevitable battle on Earth takes place, Goku’s usual demeanor won’t cut it, leading to some shocking developments that force him to change the way he approaches his enemies. Will it stick? Probably not. But it was an interesting development to experience as a longtime fan, especially when anime movies have the reputation of being mostly irrelevant to the overall story.
Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan? Or is it Super Super Sayian God? Super Duper Saiyan?
Sure, this all sounds super serious, but I’m happy to say that in between all the doom and gloom surrounding revenge plots and threats of planetary destruction lies a strong sense of humor that was more often found in the original Dragon Ball series compared to Z. If Battle Of Gods had one flaw, it was that it was too silly, leaving some fans dissatisfied with the amount of action that came with the final fight. While I might have been afraid of a knee jerk reaction to eliminate all humor going in to Resurrection F, I was pleasantly surprised to see every character, from top to bottom, delivering laugh out loud moments even during the fights. And yes, even Frieza gets to have a few lighthearted moments. Just one thing though, Toriyama really needs to drop his pink, swirly poop obsession.
It might be impossible to put together all these plot pieces without creating a few continuity issues. All things considered, this film does an amazing job of re-establishing old characters into a post Majin Buu world. Yet, the film’s biggest flaw lies with ignoring previous established rules that ended up being ignored. Why can Goku turn into a Super Saiyan God without the help of other pure hearted Saiyans? Why is Gohan degrading in power even more than before? Why does he even need to go Super Saiyan when Mystic Gohan was supposed to be his stronger, permanent form? Why is Frieza’s version of Hell, (which is hysterical, by the way,) so different from the established Hell he was in at the end of the Majin Buu saga? And on that note, while I appreciate addressing Majin Buu at all, why does Frieza act like he didn’t know Buu was awakened when he was watching Goku fight him?
Considering that these small nitpicks are the worst the movie offered, it shows how solid of a film Resurrection F truly is. Acting as a crowd pleasing film that satisfies on all levels, and what we get is one of the most well rounded films in the DBZ catalog. Dare I say, though I might need the hype to die down a little to say for sure, as of now, I feel like F is a strong contender for best movie in the entire franchise! Featuring a more varied cast, a great sense of humor, incredible fight scenes and a surprising ending, F is a can’t miss experience for any DBZ fan. And honestly, who isn’t?
tl;dr:
+ Solid writing that manages to create believable scenarios, character growth and endless excitement.
+ Gorgeous animation that isn’t reliant on 3D animation.
+ Manages to find a near perfect balance of humor vs. action.
+ Satisfying scenes that find ways to surprise while making every character feel important.
– Inconsistencies with the established canon is bothersome.
– Middle portions of the movie drag a bit.
– Toriyama’s strange poop obsession.
Final score: 4.5/5