Spoiler Section!
Ok, has everyone seen the movie/ don’t care about being spoiled? Splendid! Let’s do this!
First off, it was a very cool insight we got to see with the Gero family line up. Not only did it confirm that Android 16 was modeled after Gero’s son (TFS tipped people off to this years ago, which of course they got from things Akira Toriyama had said before), but that Android 21 was based off Dr. Gero’s wife! All I can say is: Dang, the guy pulls. I also find it funny and fitting that Magenta, much like his father, is tiny (seems to run in the family). Though one thing was confusing: when it is later revealed that Magenta upgraded himself, couldn’t he have made himself taller? Maybe he didn’t have problems with his height, unlike his dad. Also Carmine quickly became a favorite for lackeys, since his youtuber-esque self promotions (making themes, having videos crediting him for doing everything) was delightful.
Next, I have to say: Pan is already making better strides than her dad did at a younger age. She is also pretty mature for a 3 year old, though given how smart her dad is, it is not surprising. Having Piccolo training her is also adorable, as he is now training a second generation of the Son family, and he now is turning into Grandpa Piccolo, having mellowed out considerably compared to when he was training Gohan. Also, may I just say: Super Saiyan Ant, hilarious. While I do get Piccolo’s frustrations with Gohan not training, it makes sense that Gohan wouldn’t, given the fact that he never was much of a fighter to begin with. Not in terms of power, but warrior’s spirit: Gohan would much rather study than fight, much unlike his father, so it makes sense Gohan would neglect that side of himself. I also can’t help but chuckle every time I see Piccolo meditating, as TFS has infected my brain (“You’re not meditating, you’re napping, I can tell the difference!”). Though I do have to ask, how on Earth did Red Ribbon Pharmaceutical even become a thing? I mean, back in Dragon Ball, the Red Ribbon Army was pretty infamous, right? I don’t buy that people would trust a drug company that is named after an evil organization. It’s like if Umbrella came back and pretended everything was fine, and it was headed by Ozwell E. Spencer’s son. I’m not buying it, but whatever.
Next the side mission with Piccolo getting a power-up actually added an interesting lore tidbit, about how Guru was able to unlock potentials (that it is tied to a Namekian’s age), but then threw in more problems by having Dende causally upgrade Shenron. Like, what is the limit on Shenron upgrades? Can he just do it whenever? Is that special water? I need answers! Also, with the Guru flashback, I felt like I needed an adult (I AM AN ADULT!!!!) Also, now that Shenron is able to unlock potentials, this opens things up to everyone getting a power boost (except for Krillin, since Guru gave him one. It wasn’t much, so it was all downhill from there…) Though that causes another sticky problem, though technically it has existed since Namek: unlocking Gohan’s potential should’ve meant that he instantly turns into (at least) Super Saiyan 2, right? Though Piccolo in the movie claims that Gohan has the most potential of anyone. Ugh, I don’t know… An interesting thought I had was this: did Piccolo get a power boost because it was technically Nail and Kami’s potential that Shenron was unlocking, along with Piccolo? An intriguing idea, if true! Though Bulma hording the Dragon Balls and causally using them for minor cosmetic changes is (of course) completely in line with her character (see Broly). I wonder if Vegeta will notice her Dragon refined tush next time he’s home. We shall see…
The cut away to Goku, Vegeta and Broly all training with Whis and Beerus was a neat sidestory, since before with Broly, we had only seen Goku saying “We should do this again sometime, but with less planetary destruction”. But knowing how strong Broly is, that makes things a lot more interesting, as Broly has insane potential (though now who has more potential: Broly or Gohan? People have said that both have the most potential, so which is it?!) Though it is good to see they are working to get his temper under control, as my brother expertly pointed out, he is essentially an emotionally stunted adult: a kind hearted soul, forced to live on a cruel planet with an abusive father. That can wear on you. Also Lemo and Cheelai returning is a fun touch, though I did NOT expect Beerus to get the hots for Cheelai (Whis slyly saying that Beerus has a “type” means this has happened before…) It also must be refreshing for Broly to get much better food, instead of sour creature parts like back on his planet, though he has to share it with 2 other hungry Saiyans and a certain glutenous God of Destruction. Additionally, as we watched the Dub version, I can’t get enough of Ian Sinclair, the man is a national treasure, especially after his narration work with Kagaya-sama and How Heavy are the Dumbbells you Lift. Whis is delightful as always! Beerus pointing with his tail is oh so adorable.
As to the main plot, I find it kind of hard to believe that Hedo wouldn’t figure out that Cell is a bad guy, since Cell VERY publicly announced that the Cell Games was “If you guys beat me, the Earth is safe. If I win you all die”, not to mention blowing up a huge army with a single blast. Not to mention the fact the Cell sucked several cities dry, and blew up an entire archipelago. Serious, how is Cell the poster boy for “Dr. Gero was trying to be the good guy”?! Though for Gamma 1 & 2, it was fun to see the different personalities they had (2 was my favorite). Piccolo undercover was also a gem with comedy, showing that Piccolo can think on his feet pretty well. The running gag of him having to correct everyone who calls him either Demon King Piccolo or Kami seems to wear thin on him. Though having Shenron recognize him as Kami was a neat touch. Pan defending herself from the kidnapper gave me Bobby Hill vibes (THAT’S MAH PURSE! I DON’T KNOW YOU!) A surprise Z reference was Piccolo not being able to fly and admitting he never got his License, as it makes total sense. I mean, why do you need to drive when you can fly? I do have to stay, though, the most intense moments were when Gohan realizes Pan is in danger. Those are the moments when you know everyone in the Red Ribbon Army —-ed up. It is a good thing that Piccolo never admitted that he allowed Pan to get kidnapped, otherwise Gohan would’ve been ticked (more so than he already was). It was surprising when Piccolo was “threatening Pan” even the villains were like, “Dude, don’t!” Though when Carmine did it, the Gammas were like, Naw brah.
Which brings us to the Red Ribbon fight. Orange Piccolo is a weird twist, but I will admit I like the design on the back of his Gi and his red eyes. His bulky muscles also remind me of Lord Slug (but cool this time). Good to see Piccolo getting some love, and it was funny when Piccolo was able to convince Gamma 2 that they weren’t evil, he had to stop Gohan mid-suplex to get his attention. And Cell Max being the final villain is appropriate, given that Cell was Gohan’s ultimate boss. But there is a number of problems: first off, Cell Max is just a big rage monster. This is disappointing, since the original Cell had so much personality, voiced by the incomparable Dameon Clarke, who does return, if only for grunts and roars. Bro and I even thought that the fight would turn out better, since Cell Max looks mostly like semi-perfect Cell (but with wings) and with 18 there, it was a chance to have Perfect Cell Max. But alas, that didn’t happen. One great twist was having Goten and Trunks show up as teenagers, with a sly comment on how their designs in Super didn’t change from when they were in Z, which actually fits with the whole of Dragon Ball. Looking back, Goku looked like a kid, even though he was a teenager, and only grew up after training with Kami when he was in his late teens; Gohan looked about the same from Namek through the Cell Saga, with some change in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but only really changed when in the Buu saga. It seems it is now canon that Sayians remain childlike for a while, until they hit puberty and then quickly accelerate to being like adults. A much steeper maturation curve than humans. Also, them screwing up fusion is completely expected. Though interestingly, you don’t see Teenage Gotenks (as we see them do the dance properly after the fight, but don’t see the result. Me thinks that is being saved for a later date! Though Adult Gotenks would also be cool. Ooh, also if we could get some potaras, we could see teenage/adult Troten(?) Well, whatever, do as you will, Toriyama-sensei!)
Heading into the bulk of the Cell Max fight, while it didn’t play out how I was expecting, it was pretty bombastic and he certainly gave everyone a run for their money. Though it did bring up that question: with Great Namekian, does it actually make you more powerful at all? Piccolo claims it’s a bluff (at least against Cell Max), but he seemed to be stronger in the World Martial Arts Tournament when he fought Goku. It is also weird how Cell Max didn’t have Namekian healing, which then raises the question: what was Cell Max even made out of? It wasn’t the DNA from Saiyans, Namekians or the Frieza race, so what was it? He was able to freakishly powerful, sure, but how? The standout moment of the film for Gohan was when it looked like Piccolo was beaten, and he had an Android 16 moment (same framing and everything, it was of course deliberate). And Gohan’s new form (apparently called Gohan Beast) was impressive, as it essentially the ultimate SSJ2 form (which I think we can all agree was peak Gohan), though I was expecting it to be call “Ultra Something”, since Goku has Ultra Instinct and Vegeta has (in the manga, apparently) Ultra Ego. Also Piccolo essentially doing for Gohan would Goku did for him with Raditz (but without dying this time) was great, along with Gohan busting out a surprise Special Beam Cannon! Great tribute to his other dad! And of course, Pan learning to fly was expected, and while that is a lot of fun, now she is going to be even harder to keep in line!
Lastly, as the movie finishes, Vegeta finally gets a win! Also seeing Broly and Lemo crying tears of joy at this amazing spectacle is fantastic, with Cheelai embodying every girl that never watched Dragon Ball and had to be dragged here by their Boyfriend/husband/significant other. Don’t worry about it ladies: that’s just how guys are!
So that about wraps it up for Spoilers! I hope you guys enjoyed the movie as well, and if there was anything else that you noticed, feel free to let me know!
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