On Friday, August 19, the newest entry in the Dragon Ball franchise, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, will be released, but reviews have already started to come in. The superheroes shift their attention to an earlier period in history. At the same time, most of the current explorations of the series have dealt with advancing into the future with the best Super Saiyan advances while focusing mainly on Goku and Vegeta, focused on establishing the line of descent between Piccolo and Gohan.
The New Dragon Ball Super Movie Is A Nostalgic Tribute
Goku has been captivating for the past 35 years, but it is also painfully evident how terrible a father he has been to his kids, perhaps most significantly to Gohan. The superhero spends much time highlighting Piccolo and Gohan’s bond rather than focusing solely on end-of-the-world dangers and new hairstyles. The question here may not be whether existence as we know it is at stake, but rather whether Piccolo and Gohan can develop the latter’s potential and, in some respects, assist him in maturing.
The superhero has received rave reviews from critics, who laud the franchise for being willing to stray from the repetitive parameters of the fiction it drives. While the new animation style performs well during battles, it can be slightly harsh during lengthy dialogue scenes. Nevertheless, some who view the new approach as “a happy medium between tradition and change” believe it to be a positive development for the movie.
Critics Praise Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero For Its Humor
IGN’s Kambole Campbell writes, “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero mostly manages to successfully thread the needle between past and present, both showing a love for their characters’ now codified personalities and finding a new path for them. Better still, it’s the quintessence of the genre. It does so with an exciting spirit, pushing the franchise into new aesthetic territory that really works for the most part.”
GameSpot appreciates the movie for always having “room for humour among its serious combat encounters with real-world ending stakes”. The review continued, “Much goes through during the final third of the film, but the humour and the overall emphasis on exploring Piccolo’s relationship with Goku’s extended family makes Super Hero one of my favourite Dragon Ball movies.”
Cezary Jan Strusiewicz from Polygon comments, “The film has no shortage of humour, mid-air combat, and energy explosions, set against a backdrop of vast locations … fittingly for a film, the two uses of “super” in its title are, Everything looks and feels supersized in this DB film. It’s a lot of fun to watch on the big screen.”
Reviews Say That Fans Would Enjoy The Movie Despite Its Shortcomings
Critics believe it is a fun 90-minute watch as long as you are a fan of the series. Variety’s Michael Nordine says the movie had “nothing ground-breaking”. However, he thinks that longtime devotees are unlikely to be disappointed as it “mostly finds a sweet spot between fan service and narrative heft.” On a similar note, The Wrap’s Simon Abrams remarks, “Fans of both the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z anime would probably film be the ideal audience, but open-minded audiences might also enjoy Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero given its playful dialogue and dynamic fight scenes.”
David Hogan from Anime UK News reports that “the final fight doesn’t have the same energy and excitement as the previous cinematic outing.” ComicBook’s Megan Peters points out its pacing issues, which does not affect the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero as its “fun story filled with nostalgia” helps it shine. “Its ambitious animation proves Dragon Ball is willing to learn new tricks even after decades on the screen,” she adds. Rating the movie 4.5/5, Den of Geek calls it “a celebration of what has made Dragon Ball great for more than 35 years,” while it also “leaves the franchise a place that is freer than ever.”
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