Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Sure.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Secret ending? Yes! It’s a cute one.
Running time: 94 minutes (~1.5 hours)
“Dragon Ball: Resurrection ‘F'” is a Japanese animated feature film, and the nineteenth instalment in the “Dragon Ball” franchise. It sees the return of an old villain who wants nothing more than total revenge than Son Goku, the protagonist of the series. It features the voice talents of Masako Nozawa (Son Goku/Son Gohan), Ryusei Nakao (Frieza), Hiromi Tsuru (Bulma), Kouichi Yamadera (Beerus), Masakazu Morita (Whis), Jaco (Natsuki Hanae), Ryo Horikawa (Vegeta), Shiro Saito (Sorbet), and Toshio Furakawa (Piccolo).
“Dragon Ball: Resurrection ‘F'” is classic anime action, but updated for modern times and sensibilities. The somewhat sprawling cast of characters were, thankfully, streamlined for this movie, resulting in a much tighter focus and story. The influence of the series creator, Akira Toriyama, can also be felt through the grander scope and more epic battles in the film as compared to previous movies, and on the whole it’s a nostalgic throwback to the Dragon Ball tales of yore, what with its starring villain.
Highlights
Jaco is an amusing addition to the cast
So some background on Jaco – he’s actually from another series that Akirya Toriyama created, called “Jaco the Galactic Patrolman.” In this film, he’s a neurotic but well-meaning intergalactic policeman who comes to warn Earth of the resurrection of Frieza. He’s surprisingly skilled in battle, and his conflicts with the more chaotic Buma are fun comic diversions from the main story. Jaco isn’t just the token annoying kid-friendly sidekick, but proves his worth both a fighter and an interesting character.
Crisp but classic animation
The animation style uses modern animation techniques and is of course, far more detailed, but it also retains the style and feel of the old anime cartoons. Unlike most anime feature films, where the animation standard is bumped up several notches and takes a while to get used to (when compared to the regular anime series), “Dragon Ball: Resurrection ‘F'” eases you into its better animation standards much faster, without sacrificing any quality.
Fast and fluid battles
The battles span a variety of spectacular energy-based ranged attacks, as well as close quarters melee combat. It also features the heroes facing off hordes of invaders, and individual, climatic duels. But what impresses is that regardless of the battlefield or number of combatants, the fight sequences remain just as pulse pounding and exciting as ever in true Dragon Ball style.
Rocking soundtrack
The use of a modern rock score to as the background music help adds to the nostalgic feel of the movie. The music is not cheesy or retro, but rather, evocative of the emotional and tense music that anime series of the 80s favoured. This adds to the tension and ups the tempo of the battles, even while achieving the classic atmosphere in the film.
Letdowns
Frieza never really poses a threat
The problem is that Frieza has been defeated before, so until he powers up to his final form, you doubt that he can actually beat Goku. He also rarely gains the upperhand, which again dampens his credibility as a lethal foe for the heroes. And finally, with the presence of Beerus and Whis, both of whom are more powerful than Goku, you’re never really in doubt that the heroes have lost control.
Golden Frieza is cool though.
Atrocious subtitling
The subtitling is functional at best, and sounds like Google Translate at worst. When a majestic and royal dragon says “I got it,” you know the subtitles are going to be bad. Frieza is called “that jerk,” and his minions claim that “operations were bad with you around.” The Chinese subtitles fare much better, with less grammatical awkwardness.
Bulma is annoying
But then has that character ever been endearing or of any value in the series? She’s like the classmate nobody likes but has to hang around, simply because you see her on an everyday basis.
“Dragon Ball: Resurrection ‘F'” is an enjoyable romp through the Dragon Ball universe, that fuses both classic characters with modern additions. In addition, with the improved (and fantastic) fight sequences, the film is truly a must watch not just for Dragon Ball fans, but all anime fans.
“Dragon Ball: Resurrection ‘F'” opens in cinemas 7 May, 2015 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo Singapore.
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