Well, here we are, the final 3 movies for 17 years. Crazy to think about how many films we've already looked at, but we aren't done! When I finish all of the films I think I'll post a look at all of these films, and how they may fit together. But regardless...
The same stuff as always applies. My opinion is right, yours is wrong, and I am the king of all the fairies. ...wait, that's not right...
FUSION REBORN/ THE REBIRTH OF FUSION!! GOKU AND VEGETA
...how is fusion being... anyways, we start the film off with all Hell breaking loose. Literally. Apparently the machine to clean souls heading to hell explodes, creating a monster that's so evil, it straight up rips off Buu's design! Well, since Shen Long is apparently too lazy to fix this, it's up to Goku to take out this monster, called Janemba. So Goku fights Janemba for a bit, until Goku goes Super Saiyan 3. At this, Janemba becomes... a skinnier, more serious Janemba. Huh. Well, this same Janemba looking slightly different is too much for Goku, until Vegeta arrives to lend a hand. Realizing there's only one way to defeat Janemba, Goku proposes fusion to Vegeta. Vegeta eventually decides to try it, and the two fuse into... Uncle Frank? No, it's the failed fat fusion that the Kais call Veku. I just call him Fat Gogeta because the word fat makes me giggle. Eventually 30 minutes is up, and Goku and Vegeta try again, this time successfully fusing into Gogeta, and taking out Janemba in one punch. Oh, during this time Goten and Trunks have been fighting Hitler. ...It's hilarious. Well, Janemba is gone, the dead are back on Earth, and Vegeta happily returns to Hell. ...wow, that last statement was weird.
This film is pretty dumb... but it makes up for it by just being so darn fun. Great action, a cool fusion, good animation and music, and lots of humor. This film may not be technically good, but it's a great popcorn flick.
WRATH OF THE DRAGON/ DRAGON FIST EXPLOSION!! IF GOKU WON'T DO IT, WHO WILL?
Insert joke about dragon fisting here. This movie begins with Great Saiyaman 1 and 2 fighting crime and defending JUSTICE! ...I love these guys. Anyways, one of the guys the save has an old music box that can't open, so he asks them if they can use the Dragon Balls to open it. The gang foolishly do so, and Tapion, the hero sealed in the music box, is unleashed... and runs off like a scared rabbit at the sight of everyone. Trunks, who always wanted an older brother, takes an immediate shine to Tapion and begins sneaking food to where he's hiding. After Trunks helps him beat up an old guy... which makes much more sense in context... Tapion finally opens up to Trunks and eventually the rest of the gang. Turns out Tapion and his younger brother had a monster named Hildegarn split in two and sealed inside each of them to save their planet. 1,000 years later, Tapion is out of his music box and his piece of Hildegarn is trying to reunite with his brothers piece, which is loose, implying his brother is dead. Well, Bulma whips up a device to save Tapion... which immediately fails. I mean... within moments. Wow. Anyways, Hildegarn has been refused and is now terrorizing West City, and it's up to Goku to save the day... despite him barely being in the film so far. Oh, Trunks and Tapion ALMOST save the day, but Goku makes them stop so he can take the win. Wow, kind of a jerk move, Goku. So Hildegarn is dead, Tapion is given a Time machine for some strange reason, and Trunks is given Tapion's sword, implying that this Trunks is Future Trunks, which is impossible because Goku and Vegeta are alive here with a Goten and... my head hurts.
This movie is pretty great. The animation is breathtaking, the music is chilling, the action is intense, the story is emotional, and the focus on Trunks and Tapion is refreshing. This movie is definitely not perfect, though. Goku taking the win was needless and kind of insulting, the ending is made of migraines, and Tapion's brother should have been more developed. Still, not a bad way to go for the Z films. But there's still one last movie to look at today...
PATH TO POWER/ THE PATH TO ULTIMATE STRENGTH
So two things to say about this film right off the bat. First is that despite being labeled as an OG Dragon Ball film, it's really a GT film in terms of production. Second, is that this film was created as the 10th anniversary of the Dragon Ball anime, which is why it's another origin retelling. OK, with that said... Our story begins with pink haired Bulma trying to kill Goku. That escalated quickly. Well, after the explanation of the Dragon Balls they go off to find more, running into Oolong and Yamcha. After scaring Yamcha off and kidnapping Oolong they find another Dragon Ball, and head up north to Muscle Tower. Yep, they threw the Red Ribbon Army into this origin. After some adorable shots of Goku playing in the snow, he climbs up and through Muscle Tower to get the Dragon Ball from White. White reveal his trump card, however: Android 8! Android 8 fights Goku, but then stops, saying he doesn't want to fight or help the bad guys anymore. White almost destroys 8, until Goku saves him by knocking White out. Before they leave, Goku gives 8 a nickname (Hatchan in the original, Eighter in the dub), and the most adorable scene of the two playing in the snow happens. I swear, I could watch a whole movie of Goku and 8 playing in the snow. Anyways, Goku says goodbye to 8 and they eventually run into the Sea Turtle, who needs help returning to the sea. The gang do so, and the turtle brings them Roshi, who gives Goku the Flying Nimbus, Bulma a Dragon Ball, and Oolong the sight of Bulma's privates. ...makes sense in context, but no less icky. ...or hilarious. Bulma is excited to have all but one Dragon Ball now, but the Red Ribbon Army, now more of a navy, attack! Roshi takes most of them out with a Kamehameha, and Goku takes out the rest with one of his own. ...and then Goku is knocked out by a missile. Oops. Blue takes Bulma, Oolong, Roshi, the turtle, Yamcha, Puar, and the Dragon Balls back to Commander Red, totally missing Goku and the Dragon Ball he has. When Goku comes to, he takes off on Nimbus to attack the Red Ribbon base head on, wiping out ALL of them! Wow! However, Staff Officer Black alone survived, and dons a mech to take out Goku once and for all. But then 8 flies in to save Goku, sacrificing himself to do so. Goku, shocked and saddened at the loss of his new friend, tears up, begins crying, and let's out the mightiest of screams, powering him up something fierce. And doing so for 8, Goku fires a giant Kamehameha, killing Black. Goku is still saddened over the loss of 8, and so asks Shen Long, when he's summoned, to bring 8 back, but without the bomb. the movie ends on Goku's ecstatic expression as 8 is returned.
This movie... man, I love this movie so dang much. The visuals are amazing, the soundtrack is pretty good, the atmosphere is perfect, and it just is oozing with charm. That final scene where Goku is screaming in sadness and rage, powering up as he does so... that is one of my favorite Dragon Ball moments ever. The film is definitely not perfect, of course. The wrap up is rather quick, Yamcha is completely useless in this movie, the movie love's fan service WAY too much, and despite some changes you could argue that this follows the original too much. However, none of these stop me from enjoying this film. If you haven't definitely check it out. I think it may be a good jumping on point for Dragon Ball as well.
FINAL THOUGHTS
These 3 films are the end of an era, and I think they're a great way to go. Fusion Reborn provides a good example of mindless, action packed fun, Wrath of the Dragon provides some of the best stand alone Dragon Ball storytelling while still having a great action movie, and Path to Power finishes it all off by bringing it all back to it's roots and showing that you don't need to have a Z in your name or create all new villains to have a great film.
And what a ride these 17 films provide. There are ups, there are downs, but in the end these films provided a very different kind of Dragon Ball experience, one that couldn't be replicated in the manga or T.V. series. While I don't always enjoy them, I do have a great deal of respect for what these films did and continue to do for my favorite series of all time. We aren't done with the movies yet, but considering how this marks the end of an era, I felt it was right to take a moment and reflect on that.
When next we meet, however, we jump ahead 17 years to the next batch of Dragon Ball films, and this time Toriyama is helping them! Woo! So grab some Beer and put it in the Freezer, next time is the Super Duology!
I am The R2 Dude, and this is The R2 View!
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