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Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods is the 18th Japanese animated feature film based on the Dragon Ball series. It is the first Dragon Ball movie in 17 years to have a theatrical release worldwide. Battle of Gods is the first film in the series to be considered an official part of the Dragon Ball manga storyline.

Following the events from the Dragon Ball Z television series, after the defeat of Majin Buu, a new power awakens and threatens humanity. Beerus, an ancient and powerful God of Destruction, searches for Goku after hearing rumors of the Saiyan warrior who defeated Frieza. Realizing the threat Beerus poses to their home planet, the Z-fighters must find a way to stop him before it's too late. Only Goku, humanity’s last hope, can ascend to the level of a legendary Super Saiyan God and stop Beerus from destroying Earth, and possibly the entire universe! Fans of Dragon Ball Z, one of the most successful anime brands of all time, will be delighted to know that Battle of Gods is an original work from the Dragon Ball creator himself, Akira Toriyama.

The Movie

Being almost two decades since the final episode of the Dragon Ball Z series aired, expectations are high for Battle of Gods. Not only does it have to deal with the franchise’s complex continuity and massive cast of existing characters but it also must provide enough evolution to justify its existence and prove that it’s more than a quick money grab by the companies involved or just blatant fan service.

Thankfully Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods for the most part succeeds. Set towards the end of the TV series, Battle of Gods manages to sneak in appearances by a surprisingly large number of fan favorite characters which provides a great chance to revisit classic dynamics – such as Bulma and Vegeta’s bickering – while building towards potential future movies or series with several story developments like a pregnancy and the introduction of two characters that, while initially appearing as simply more powerful aliens for Goku to fight, are revealed by the end of the film to be carriers of certain revelations that not only add a significant amount of game changing content to the Dragon Ball canon but leaves the viewer excited for more future Dragon Ball Z movies like the recently announced, Dragon Ball Z: The Worst Wish in the World which is due for release in 2015.

Interestingly enough while these two new characters, Beerus and Whis are new to the franchise a surprising amount of the hour and a half runtime is dedicated to them. This isn’t too much of an issue though as both have fantastic character designs and screen presence and are superbly voiced by Jason Douglas and Ian Sinclair respectively. The same can’t be said for the bizarre choice to dedicate so much screen time to all of the younger child characters though, whose storylines ultimately result in very little plot progression or character development for anyone. With so many fantastic characters present, it seems like such a strange creative decision to focus on them while several adult characters being so criminally underused.

Once the fighting starts in earnest though, Goku takes center stage as he battles to become powerful enough to save Earth from Beerus who has promised to destroy it. It’s not the animation that leaves a lasting impact though nor is it the fight choreography. Instead, as is typical with Dragon Ball Z, the main appeal of the fights are the characters involved, in this case the almost teacher and apprentice-like relationship that grows between the two warriors. It’s an interesting dynamic that’s completely unexpected though is incredibly satisfying and makes perfect sense due to the fact that previously Goku didn’t really have anywhere to go as a character or with his power level. Now with a new level to aim for, the introduction of characters that are more powerful than him and the introduction of a new teacher figure, audiences are once again reintroduced to a Goku that’s much more relatable than the near omnipotent super being that he had become.

Who Should Watch?

Fans of both the Dragon Ball Z manga and anime should check out Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods which has been confirmed as an official continuation of both mediums.

While most of the fighting is on the same level as the series and previous movies there is a scene involving very young characters (though adults who are now in child forms) shooting a loaded gun at an adult and injuring a pregnant woman with one bullet while another hits a character directly in the forehead. Though the woman is quickly healed by magic and the other character not actually harmed by the bullet at all, parents of young children may want to watch the film first by themselves to judge if it’s suitable for their children.

Overall

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods gives long-time fans a chance to catch up with their favorite characters while introducing several new exciting elements to the lore that set the stage for future Dragon Ball Z adventures.

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