Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

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Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by Xagani » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:44 am

Out of the 17 movies for Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, which one would you consider the best out of them all?
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by Cold Skin » Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:36 am

I have special affection for movie 9.
For some reason, it was entertaining from beginning to end, you don't see time go by.
The refreshing tournament that turns into a trap, the battle with Bojack's team in unusual settings, Gohan's splendid supremacy at the end, Goku playing nothing more than a supportive role in a movie that acknowledges Gohan is now the main hero, story that could legitimately happen, etc...

But it's hard too choose when you think about movie 12 and 13 too.
Movie 12 was very entertaining as well, unusual setting too, serious adversary, all previous bad guys making a cameo, story that unfolds both in the Other World and on Earth, lots of humour, magnificent dead-serious Gogeta...
Movie 13 had a compelling story that was very developped, probably the most developped out of all movies... Nice characters too, like Tapion. Ensemble cast with all main warriors being involved: Goku, Gohan, Gotenks, Trunks having a big-brother sub-story... Coherent to the point of having Gohan not transforming into a Super Saiyan, could actually have happened in the story.

So it's a tough one. I have special affection for movie 9, but more objectively, I would probably say movie 13 if someone asked me "what is the movie that deserves the title of best DB movie?"

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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by VegettoEX » Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:47 am

All of the movies are pretty light on story and development -- they almost have to be just to fit in to the roughly one hour time frame they have.

But that's what I really dig about both DBZ Movie 1 (Garlic Jr.) and DBZ Movie 9 (Bojack). They attempt to tie in the larger Dragon World and the universe's history into the mix, but in a way that still fits and feels like a genuine "whole" in that short run time.

Perhaps they go on to explain things that we don't really need explained (e.g., how is the title of God passed down on a planet?), but it still fleshes things out just enough but not too much.

I like DBZ Movie 9 a lot, as well, due to both that tie-in-the-world thing (the Kaiō sealing away Bojack in the past and it coming back to bite them on the ass when Goku makes North Kaioō go asplodin') but also (and I can't believe I'm saying this) the fact that it actually fits into the standard story (manga/anime). I don't mind the side-story nature of the movies; don't get me wrong. I really do. I think it's fun. I don't get hung up on continuity. But I also like that at least one of the movies can fit in like this and flesh out the world just a little more.

Also, those two movies have some bad-ass music. M816 (Dead Zone being created / Goku goes Super Saiyan) is amazing. M1618 (Vegeta's violin theme variation) is haunting.

I have fun with other movies (DBZ Movie 7 just for lots of gold hair punching and shopping mall shenanigans), but DBZ Movies 1 & 9 really tickle my fancy.
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by TheMightyOzaru » Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:52 am

Favorite one? Hmm.... I have to say Movie 5.
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by TheRed259 » Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:57 am

Bardock : Father of Goku .

The movie was definitely dramatic and moving !!
Last edited by TheRed259 on Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:17 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by Rory » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:08 am

I tend to go to the final (90's) Z film. Hildegarn might not have been the most compelling villain, but I like how that movie isn't really about the villain himself, it kinda' breaks Dragon Ball movie mold, and is about the character it introduces. Tapion is cool as shit, has a really interesting back-story, and he's totally tsudenre towards Trunks. I like his character overall, and how he's willing to do anything to keep the demon within him contained (even begging Trunks near the climax). The film feels so different from the others, the plot, pacing, and character interactions just feel so detached from 'New bad guy appears, look at how strong he is, god damn', and moments such as Tapion's late night conversation with Bulma (bow chickah) feel really genuine. Not to mention, it being the final Z movie (of the 90's) really helped it in looking the part, especially that Dragon Box footage.

On the flip side, I also love the first movie. I won't go repeating everything VegettoEX said, but that's all very true. I also feel this had the best choreography out of any Dragon Ball film (and probly' any piece of Dragon Ball animation), the fight between Gokuh and Garlic's hench men is just gorgeous to behold (right down to Gokuh's hair being cut off as he dodges a swipe of a sword).
I adore the first 3 movies really, and actually prefer to watch them dubbed (Peter Kelamis man, Peter fucking Kelamis).
But yeah, if I had to settle, I'd likely say it's between the first or last Z movie.
TheRed259 wrote:Bardock : Father of Goku .

The movie was definitely dramatic and moving !!
S'not a movie man. :P
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by VegettoEX » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:14 am

Oh man, you're so right on about the choreography. I think DBZ Movie 1 has the most and the best, but I gotta give a shout-out to DBZ Movie 2 with Goku versus Piccolo. That backhand to the face is spectacular.
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by TonyTheTiger » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:25 am

DBZ Movie 3 has always appealed to me...but only after seeing it on home video. Back when DBZ was airing on Sunday mornings they had a nasty little habit of showing Tree of Might at what appeared to be completely random intervals. It wasn't until the next "real" episode aired that I realized it indicated that the entire season's worth of episodes started over. This happening at least two or three times led me to actually despise the movie on the grounds that whenever I saw it I was conditioned to associate it with the progress of the series stopping cold.

Once I broke out of this and was able to appreciate the movie on its own merits there's a ton of stuff to like. First off, any movie that includes the expanded cast in (somewhat) meaningful roles is A+ in my book. I also like the idea the movie toyed with of the path not taken, what Goku could have become. I actually wish they teased it out a bit more than they did.

I do like Movie 9 a lot. It just works as a great passing the torch moment. I know it's a retread of Cell but as a Gohan fan, particularly the unique Movie 9 look, I really enjoy it.

Movie 1 for being arguably the last point in the franchise to play up the whimsy of the world until maybe the early episodes of GT.

Movie 12 is easily one of my favorites for just being completely clownshit. And Janemba's teleportation just looks awesome.

Movie 2 gets less love than I think it deserves, too. It's just kinda weird. The story doesn't feel very Dragon Ball at all but I think that actually works to its benefit. Plus Goku running through a mad scientist's gauntlet of doom nicely harkens back to Muscle Tower.

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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by TheBlackPaladin » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:43 pm

In my humble opinion, all of the post-Super Saiyan DBZ movies were a downgrade. Not to the point of being beyond enjoyment, but I couldn't help but notice a dip in the quality of the fight choreography when Toei just started relying on the Super Saiyan transformation to solve everything.

Otherwise, my opinions have already been stated by others.
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by TheRed259 » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:58 pm

TheBlackPaladin wrote:In my humble opinion, all of the post-Super Saiyan DBZ movies were a downgrade. Not to the point of being beyond enjoyment, but I couldn't help but notice a dip in the quality of the fight choreography when Toei just started relying on the Super Saiyan transformation to solve everything.

If it wasn't for Super Saiyans , we would watch Genki-Dama's triumph over and over again ... :D
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by TheBlackPaladin » Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:07 pm

TheRed259 wrote:
TheBlackPaladin wrote:In my humble opinion, all of the post-Super Saiyan DBZ movies were a downgrade. Not to the point of being beyond enjoyment, but I couldn't help but notice a dip in the quality of the fight choreography when Toei just started relying on the Super Saiyan transformation to solve everything.

If it wasn't for Super Saiyans , we would watch again Genki-Dama's triumph over and over again ... :D
Very true, but all the fighting that led up to them would probably be better.
A "rather haggard" translation of a line from Future Gohan in DBZ, provided to FUNimation by Toei:
"To think of fighting that is this fun...so, it was pleasant fight, as many as, therefore is a feeling which is good the fight where."

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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by eledoremassis02 » Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:53 pm

DBZ movies 1&2 and I like 12&13 for specials it would be bardock

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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by NeoKING » Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:07 pm

TheBlackPaladin wrote:In my humble opinion, all of the post-Super Saiyan DBZ movies were a downgrade. Not to the point of being beyond enjoyment, but I couldn't help but notice a dip in the quality of the fight choreography when Toei just started relying on the Super Saiyan transformation to solve everything.

Otherwise, my opinions have already been stated by others.
I agree, but to Toei's defense, the two Cooler movies had pretty good fight scenes for SSJ films.
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by Forgotten Hero » Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:23 pm

It's a tie for me. The first two tv specials for Bardock and Trunks are the best. They just shed an interesting perspective or back story to the main DBZ plot. I also have great affection for Bardock's personality and the heroism of Gohan from Trunk's time line.
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by Gyt Kaliba » Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:27 pm

I definitely agree on the fight choreography being great in the first two DBZ movies. Dead Zone especially seems to fit, fighting-wise anyway, right in that very, very small area between the Goku/Piccolo face-off at the tournament, and the fight with Raditz, which is probably my favorite spot for the fighting. There's still lots of actual style to the fisticuffs, and still has the option for a huge energy struggle, but it's not abused yet and actually still feels like it has some weight to it.

And yeah...the abuse of the Genki Dama for a stretch of the movies still irks me a bit. It's as bad as Naruto with his freakin' Rasengan.

As for favorite movies...hmm. It's weird, I used to not care for movie 2 very much, but I find myself liking it a lot nowadays, it's so...different, from what the rest of the movies would be. I also like movie 8 a lot - that's right, the first Broly movie. Plot contrivances and 'Broly is maximum' aside, it was a longer movie that spent a good deal of it building up to the fight instead of just getting right to it like some of the other movies do. Movie 13 is probably my favorite, in concept, at least though, because it actually feels like another arc in the show in some ways. It was nice to get a new hero character instead of just a new villain for once too.

And even though they're not really 'movies', I do have to give some love to the Bardock and Trunks specials too.
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by Jackal puFF » Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:55 pm

Movie 9 and 11 for me! I just love seeing everyone fight in 9! Loved the whole tournament aspect and even seeing Yamcha and Tien fighting again. I know 11 isn't really anyone's favorite but I really like the fight scenes and character interactions between everyone in this, especially Mr. Satan with 18. Also like how 11 felt a bit like a horror movie. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the movies both have the same director too.

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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by samuraix123 » Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:26 pm

I hate topics like these because I love them all :P I really love ocean's ''The Dead Zone'' the fighting, the music, the setting of that weird castle...if I can call it that. but it's probably all around my favorite Dragonball Z movie. and that's not knocking the others but I'm sure most will agree that the first three movies with the ocean cast has a special charm to them. :D I remember when I was a kid watching the dead zone, Garlic Jr was telling everyone he was about to put them in the dead zone FOREVER! used to scare me really bad even though I knew it was just a cartoon :P
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by dprez » Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:48 pm

Even before I recently picked up the pioneer release of the first three Z movies, the first few movies were always my favorite.

All the kaio-ken/fighting scenes look fantastic, especially in "The World's Strongest", which is probably my favorite. I still need to re-watch 4-13.

I do remember loving movie 13. With Goku's epic finishing move, Trunks getting his sword and the closing credits showing Mirai Trunks. It's also probably the only movie that feels like it could fit into the story. Movie 9 seams to be popular, I look forward to that one the most now actually. A few years back me and my buddies rented the Broly movies, and fusion reborn, so those are a bit fresher in my mind. I remember watching Coola's Revenge a few years ago as well. Metal Coola, Android 13, Lord slug, Bojack and Hirudegarn, these I haven't seen in over ten years.

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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by penguintruth » Fri Nov 30, 2012 5:43 pm

Movie 9:

- Neat tournament setting (battle stages looked great, love that cityscape)
- Gohan post-Cell Games but years before Buu arc starts, SSJ2 Gohan as the hero
- Goku defying death itself for a few moments (because why not?)
- Zangya
- Mr. Satan's antics
- That fight between Trunks and Gokua
- Kikuchi's best soundtrack to date
- That final showdown
- That closing credits sequence with Gohan's childhood

I friggin' love that movie. Sure, Bojack isn't the most interesting villain (more of an obstacle than a villain), but I sure do love to see our heroes fight him.
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Re: Best Dragon Ball/Z Movie?

Post by ChahikoDBZ » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:52 pm

Although it was only a special, I still feel the need to mention History of Trunks. I enjoyed that one very much.

I pretty much enjoyed all the movies. My favorite three being Movie 8, 2, and 6. If I could only go with one it would be 8. Gohan kicks ass in that movie. I love how all the Z-Fighters work together in that movie.
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