Official On-Going DBZ 2013 Movie Thread: "Battle of Gods"

[Blade]

Just finished watching it and here's my honest opinion.

It was amusing, but really suffered from poor pacing. I felt like it dragged a bit too much.

I felt that 90% of the movie was Bills and Whis eating stuff. It was like a Toriko movie with the DBZ cast in it.

The humor was a bit overdone just for the sake of having humor in it. While Vegeta's dancing was funny, it felt pretty out of character for him. The Pilaf gang really didn't add anything to the movie.

The action was too spread out and too far in between. The BGM (and especially the absence of it) was also pretty lacking to capture the tension in most of the fight with Bills and Goku. Although Flow's "Hero" played during the fight was pretty awesome.

I really didn't enjoy the massive overuse of the CGI backgrounds too. I felt like I was back in 1995 again playing a terrible PC movie that tries to be a game.

I really, really, really wanted to enjoy this movie much more than I did, but I felt that it lacked the impact of the Jump Special and what made the past DBZ movies enjoyable.

I pretty much agree with all of this.

The experience felt very much the same as watching the recent One Piece movies in both animation style and storyline (and even pacing). I kind of feel like Toei is stuck in a rut right now where they are only really producing pretty bland and generic material that's only interested in playing it safe and following the same basic story template for whatever they do. You could have removed the Dragonball Z branding, packaging and characters and made this a One Piece or Toriko movie without much problem.

It's like they've got this 'one size for all' hit movie formula that they think will tick every box for every demographic.

It feels like the thought process is:

1) Promote the thing heavily with the original author's name to satisfy the hard-core fans and build spectator-ship
2) Follow the basic extremely inoffensive plot guideline and make the tone very light-hearted as to not offend anyone or risk courting an iota of controversy. This way the whole family will be happy to go see the film, and the parents will have no problem bringing younger children along.
3) Throw in a load of corny CGI backgrounds, because we want to make people think this is big budget shit when we do loads of dynamic camera stuff that we don't do on our TV shows, when really we're just skimping on having the whole thing animated as that takes longer (and costs more).

Rinse and repeat.

[Mewzard]

You know...that's pretty much how Toei's done anime adaptations since they started doing them. Toei is the cheapest, laziest animation company I've seen work from Japan. A company putting out what they do without the big names they have would have gone under long ago...Honestly, Toei is best at their original work over adaptations (I think they save the good writers for Kamen Rider and Super Sentai anyways, lol).

Without proper incentive, Toei would never do to DBZ or any big franchise what Bones did with Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, despite having what has to be 5-10x their income. They put in that minimal effort to maximize profits. You might get a GT or a Kai, but you're not getting a Brotherhood or something like that.

I do wish a company with more of a willingness to put time/money into making better adaptations would get their hands on these series'...but Toei will drag them to their graves, after they've been milked to husks.

[DBZ Mick]

While Vegeta's dancing was funny, it felt pretty out of character for him.

Wasn't that the point though? I don't think he wanted to do but was forced to, to keep Beers from getting angry and destroying the world.

[sintzu]

I really, really, really wanted to enjoy this movie much more than I did, but I felt that it lacked the impact of the Jump Special and what made the past DBZ movies enjoyable.

agree 100%

[kei17]

I really, really, really wanted to enjoy this movie much more than I did, but I felt that it lacked the impact of the Jump Special and what made the past DBZ movies enjoyable.

I guess this movie is not for those who strongly love old DBZ movies, which lack Toriyama-esque humors and real stories. It's much closer to the flavor of the original manga, especially before the Z era. They shouldn't have named this Dragon Ball "Z" after all.

IMO, the JSAT special is far from something enjoyable after watching BoG. It was fun at the time purely because it was the first Dragon Ball anime in over a decade, and now it's almost garbage if you take a dispassionate look at it.

[VyeRo]

My order status has been updated to "In Shipping process"... So this means I will probably receive my copy next week! But I'm probably going to watch it online w/boyfriend before that...yes, I know I'm weak

It's nice to see all these positive reactions. Makes me glad I decided to get my own copy!

[samuraix123]

I admit I liked the Jump Special more but that's not knocking the new movie though. I enjoyed them just sitting around taking it easy. I knew when

Spoiler:

When Bulma slapped that guy and he hit her back, Vegeta was gonna go ape on him!

Also did anyone else like the Dragonball flashbacks? Loved em

[KaiserNeko]

I really, really, really wanted to enjoy this movie much more than I did, but I felt that it lacked the impact of the Jump Special and what made the past DBZ movies enjoyable.

I guess this movie is not for those who strongly love old DBZ movies, which lack Toriyama-esque humors and real stories. It's much closer to the flavor of the original manga, especially before the Z era. They shouldn't have named this Dragon Ball "Z" after all.

IMO, the JSAT special is far from something enjoyable after watching BoG. It was fun at the time purely because it was the first Dragon Ball anime in over a decade, and now it's almost garbage if you take a dispassionate look at it.

I'm actually glad to see a comment like this, considering how... pointless the Jump Special was compared to this movie.

This movie expands greatly upon the universe, introduces a FANTASTIC new antagonist, has some stellar animation (though, as many have said, it's a tad... awkward at points), and has a ton of comedy and character. It also takes some TIME to have some fun with these characters; not just retreading the same old jokes. Gohan getting drunk, Vegeta having to placate Bills, Bulma getting to be what felt like an actual character again, Trunks having a "girlfriend", Goku flat out LOSING.

The Jump Special was just... the characters from DBZ having a party and a random alien showing up, then them beating it, padded with an absolutely dreadful scene involving radishes. Sure, Table shows up, but he doesn't bring anything new to the table. No pun intended. He's just sort of... there.

I'll agree that the pacing of the movie isn't perfect; it takes way too long for it to get down to business, but it was at least nice to have some real character interaction this time around that felt more organic and involved than any movie before it. I mean ANY. All of the other movies felt like retreads of previous arcs, making up excuses for fights that were rarely as engaging or involving as what happens in BoG.

[Dr. Machismo]

One of the things I dislike about the movie is how it adds inconsistencies/plotholes to the series and makes it unnecessarily more complicated. It's never explained if the Super Saiyan God powerup is permanent (and if it is, that's just really lame and makes you wonder why Goku would even care about fighting Uub), Vegeta's rage boost doesn't make sense (since when can a Super Saiyan/Super Saiyan 2 become more powerful than a Super Saiyan 3 ... due to just rage?) and where is Bulla? I also highly consider the Super Saiyan God to be completely unnecessary (it's yet another Saiyan legend ... but we already had the Super Saiyan for that. And going up to Super Saiyan 3 was enough).

[Scarz]

Now kind of wished I brought a copy of BoG, purely because I would've thrown a small DB party for NY fans. I'm surprised more members here didn't start a small get together to watch the movie.

[KaiserNeko]

One of the things I dislike about the movie is how it adds inconsistencies/plotholes to the series and makes it unnecessarily more complicated. It's never explained if the Super Saiyan God powerup is permanent (and if it is, that's just really lame and makes you wonder why Goku would even care about fighting Uub), Vegeta's rage boost doesn't make sense (since when can a Super Saiyan/Super Saiyan 2 become more powerful than a Super Saiyan 3 ... due to just rage?) and where is Bulla? I also highly consider the Super Saiyan God to be completely unnecessary (it's yet another Saiyan legend ... but we already had the Super Saiyan for that. And going up to Super Saiyan 3 was enough).

1. We can assume that the SSJ God power-up requires the ritual Goku undergoes. While this may not be the case, it would explain why Bills is so surprised that Goku returns to the state for that brief moment. But even if he can return to it on his own, why would that make Uub any less interesting to Goku? Uub was taking him on in his -base form- and forcing Goku to up his game, even if by a little. Why WOULDN'T Goku be fascinated by that?

2. Easily explained: In that instant, his power spiked ridiculously high because of an emotional break. It's not a huge gap in logic to believe a Super Saiyan 2 can be more powerful than a Super Saiyan 3 for a few moments if that individual lets out all of their power at once. If you'll notice, Vegeta seems to have exhausted his energy with that short attack.

3. We've actually talked about how Bra doesn't fit in: Pan might actually be older than her. It's a distinct possibility, given how vague the timeline given for their births is in the manga.

4. Okay, I'll admit: SSJ God does seem like an unnecessary legend, stacked on stop of an already well established mythos. But, the truth is? I like how it's handled.

Spoiler:

Goku doesn't like having to use it. He thinks it's a cheap way to fight against Bills and only uses it because he wants to save Earth.

It was also sort of necessary to explain how Goku could even begin to fight on par with Bills.

[TheMightyOzaru]

I wish I could buy this movie, but I'm short on cash right now . In regards to Vegeta's rage boost, he's been emotionally cold his entire life. We don't know if he's ever had the ability to unlock greater reserves of power through justified rage. Heck, he could have received a slight boost when Cell killed Trunks, we don't know. It also makes sense that Vegeta has more reserves of power than Goku because he was born to someone of a high power level, just like Goten and Trunks. Here is where I have Goku and Vegeta respectively:
SSJ3 Goku: 38,400,000,000
SSJ(2) Vegeta(Rage Boost): 48,000,000,000

[Dr. Machismo]

It was also sort of necessary to explain how Goku could even begin to fight on par with Bills.

They could have just come up with something other than the Super Saiyan God. The movie could have been different. It would be cool if the story was about two gods, a cat and a dog that once were good friends but the cat got mad at the dog for a petty reason and became evil. Somehow, the cat and dog disappear for some reason and years later, the cat and dog resurface and the cat plans to destroy the universe. The cat beats up everyone and in order to defeat the cat, the dog must merge with Goku to become a powerful god that defeats the cat. Of course, that's more like a rough outline of the story that would be added onto.

It's highly symbolic, the feud between good and evil could be symbolized by the feud between the dog and cat.

[TheMightyOzaru]

It was also sort of necessary to explain how Goku could even begin to fight on par with Bills.

They could have just come up with something other than the Super Saiyan God. The movie could have been different. It would be cool if the story was about two gods, a cat and a dog that once were good friends but the cat got mad at the dog for a petty reason and became evil. Somehow, the cat and dog disappear for some reason and years later, the cat and dog resurface and the cat plans to destroy the universe. The cat beats up everyone and in order to defeat the cat, the dog must merge with Goku to become a powerful god that defeats the cat. Of course, that's more like a rough outline of the story that would be added onto.

It's highly symbolic, the feud between good and evil could be symbolized by the feud between the dog and cat.

No... just no.

[Dr. Machismo]

It was also sort of necessary to explain how Goku could even begin to fight on par with Bills.

They could have just come up with something other than the Super Saiyan God. The movie could have been different. It would be cool if the story was about two gods, a cat and a dog that once were good friends but the cat got mad at the dog for a petty reason and became evil. Somehow, the cat and dog disappear for some reason and years later, the cat and dog resurface and the cat plans to destroy the universe. The cat beats up everyone and in order to defeat the cat, the dog must merge with Goku to become a powerful god that defeats the cat. Of course, that's more like a rough outline of the story that would be added onto.

It's highly symbolic, the feud between good and evil could be symbolized by the feud between the dog and cat.

No... just no.

I request constructive criticism on your part. It's very lighthearted, Toriyama-esque but serious, Toriyama-esque as well IMO. Of course, I should have provided more detail.

Long ago, there existed two deities: a dog and cat. The dog was the God of Creation, a being that would create planets. The cat was the God of Destruction, a being that would destroy planets for balance. The dog and cat were once allies, until the day the dog ate the cat's piece of food (or something else that's comical). Since that day, the dog and cat became sworn enemies and their feud was passed on to their descendants. Now, the current god of destruction is a cat that is highly unstable and will potentially destroy the entire Universe. It is up to the dog to stop it, but alone, it stands no chance. The dog finds Goku, who was recently defeated by the Cat but spared as the Cat wanted more of a challenge. Meanwhile, the Cat crashes Bulma's party and Vegeta recognizes the cat from the day it almost destroyed planet Vegeta. Vegeta tries to settle down the Cat down which works until Majin Buu riles it up. The cat defeats everyone and prepares to destroy Earth until Goku and the dog merge to become a powerful god that is even with the Cat in battle. Eventually, the dog and cat reconcile and leave, and the world is saved.

I think you may be focusing too much on the fact that there's a dog and cat. The story is basically about the God of Creation and God of Destruction resurfacing and the God of Creation must stop the God of Destruction. The stuff with the dog and cat is for gags.

[kei17]

I'm actually glad to see a comment like this, considering how... pointless the Jump Special was compared to this movie.

This movie expands greatly upon the universe, introduces a FANTASTIC new antagonist, has some stellar animation (though, as many have said, it's a tad... awkward at points), and has a ton of comedy and character. It also takes some TIME to have some fun with these characters; not just retreading the same old jokes. Gohan getting drunk, Vegeta having to placate Bills, Bulma getting to be what felt like an actual character again, Trunks having a "girlfriend", Goku flat out LOSING.

The Jump Special was just... the characters from DBZ having a party and a random alien showing up, then them beating it, padded with an absolutely dreadful scene involving radishes. Sure, Table shows up, but he doesn't bring anything new to the table. No pun intended. He's just sort of... there.

I'll agree that the pacing of the movie isn't perfect; it takes way too long for it to get down to business, but it was at least nice to have some real character interaction this time around that felt more organic and involved than any movie before it. I mean ANY. All of the other movies felt like retreads of previous arcs, making up excuses for fights that were rarely as engaging or involving as what happens in BoG.

I agree to every bit of what you've said here. The JSAT special was just full of replications of what we previously saw in the series and nothing really happened in it. Also, the jokes are, you know, very Koyama-esque. I mean the characters' personalities feel more anime-ish and are a little far from Toriyama's original depictions. Goku is overly depicted as a mean big eater, Kamesen'nin is just an old pervert and seriously lacks the dignity of an martial arts master, etc. On the other hand, BoG brought us so many things that really matter, and all the characters feel very animated in it. I nodded every time when characters do something, like "Yes! This is what they would do in the original manga!"

[TheMightyOzaru]

I request constructive criticism on your part.

I just hate it when fans think their ideas are superior to what already works . What you think is bull shit, I think is a neat idea. Despite what people say, I actually like SSJ God. If Humans and Namekians can have a god, the Saiyans can have one too.

[sintzu]

I really, really, really wanted to enjoy this movie much more than I did, but I felt that it lacked the impact of the Jump Special and what made the past DBZ movies enjoyable.

I guess this movie is not for those who strongly love old DBZ movies, which lack real stories.

the problim isn't that it has a real story it's that it dosen't have much fighting and what's there isn't that good and they do nothing importent in the first 43 minuts that could have been used to make the movie better in terms of adding more fights and giving the charecter's more screen time

[Dr. Machismo]

I request constructive criticism on your part.

I just hate it when fans think their ideas are superior to what already works . What you think is bull shit, I think is a neat idea. Despite what people say, I actually like SSJ God. If Humans and Namekians can have a god, the Saiyans can have one too.

And I just hate it when fans don't provide constructive criticism.

[TheMightyOzaru]

I request constructive criticism on your part.

I just hate it when fans think their ideas are superior to what already works . What you think is bull shit, I think is a neat idea. Despite what people say, I actually like SSJ God. If Humans and Namekians can have a god, the Saiyans can have one too.

And I just hate it when fans don't provide constructive criticism.

Good for you, I don't want to take the time to explain why I don't like your idea .