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

[Herms]

I feel like it's the job of a journalist to be informed on what they're reviewing.

Yeah, certainly if you're reviewing something professionally it's rather important to put some work into the review. Otherwise what are you getting paid for?

I really don't see how the term isn't applicable. The scenes in question are silly, pompous and ridiculous moments of light humour - exactly what is contentious about the use of the word 'camp' as way of encapsulating those descriptions?

Well, I don't see how those scenes are pompous, or have any elements specifically associated with camp. It seems like the reviewer is treating "campy" as merely another word for "humorous" or "silly".

[Flame Dragon]

Just in what way is Pilaf presence needed in the film? Asking because i don't remember the movie that well.
Beerus got pissed off because of Buu, not Pilaf.

I mean... I just don't see what Pilaf contribuited to the plot, other than obvious DB "Nostalgia".

[Gaffer Tape]

Well, besides being just plain hilarious and giving memorable and interesting moments to other characters who otherwise would have had absolutely nothing of consequence to do (Dende, Gohan, Trunks, just to name a few), as AjayLikesGaming says, it's through his subplot that the idea of Videl being pregnant is first revealed to the audience, which makes her reveal to the cast later on feel much more natural. But while Boo was the final straw that broke Beerus, the Pilaf plot came very, very close, both because Beerus thought it was destruction-worthy for a bunch of adults to stand around casually while kids are threatening each other with gun play, and because he's ultimately shot as well. In that regard, it helped maintain tension during the fun party scenes. You should have heard my theatre collectively gasp when Mai dropped her Dragon Ball. So also we have the Pilaf plot to thank for Vegeta's Bingo song, which is another of the highlights of the film.

In short, the Pilaf subplot made the film much more memorable and interesting than it otherwise would have been. In fact, given all I was able to come up with there, it might be the single most important thing in the film!

[Bullza]

He offered nothing to the movie. He was always one of DB's worst villains and they just randomly drudged him up out of nowhere only to make him even worse. All of the trio's screentime should have gone to Gohan or Piccolo or just plot that mattered.

I'm sure he was just added to appeal to kids under the age of 10 though. Hopefully they don't pull that nonsense with the next movie.

[VegettoEX]

You say "He offered nothing to the movie" right after Gaffer Tape outlined some very clear contributions. Are you interested in having this conversation or not?

I'm sure he was just added to appeal to kids under the age of 10 though. Hopefully they don't pull that nonsense with the next movie.

It was originally going to be a random group of thugs, and Toriyama recommended they use Pilaf. I don't see how that's anything other than helping contribute to the "all-star cast" (as Yūsuke Watanabe put it) in that it would appeal to longtime/existing fans of the franchise.

The Kaori Matsumoto cameo? That is something that adds absolutely nothing. Similar dialog is said by other random onlookers, and it's particularly jarring when shown to a foreign audience who would never recognize her when it zooms right up on her.

[Bullza]

You say "He offered nothing to the movie" right after Gaffer Tape outlined some very clear contributions.

They're worthless. For one thing he wasn't funny to begin with, maybe five year olds found it funny when he drew a poo but that's it. If they wanted humour it could have gone to characters that are relevant and people actually like such as Krillin or Goku who just disappears from the entire middle part of the movie.

Videl told people she was pregnant herself so the whole thing with Pilaf being the cause of her getting shot which led to Dende finding out and them keeping it a secret was completely pointless when everyone knew 20 minutes afterwards anyway. They could have simply have had Mr Satan get drunk and shoot at Gohan if they had to have that scene.

Likewise the whole tension and Bingo scene could have still happened if Mr Satan fired the shot.

Then 10 minutes of crap involving a baby Pilaf trying to steal the Dragon Balls yet again and Trunks having a crush with a old woman turned child could have been taken out and the time could have been spent on improving the story or seeing more of the other characters.

[Gaffer Tape]

He offered nothing to the movie. He was always one of DB's worst villains and they just randomly drudged him up out of nowhere only to make him even worse. All of the trio's screentime should have gone to Gohan or Piccolo or just plot that mattered.

I'm sure he was just added to appeal to kids under the age of 10 though. Hopefully they don't pull that nonsense with the next movie.

Sorry you feel that way, but I vehemently disagree. Pilaf and co. were among the series' most memorable villains, and I am way, way, way over the age of 10, and it greatly appealed to me. And while on one hand it is a bit disappointing in a sense that they got far and away more screen time than most of the main cast, what they did with them was so much fun I can't complain.

Since I made my last post, I actually thought up another function that they serve in this movie, and that's due to my remembrance of the audience so loudly gasping when Mai dropped her Dragon Ball. And it actually amazed me when I realized it. They're the audience viewpoint characters! For much of the second act, we're seeing the plot largely through their eyes. I think this is part of the reason they've lost the limitless wealth they had in the main series. It makes it easier for us to relate to them. They might be doing unscrupulous things, but they're presented as the average people who have normal reactions to all the crazy shit going on. Rich people giving away castles. Weirdos asking to be shot. It's all completely insane, and it's Pilaf of all people who's the one pointing all of this out. It's brilliant.

For one thing he wasn't funny to begin with, maybe five year olds found it funny when he drew a poo but that's it.

Yeah, tell that to my theatre, which was composed almost entirely of adults, who were in stitches almost the entire time Pilaf was onscreen, and, as I've already said twice, seriously connected to them and their plot.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I can't help but find any complaints about something in anything Dragon Ball 'being aimed at 10 year olds' being a bad thing, because...have...you forgotten who the target audience really is? Sure, they want to appeal to us older fans who have been along for the entire ride, but essentially we're all still a bunch of adults watching a kid's show, don't forget.

And seeing as how Pilaf is also one of my favorite villains (right up there with General Blue, Freeza, and now Beerus), I agree pretty much 100% with Gaffer. The trio may have gotten a little too much focus in the film, but they still brought a lot to the table and led to some great humorous moments leading up to Beerus' eventual anger outburst. Heck, if they hadn't been running around causing problems already, maybe Vegeta wouldn't have been chilling when Boo pissed off Beerus, and the entire final conflict - the stuff that a lot of fans seem to care about more than anything else for the movie - wouldn't have happened at all.

Now that I think about it though, it would have been kind of nice for Shu to get a moment alone somewhere in all of this chaos though. We got plenty of Pilaf due to him being the main character of the trio, and Mai got her chance to shine with the whole Trunks sub-plot, but Shu didn't really get to do anything.

[Kid Buu]

I think it's funny that people complain the Alien character overwhelm the screentime that should go to Earthling characters, but when it does happen, people complain the Earthling characters screentime should go to the Alien character.

[KentalSSJ6]

I think it's funny that people complain the Alien character overwhelm the screentime that should go to Earthling characters, but when it does happen, people complain the Earthling characters screentime should go to the Alien character.

Some people you just cant please.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

Kid Buu, BoG is your most hated movie ever ahead of Evolution?

[Kid Buu]

I didn't think Evolution as too bad. The film started off interesting but the villains weren't developed enough and the climax was weak.

[Blade]

I didn't think Evolution as too bad. The film started off interesting but the villains weren't developed enough and the climax was weak.

Yeah, and then there's the piss poor dialogue, unintelligibly fast narrative pacing and awful acting - but hey, Goku's costume looked pretty cool!

[El Diabeetus]

I didn't think Evolution as too bad. The film started off interesting but the villains weren't developed enough and the climax was weak.

Yeah, and then there's the piss poor dialogue, unintelligibly fast narrative pacing and awful acting - but hey, Goku's costume looked pretty cool!

Goku's dougi is the only good thing about Evolution.

[Kid Buu]

But Emmy Rossum is hot!

[ABED]

This felt a lot like a Marvel movie - it's a lot of fun, a good amount of humor, some solid action, and enjoyable characters. This might be my favorite DB movie out of all of them.

[Hellspawn28]

I can't help but find any complaints about something in anything Dragon Ball 'being aimed at 10 year olds' being a bad thing, because...have...you forgotten who the target audience really is? Sure, they want to appeal to us older fans who have been along for the entire ride, but essentially we're all still a bunch of adults watching a kid's show, don't forget.

Pretty much this. People seem to forget that DBZ is a kids series in Japan. In America, the series is market to a bit older audience since it seems like more teens and young adults buy DBZ stuff over kids. I see nothing with funny gag moments since the show is for all ages.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

But Emmy Rossum is hot!

Yea, this is probably the only thing DBE got right if I recall. Yano it's been a while, I see the blu-rays are going around for £2. Just maybe...

[Super Sonic]

But Emmy Rossum is hot!

So are most of the female cast of the Funi dub, but we don't go making a big fuss over it. (Not surprised someone would say something about that)

On topic, saw the movie last night and enjoyed it, but also noticed in the additional voices credit, it mentioned Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. (Major Matoko from Ghost in a Shell SAC). Anyone know who she was?

[theoriginalbilis]

On topic, saw the movie last night and enjoyed it, but also noticed in the additional voices credit, it mentioned Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. (Major Matoko from Ghost in a Shell SAC). Anyone know who she was?

She was the motorcycle cop.