The story is simple enough, and frankly it works better by being so easy to digest. Bills is the god of destruction. He is presented as being the strongest entity in existence. He wakes up every dozen or so years to destroy a few planets, and then goes back to sleep. Our hero Goku learns of Bills existence, and decides that fighting him sounds like a good time. If you are familiar with the show, you know Goku is not the smartest guy around. But taking on a god and potentially pissing him off in the process is pretty much what we would expect from him. Bills has a dream before he sets out though, that there is a Super Saiyan God somewhere, and he will finally be able to give him a great fight. Saiyans are a alien race that was wiped out a long time ago. Only a handful remain, 5 of which live on earth and comprise of the major characters in the show. The movie is about Bills trying to find his Saiyan God, while enjoying his time on earth and deciding if he should destroy it or not.
One thing I have always enjoyed about the Dragon Ball movies, is they don't take themselves to seriously. The Books were fairly fast paced, and while they had some comedic moments, it was not the main focus. This movie however did a great job of being both a comedy and action film. The entire first half has almost no fight in it, which was surprising given that is what the series is known for. However it remained very entertaining by relying on its humor and story telling. Bills visits Goku on King Kai's planet, and they have a very short physical encounter. While it could have been a easily forgettable scene, it was sold by the smaller details. Seeing King Kai, a god, visibly shaken by Bills presence really helped sell just how big a threat he was. This is actually a theme through out the film that just works wonderfully. The majority of the movie takes place on earth at a party. Bulma is turning 38, and being one of the richest people on the planet she throws a very extravagant party for herself. She has a Bingo game where the prizes comprise of a castle and a plane, so very rich. Four of the Five Saiyans are at the party, as she is married to one, and one is her son. So Bills ends up there enjoying the food and festivities, and for a minute it seems he will spare earth simply for the food. Vegita is aware of who Bills is, and why he is there. So we get to see a side of him we are not used to. He tries to entertain Bills, and plays advocate every time something comes up that may annoy the lord of destruction.
So after almost a hour, and no real action, the movie finally shifts into gear. Bills decides the earth is annoying, and that is all he needs to destroy it. The good guys jump into action, and get swatted down like they are nothing. I won't spoil it, but this was one of the better moments in the film. Something happens that pisses one of them off, and the first shot against Bills is finally landed in a very satisfying moment. We even get a moment where Vegita finally surpasses Goku in power...for about 5 minutes. Then Goku comes in, figures out the trick to Super Saiyan God, and transforms for the final fight. I wouldn't say the final fight was a let down, but most of the issues I had with the movie stem from that. Let us just say for now, the finish was lacking. But the actual ending to the film was enjoyable, and continues the theme that action was not the main focus of this particular movie. I don't know if it sets up a future movie, but if another one comes they could incorporate this movie easily enough.
As for those issues, I want to start with animation. I have not seen a anime movie in a few years, so I am not sure if it is a new trend or not. But they mixed traditional animation with 3d animation in this movie. Most of the movie was traditional, however the city and battle grounds were 3d for the most part. Also when Goku goes into his God form, his aura was 3d. For the most part, the 3d animation did not look bad. But when movement was brought into play, it all fell apart. The way the traditional art flows, does not match up with the 3d models. It creates a very jarring effect that took me out of the action. When Goku and Bills are flying around at high speeds, it appeared as if the backgrounds were movie in different directions then they were. Or maybe a better way to say it would be, the characters movements did not appear to match what was happening in the background. Another example was Goku's Aura, or energy radiating from his body. In god form it looks almost as if his body is engulfed in flames. This is a common thing in the series, but the aura was always animated before by hand. It made it easier to match the bodies movements, and it looked natural. With the 3d flames, we get the same issues we had with the 3d backgrounds. It does not move correctly, and it just looks odd when Goku moves or fights. When he fights outside of God form though, it reverts back to the traditional animated aura. We also get by far the best minute of fighting in the entire movie at this point. The animation is so smooth, and everything flows and looks right. The music gears up, and really sells the moment. It was a stark contrast to the last few moments and really made the 3d animation flaws stand out. I don't know why they used that sort of animation for God form. Maybe it was cheaper, or maybe it is easier, but it detracts from the overall product.
So we get a Dragon Ball movie light on action, but heavy one story. Though to be fair, after 17 years that does seem like the best option. It was like seeing a old friend again, and I very much enjoyed it for that. There are plenty of stand out moments, from Drunk Gohan to Bulma going off on a God. There was even a Emperor Pilaf story tossed in. I also really enjoyed the new Villain of Bills. He was funny, and very charismatic. I actually had trouble viewing him as a bad guy because of this. Yes he kills planets and the people on them, but you never really see that.
If you are a fan, or were a fan, you owe it to yourself to check it out. You won't be disappointed. The Blue ray can be bought on amazon.com right now, but be aware it does not have English Subtitles. I do not know when the full English version will come out, but they have announced it will happen.
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