These last ten years have been a wonderful time to be a Dragon Ball fan. It has been great to see the franchise flourish with multiple movies, a new anime series, a new manga, and plenty of video games. Even when I’ve had my misgivings with some of the content from Dragon Ball: Super, I’ve enjoyed a lot that’s come out of this new era of Dragon Ball media. The movie Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is the latest media entry and one I’ve been looking forward to watching since its announcement and subsequent showcase at the DRAGON BALL Games Battle Hour 2022 event back in February.

Let’s start off by addressing the elephant in the room. The visuals have been a big point of contention ever since they were first revealed. Although 3D CGI is used much better in modern anime series and movies, whether it’s just for a fight scene or used more heavily, the stigma of poorly implemented CGI during the 2000s remains, and the occasional awkward use in more recent works keeps it persisting. The three Dragon Ball movies preceding Super Hero also used CGI for some fight scenes and even though they got better with each entry, the scenes still stuck out like a sore thumb and felt unnecessary.

Another reason why fans have been hesitant about Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero being in CGI is very likely due to the previous movie. Dragon Ball Super: Broly was a huge hit and a big reason for that was its striking art style. Departing from that look and going with something that many have an inherent bias against was already a detriment to some.

I certainly had some reservations going in and after watching I did feel that the visuals mostly exceeded my doubts. Every character looked great in CGI and I really loved the aged-up designs that many of them have. There was only one fight where I remember the CGI looking a little iffy. Every other fight looked amazing and made fantastic use of the CGI models with some fun camera work. The visuals left me thoroughly amused when punches and blasts were being thrown around and that’s the minimum of what I want when watching anything Dragon Ball-related.

That’s unfortunately not something I can say outside of the fight scenes though as the quality was inconsistent during the exposition. Some scenes were perfectly fine and others looked off and felt like I was watching a video game cutscene. To be more precise it sometimes looked like a well-budgeted video game cutscene that still looked close to the part and was miles better than what was used in the previous movies, but was a noticeable difference to me nonetheless. For what it’s worth, I’ll also say everything looks far better in motion than what is represented with stills.

Either way, the movie was engaging enough that any questionable CGI never caught my attention for long. Part of that was due to the focus on Gohan and Piccolo as the main characters. The two have long shared a deep teacher and student bond that many would argue feels closer to a father and son relationship. Both are also fan favorites that were mostly shafted as Dragon Ball Super-related media has focused more on Goku and Vegeta over everyone else.

Putting them in the spotlight is a refreshing sight and is a key aspect of why this doesn’t feel like any previous Dragon Ball movie. They’re much different than the usual Saiyan protagonists and that’s obvious in how they tackle problems. Seeing them interact with each other or other characters is entertaining simply because we don’t see those situations as often anymore. The build-up to the climax that pits them against the villainous Red Ribbon Army just wouldn’t be the same with anybody else.

Something else that sets the movie apart is the humor. It’s always been a big staple of the series and there is a decent amount even in the more serious Dragon Ball Z anime series. For Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, it is especially apparent with a ton of visual gag humor.

Piccolo is repeatedly shown to not understand how to properly hold a phone. Carmine, the capable right-hand man of primary antagonist Magenta, sports a pompadour big enough he needs a custom car. Magenta himself is a bumbling man whose short nature is often highlighted without distinctly being called out. One of the androids has comic book-like superhero effects. All of it reminds me of how humorous the original series felt at the beginning when it was following Goku as a kid. Some may find it to be another big departure from the overall tone of the previous movie, but I absolutely loved the charm of it all.

Equally sprinkled in is a whole lot of self-aware humor. Throwaway jokes about how useful Krillin is or Piccolo wondering if Gohan needs glasses when he transforms feel like a direct acknowledgment of fan opinions and discussions. An end credits scene certainly comes across as a treat for a particular part of the fanbase, all the while poking fun at how silly it is.

A majority of this self-awareness also comes in the way of callbacks. Seemingly forgotten techniques and fan-favorite moments alike are referenced throughout. There are even some lines and scenes that attempt to provide humorous explanations for some of the popular plot inconsistencies from previous works. It’s all good fun that feels like a celebration of the franchise and its fans.

If I had to narrow down my biggest issue without going into spoilers, it would be that the final battle misses out on some huge potential. For as much as the movie treads on its own history for laughs, it also does the same for its dramatic moments. While I can understand why they didn’t go all the way in some regards, the final battle is an obvious compromise between offering something new and banking on nostalgia. It’s just so painstakingly close to the latter that it ends up feeling like a missed opportunity.

That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate what they did and everything that led up to it. The third act is action-packed and it culminates in a large and memorable fight that isn’t often seen in the franchise. Plenty of moments within that fight are outrageously fun and sure to leave any fan delighted with the spectacle before them. Putting aside my nagging thoughts of how it could have gone an extra step or at least lasted a bit longer, there’s no way I could say that the final battle and the climax aren’t satisfying.

For fans that want something new, this is a fantastic change of pace. For fans of Gohan and Piccolo specifically, this is a dream come true. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero perfectly balances its humor and action in an adventure that’s tailored-made for the heroes of the movie. The story is fine enough, but it’s the characters that stand out as highlights. Barring some awkward CGI moments and the fact that the final battle could have gone even further beyond and potentially have been even more exciting, this is definitely worth the price of a theater ticket.

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Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Gohan and Piccolo are the Focus
• Numerous References
• Self-Aware Humor
• Visual Style Compliments the Action

Cons

• A Great Final Fight Could've Been Better
• Visuals are Inconsistent in Quality Outside of Fights