Brolly, the incredibly powerful Super-Saiyan, makes a comeback of sorts in this movie. Virtually all of the characters in the film – Goten, Trunks, Vidal, and Brolly – were not cast members of the "classic" Dragonball Z lineup. While some of older characters turn up in surprise cameos, most of the film is dedicated to the newer characters of the Dragonball Z franchise. Dragonball Z: The Next Generation, perhaps?
The film is split in wildly different halves. The first half stars the younger characters and features typical Toriyama comedy. These characters are actually the preteen sons and daughters of Goku and Vegita, two of the mainstays of the Dragonball Z storylines. The second half stars Brolly, and features an extended fight sequence in which the Super-Saiyan pounds the stuffing out of his new enemies. Brolly was beaten by Goku in a previous film and since he holds a serious grudge (and since Goten is the spitting image of his father), the Super-Saiyan shows little mercy. Neither half of the movie provides anything other than fast-paced eye candy. On the other hand, both halves are incomprehensible unless you’ve seen enough Dragonball Z episodes or movies.
While the animation is often startlingly stunning, the two halves of the movie don’t quite mix. The extreme violence of the second half of the film seems even more disturbing after the relatively whimsical first half. While this may have been the creators’ intent, the radically different worldviews clash more violently than Brolly and his sparring partners. It’s almost as if someone sliced the first half of a Disney feature onto the second half of a Charles Bronson movie. The contradiction detracts from both halves of the film.
Nevertheless, fans of fast-paced martial arts will enjoy Return of Brolly. It isn’t great art, but its audience will forgive that. Those of you who would like an introduction to the Dragonball Z series would be better off watching Dragonball Z: The Movie, or some of the key episodes of the TV series.
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