Category: Anime review

Dragonball Z: The World’s Strongest

dbz worlds strongest

So, you ever want to see the one and only Goku fight a giant ass robot with an insane huge human brain in it? Well, if you have, then here’s a movie for you.

A scientist named Dr. Kochin is out searching for the Dragonballs, while Gohan and Oolong just so happen to be. Kochin’s wish: to shatter the mountain of ice encasing his master, the cybernetic behemoth Dr Wheelo who plan on transplanting his massive brain into the world’s strongest body. Kochin sends his freakish trio of Bio-men to at first attack Master Roshi, who was originally the world’s strongest. After being defeated, Kochin turns him over. Next goes Piccolo. Finally Goku, Krillin, and Gohan are lured there to save there friends, but can they stop Wheelo?

I have to admit, with the exception of Bio-Broly, this is my least favorite of the DBZ movies. The plot is meh. Wheelo and Kochin aren’t too memorable as villains,  but the Bio-men were pretty cool. I kind of had to laugh, when taken over there eyes turn bright pink and they look high as hell. Honestly, the movie is pretty forgettable and it’s fair to skip. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

Dragonball Z: The Dead Zone

dbz dead zone

Like many anime, Dragonball Z has more than it’s fair share of movies ranging from awesome to crap. Dead Zone is the first and takes place around the Saiyan saga. While most aren’t cannon, many fit well enough into cannon they can be said to be. Dead Zone is actually cannon and starts the story of Garlic Jr.

Goku and his family are hanging around, living there lives when Goku comes home from fishing one day to find Chi-chi knocked out and Gohan gone. he was taken hostage because of the Dragonball on his hat and because he fought back. Goku tracks him down with Krillin at his side only to find it’s a group of monstrous warriors lead by Garlic Jr, the son of an ancient enemy of Kami’s and by extension Piccolo who jumps in after getting attacked. Garlic Jr seems to be on the ropes until he transforms and unleashes the power of the Dead Zone which destroyed his father, but help comes from a unlikely force…

Dead Zone isn’t terrible but isn’t great. The action isn’t really special but the fight between Kami and Garlic Jr is pretty cool. The story is fairly basic and is a pretty quick watch. Gohan has a moment at the end, that does play a part in things to come later which is pretty cool. In the end, Dead Zone is fine and worth a watch for the hardcore DBZ fans. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dragonball Z ( The Saiyan Saga)

dbz 1   June is here and 2019 is half over. A part of my New Year’s resolution was to bring us more varied reviews. As a kid, I loved cartoons but my childhood friend Violet, like much of what’s brought me to this point, helped me discover something brand new: anime. Blood, tons of fights, flashing lights, and a complex story of complex characters we care about; this was a whole new world for me. It would be much later in later when I’d journey farther into anime ( unsure it was a genre at the time and merely thinking it was just an anomaly) So let’s begin to start the epic saga that is Dragonball Z…

Years after Dragonball ended, Goku defeated Piccolo and the world was safe. He settled down with Chi-chi and had there son Gohan, named after Goku’s grandpa. His old friends are having a get-together at old Master Roshi’s place, so Goku and Gohan set out to meet them. Meanwhile, an alien crash lands on Earth, and searches out Piccolo on accident, mistaking him for someone named “Kakarot”. This alien is a Saiyan named Radditz and he’s looking for his brother- Goku. After kidnapping Gohan, Goku and Piccolo have to team up to face Radditz, just barely beating him but not without a heavy cost. Goku dies and Radditz promises two more Saiyans will  come to earth in search of the mystical Dragonballs in a years time. Goku’s friends: Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chotzu and Yajarobe train with Kami as Goku had as a child. Piccolo, after seeing the incredible power inside him during the fight against Radditz, takes Gohan for training. Meanwhile Goku journeys  across Snake Way in search of King Kai for training. The time passes and the Saiyans arrive, Vegeta and Nappa, and as promised there powers go far beyond Radditz. With Goku wished back, can the Z fighters last against the terrible duo?

The Saiyan saga is the first season of DBZ and as you’d expect, it’s a bit slower and more adventure based but no less awesome. My favorite character to follow was Piccolo, starting as the villain who begrudgingly helps his enemy out of necessity and develops a heart through helping Gohan. The final fight between Goku and Vegeta will go down as one of anime’s greatest battles but the Radditz and Nappa fights are also pretty badass. The season is a slow burn but it’s a hell of a climax and the characters and adventure are well worth the time. In the end, for new anime fans it’s a must watch. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

Batman: Hush trailer 1

When I heard that Hush was going to be the next DC animated movie, I was pretty excited. Originally I was under the understanding it was going to be R rated and at first I was bummed. Regardless the animation and voice acting looks solid and I think it would be a cool, though my main fear is it being watered down. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Addams Family trailer 1

As a kid I loved the hell out of the Addams Family and the movies that came out in the 90’s, but I have to admit I was kind of bewildered that we were getting a animated movie in 2019. While I like the opening of the trailer, I wasn’t too impressed with the rest of it. I think there is talent in the cast but I’ve never been a fan of this kind of animation. I giggled at the Pennywise joke I have to admit it. I would find myself watching this just because of how much I liked the original, but I don’t have really high hopes. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay

suicide squad h2p

Suicide Squad was one of the movies said to break the DCEU; Savior and I are perfect examples of polarizing opinions on the movie ( ( second opinion) Suicide Squad ). Well, I’m happy to say DC gave us a animated option if you weren’t a fan of the live action…

We see Task Force X, the Suicide Squad, at work again under the command of Amanda Waller. After a successful mission, Waller gets some hard news- she has a terminal illness. She assembles a new crew consisting of Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Copperhead, Bronze Tiger, and Killer Frost to obtain a mystical card that automatically grants whoever holds it at death free access into Heaven. If tensions weren’t high enough with such a despicable, volatile team but they are being hunted down by a gang of super-powered freaks led by a desperate Reverse Flash while the card is in the immortal, cruel hands of Vandal Savage. Can Task Force X pull themselves together and survive this road trip from hell?

Admittedly, after about 20 minutes in I wish this was the movie we got on screen. Instead of the neon mess we got in live action, Hell to Pay goes for a more Grindhouse style that is much more fitting. It’s way bloodier, a lot more dark humored, and much more grounded which was damn welcome. Savage and Reverse Flash are much better villains to face the squad, which may I add the squad’s load-out is much more fitting. The voice acting and score are really well done and while there are some pacing issues here and there, it’s a cool movie I recommend. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

DB Super: Broly trailer 3

After DragonBall Super movie: Broly trailer and those that followed, despite popular opinions, I’m not thrilled how Broly is being done in this movie. Not to say I don’t think it will be a badass movie, I’m just saying Broly’s new origin doesn’t really grab me so much. Still, I’m excited to see Broly come back and be cannon at last. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Reign of the Supermen trailer

Almost 2 weeks ago we got the first trailer for Reign of the Supermen, the third story in the Death of Superman story. After Superman dies, 4 new figures emerge attempting to fill his mantle but not all of them maybe a force for good. I always wanted to read it because it was the debut of Steel. The trailer looks good and I’m curious how it’ll go. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Teen Titans Go!

teen titans go

Here we come to the exact opposite of the Titans live action trailer , a goofy comedy featuring respected characters Robin, Cyborg, BeastBoy, Starfire, and Raven in there whacky adventures. That’s pretty much the gist of it. This is in no way like the classic Teen Titans ; this isn’t a show with complex characters and storylines. The characters are pretty much simplified and dumbed down and there is no real super hero stuff. What we get is a real trippy WTF show that pokes fun at the genre, characters, and DC itself. In season 1 alone I saw a Kaiju sized burrito fight a giant robot burger, Robin in a sped making some pretty damn adult fish jokes, and poor Starfire getting screwed at least half a dozen times by her asshole friends because she ain’t from earth. That being said, as much as I want to hate this show, I can’t. I laugh a lot and it’s got a fun, colorful art style and I like the jabs they make at other DC characters. Is the show stupid, yeah. Will it piss off fans of the classic, oh yeah. But it’s just a fun show that ain’t for all, but alright in doses. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract

teen titans judas contract

After the sad disappointment and utter outrage over the Titans live action trailer I needed some sort of balance to bring me back to my nostalgic teen love of the show. the Judas Contract is one of there most famous storylines, done amazingly on Teen Titans discreetly over 3 seasons. Also in my My Top 10 favorite DC villains- part 1 post, I brought up Terra, who this story centers around. So what makes this a great story?

The Teen Titans are a group of powerful youths out to do good on the world. Led by veteran Titans Nightwing and StarFire, they are joined by Blue Beetle, BeastBoy, Raven, Robin, and Terra who are on a mission to thwart a religious zealot called Brother Blood and his rising cult. While the battle against Blood seems to be going alright, life ain’t easy for the Titans. Nightwing and Starfire announce there relationship to the group, Beetle is distanced from his family by the temperamental alien Scarab that grants  him his power, BeastBoy crushes hard on the rough, edgy Terra who Robin doesn’t trust. Robin’s suspicion turn out to be true when Terra and super badass mercenary Deathstroke take him out; together they have infiltrated the Titans with Terra as a spy, hired by Blood to dismantle them cruelly for his ultimate plan. Hearts are broken and the Titans face a threat from within…

The live action Titans should seriously learn from this movie. Like the early 2000’s show, there’s a well done balance between light and dark moments. The biggest plus is the characters are really well flushed out and the action scenes are pretty epic. I kinda wish Raven had more to do and I think Terra’s betrayal was done a lot better in the show but her back story is dark is hell. What I admire is the movie does go over some really dark shit but it does stay balanced. It’s a really good animated film that’s paced well I recommend checking out. May the gaming gods bring you glory.