I think Cooler said it best, when he described super saiyans as a "all show and no substance." Well... that's exactly, how I would describe both this movie, and this franchise, as a whole! Beneath the brightness and flashiness, with pretendous epicness, there's this sullen, sunken and hollow emptiness, that I for one, just can't seem to be able to fill... and for once, I'm not sorry because of it! Let me get one thing perfectly straight! I do think, that Toriyama, is very intriguing atrist... with his stupid poses, singular face-motions, and character-styles, that'll all just blend in together, without much distinction between each other...but artist, nontherless! The namekians truly look good, same with Frieza's final form, and Cell's... first form. What I don't think he is, is a storyteller, or even capable of comprehending even the most simplest human minds, emotions and motives. His characters are just like tools for him, with very little personality, or motives, which leads him telling them, what to do, instead of them telling him, what they want to do, thus engaging the characters to grow, and develope naturally, without force, and with actual subtlety. Forcing characters to change, or stay the same, for the sake of the plot, is not very talented writing, and what comesn out of it, is just some pointlessness thrown in the air, resembeling this ultimate mess, called DBZ. Characters are so blank and unindearing, that they're like a memes from themselves - little to no personality, nor motives, with stupid/non-existent/implossible development, and stories, that are just as much actual stories, than five rounds in a row, of Street Fighter arcade-game! The show had the same problem, and so does these movies, and more I see them, the more they start to look exactly the same, with same colors, and same taste... which is the taste, of wet cardboard, soaked in piss!
But, what about the actual movie, itself? Well, sadly - not really - I have to say, that this movie, in it's 40-minutes running-time, is just another padding-session, for fans, with lots of adrenaline-boners, actual boning, and finaly, the happy ending - why, I have no idea! Cooler is basically just our "poor mans choise" for Frieza, having even less of a character, personality, or motives, than his predecessor... who, by far, was just some coward, with sadistic tendencies, and gleeful racisim. Cooler isn't even that, and I really have to wonder, how come he wasn't immediately laught at, in his stupid meccha-form, with his stupid plan to brake some shit, with his stupid Spagetti star - I don't even care, what the actual name is, anymore! Cooler has really no other motivation for his doings, but a whiny, man-childish temper-tantrum against those, who slapped him in the wrist, but, even if he actually had any real motivations to beging with, it wouldn't have made this story any more bearable... because, it wasn't! The story was so stupid, thin, and unneeded, that this movie, felt just like one of those fanfics, writen by a 13-year-old boy, which does explain alot of this franchise, if you really think about it! Maybe Akira didn't want to flesh-out his character any more, than he absolutely had to, because he already knew, that there were a lot more talented writers out there, than him, and just decided to leave the actual brainwork, for the fanfic-sites! Seriously, when you stumble upon a poorly written fanfiction, that's still better, than the original work, there's something seriously wrong! One thing this fanfic still missed though - the dragonballs! Collect them, wish this mess to go away, and just... go away! Isn't really that hard, you guys! You do this shit all the time! What's a hold up, on this one?! And why oh why, did Goku and Vegeta find it so easy to team forces together in this movie, but not in Resurrection of F - makes no sence!
And speaking of Vegeta... what was his purpose, in this movie?! I know his one of the favourite fan-wanks of this franchise, but still... even stupidity has it's limits! More than that... what was a beef between Vegeta, and Frieza, anyway? They obviously didn't like eacother, because Frieza was a racist, and Vegeta prideful brick, but... why take it so personally? Vegeta didn't care, if his whole planet was destroyed, and race killed, when he was a child, and as an adult, he actively tried to kill every last survivor, of his kind, man or a child! In japanese dup, he never even once begged Goku to avenge his people, nor his father, and he really didn't seem to mind, if he really was only one standing, of his race. He was just pissed, because Frieza just was stronger, than him, and then, begged his not--yeat-victim, to finnish the job - lame! Later, he himself said, that he enjoyed killing, for the pleasure of it - like any good psychopath would - but then he just cries, how he was held in bondage, and being the only actual saiyan alive... after establishing, that he doesn't really need anyone. I know, the fans of this dick-wrench, are more than happy to defend him by saying, that he developed out of these... tendencies, but let me tell something lads... psychos don't just cure themselves - no one does! Both Vegeta, and his development, are both just as ludicrous, and implossible, as they can get, and it really sickens me to see, how forcefully, Toriyama, is making him to go through changes, that would never ever occur, in any other franchise! And suck that "Frieza the Slaveowner"- bullshit! Frieza gave both Vegeta, and the saiyans everything, those barbarians could ever ask for, without unneeded cruelty or violence - as far as I could see - and if by bondage, you mean like a father, who tells you to clean up your rooms, do your chores, and stay away from drugs, in order for you to keep killing and doing what the hell ever you please, then yes... truly, you are the one, with the deepest scars, Vegeta! Oh, all the tears of... not caring, one bit! Vegeta was, and always will be, in my books, just some spoiled, murderous and psychotic brat, and the very fact, that they're trying to paint him over, as a hero in this movie, truly makes me sick! That kick in the nutts by Cooler, was the very least, what he deserved... too bad, that Frieza was way too bro, to deliver the blow, himself!
Atleast, one thing is clear for me by now, after watching my fair share of these movies. Dragon Ball franchise knows, what its fans want from it. Lots of lights and color, but no substance - characters with two or three traits, no motivations, to stories nor plots, little to no brainpower behind any of it, and padding. Lots, and lots of padding. And, since it already knows, what to give to it's audience, it's not trying to evolve, or develope, like any other franchise would atleast try to do, and same goes to this movie! It knows it's fans, and celebrates the fact, that it doesn't even have to try to be anything else, but what its fans expect it to be, thus just feeding that stupid man-child inside of them. While not bad, per say, it also doesn't offer anything, in return - no thought, no morals, no lessons, no consept of actions=consequense, and no developtment, both from its characters, or its stories. Hardly any of these movies, nor this franchise, has any real, or actual conflicts, and what very little there is, the only working solution seems to be... hitting it harder. Like... really hard. Like your trying to pop a boner, in a middle of the dentist, pulling out your teeth. And, since it's so obviously empty, pointless and lacking any real substance, it's fans try to make it feel more grand, and meaningful, than it actually is, and that's the real problem - pointing out meaning and substance, where there is non, is just as bad, like those spin-off cartoons of Titanic... your soul knows the truth! It's not even trying to challenge its fans, by giving them any actual characters, morals, stories or conflicts, because it already knows, it doensn't have to, and to me, that's never a good sign, for a good movie, neither a franchise!
All in all, this movie was pointless, and so is this franchise, for not offering us nothing more, but some mindless, unentertaining junk, that even a 5-year-old would sneer at! Don't see this movie. It's not worth it... even if you are a fan. It's mercifully short, but that's about it. It holds every single flaw, and weak point, like this whole franchise does, and if youre not a child, or someone, who's already seen some actually good anime, you really shouldn't bee enyoing this one, either.
Story: 2
Art: 3
Sound: 3
Characters: 2
Enjoyment: 1
Overall: 2