Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO shows viewers how to be a true hero while delivering an action-packed story.
The Dragon Ball franchise has been around for many years and continues to grow and evolve. Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is the newest addition and it hits North American theaters on August 19th. This film is an action-packed adventure that teaches viewers the true meaning of being a hero, while giving long time fans a whole lot of things to get excited about.
This movie mostly focuses on Piccolo, who has been training Gohan’s daughter Pan. He endlessly harasses Gohan to train as well, telling him that one day there will be a serious threat and he will be unprepared and… well, you can probably guess where the story goes from here.
Of course there is a big threat, which comes at the hands of the Red Ribbon Army. If that name sounds familiar, it should, as it was a major part of earlier Dragon Ball stories. Talk about nostalgia. The main villain of our story, Magenta, is the son of Commander Red, who originally founded the army. He has plans to resurrect it to its previous greatness (or more) and enlists the young genius Dr. Hedo, grandson of Dr. Gero, to help build Gamma 1 and Gamma 2.
These androids are instilled with morals of superheroes due to the high esteem that Dr. Hedo holds heroes in. He believes that these principals and morals are infinitely important. In fact, he is tricked into helping the Red Ribbon Army after being told that Gohan, Piccolo, and the rest of the true heroes are actually alien villains who wish to destroy the world.
Piccolo fans will be thrilled with the journey he goes on, and the amount of time that he is on screen. While there are many fan favorite characters involved in the story, he is the one that stands at the forefront of it all. In true Dragon Ball fashion, there are some character upgrades that happen along the way — and yes, Piccolo comes out of the movie way cooler than when he started.
But do you need to know Dragon Ball lore in order to fully appreciate this film? Absolutely not. Sure, there are a lot of references that fans will understand, but the story itself is easy to follow and, more or less, a complete standalone. That being said, it will likely have an impact on the future of Dragon Ball Super, especially when it comes to certain new powers and abilities.
The biggest issue with Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is a villain that never truly feels like a villain. It is made clear from the start that Dr. Hedo is being manipulated and because of that it is easy to guess how the story is going the play out. The stakes don’t feel all that high, which is another let down, however that is the norm with these standalone adventures anyway.
When it comes to the action, that is where Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO truly shines. The animation throughout the whole film is gorgeous, but it really raises the bar during the battles. These fights are massive and a whole lot of fun — especially when the surprises start to roll in. These are the unpredictable moments of the movie, which makes them easily the best part of it all.
Dragon Ball fans are sure to be happy with how this one turned out. Even though it is quite predictable and not all that important to the overall lore of Dragon Ball, it packs a punch when it comes to the action and weaves in a few emotional moments as well.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
NEXT: Meet the Characters of Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO
About Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO
The Red Ribbon Army was once destroyed by Son Goku. Individuals who carry on its spirit have created the ultimate androids — Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. However, these two androids call themselves superheroes and start attacking Piccolo and Gohan.
Tickets for the newest film in the global anime blockbuster franchise are now on sale in the United States and Canada at Fandango.com.
The film will be available in both English dub and subtitled and will arrive in more than 2500+ theaters in North America, including select U.S. based IMAX® theaters.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.