Dragon Ball Movie 3: Makafushigi Daibouken

Like all original Dragon Ball movies, Dragon Ball Movie 3 Mystical Adventure is basically a retelling of what happened up to that point slidly altered. Chaotzu is an emperor with Master Shen and Tenshinhan being his underlings. Bora, Upa, Tao Pai Pai and Arale appear in this movie but with lesser roles compared to their anime counterpart and some references are made to the main story but without the same impact. In fact, it might be the weakest of all 4 purely Dragon Ball movies simply because the scenes that end up being weak homages could never carry the same impact as most of them ... were build up for several episodes or even story arcs. Meaning it is nothing but a 46 minute movie that feels like an extended episode.
Even the way Goku surpassed Tao Pai Pai felt like an asspull where he somehow ended up at the top of the Quin Tower and received a minor advice from God of Martial Arts Korin. Compare that to how Goku worked his ass off to get to the top and received training disguised as a power up (instead the other way around like in modern Dragon Ball).

But what about elements exclusive to the film? There is an inner conflict in the nation where the story mainly takes place. Tenshinhan is conflicted what side he should take in the conflict: Loyalty to his teacher or his Emperor. Sadly this element like many others aren't taken full advantage off. Like we don't know about Tenshinhan's past events with his teacher. Only a small hint of his relationship with his Emperor.

The story has 2 subplots. The gathering of the Dragon Balls and the Tournament that takes place with both starting to merge into one. Every major cast member is involved and contribute in exposing the truth behind the Crane Master's plan. Be it Yamcha, Bulma, Oolong, Puar, Goku, Roshi and even Krillin.
However, there are way too many characters that only exist as lesser important characters because they appeared in the main story like Arale who just exist because the main story had a crossover too.

Overall, this movie is really mediocre by original Dragon Ball standards. It eats more than it can chew and that is its weakness. However, it still has some really good elements like how it uses its cast and the conflict behind the scenes. Also it has a fantastic ending and the best way Chaotzu has been treated in this franchise.

All right, it's everyone's favourite time of the year. That point where I post anime film reviews seven days in a row. We've already talked about the first two Dragonball films. So, it's time to move on to the third. This one came out in '88 when I was a young lad of only seventy seven. Either that or I was a very small child. My memory isn't so good. 

Story: 

We open with Pilaf and his minions building a dragon radar for the Crane Hermit. Their reward for this is some quality time with Tao Pai Pai, who probably just took them to the water park ... where they had a lovely time and nothing bad happened. The Crane hermit then persuades Emperor Chiaotzu to fund a search for the dragon balls in order to find his missing beloved. Meanwhile, Goku, Kuririn & Roshi are on their way to participate in a martial arts tournament. 

There are a couple noticeable problems with the story-telling. Which isn't that surprising since this franchise has never been known for its stellar narratives. Still, I would be remiss if I didn't discuss them. The first issue is that the Crane Hermit is very blatantly up to no good. Like, to the point where Chiaotzu comes across as a complete dumbass for not noticing. He quite literally has Tao Pai Pai murder the loyal General Blue in front of the emperor. I know Chiaotzu couldn't do basic maths in the series proper, but he should still look at that and notice that something isn't quite kosher. 

There's also the issue with the tournament. Goku and his group decide that one of them needs to win so they can make a specific request, but they don't let Yamcha in on it. Which means they just have to give him a beating. So, why not just tell him? It would give you more allies to work with. I know he's got a fate of becoming progressively more of a punching bag, but this was at the point where he wasn't just there to die or almost die. 

I will give them credit for combining various elements from the series proper into something that is a bit different. I'll also give the film credit for maintaining that sense of fun that made Dragonball an enjoyable series. The Penguin Village sequence in particular is just great.

Characters:

Chances are, you already know whether or not you like Dragonball's characters. If you aren't that familiar with the franchise, the cast is pretty simple but they're enjoyable and have some fun interactions. I will say those of you hoping to see Yamcha or Chiaotzu in action will probably be disappointed since they don't do much here. Lunch, however, does get some really good scenes. It's a pity she got banished to the moon to keep Luna company because this does showcase what her character could do back when she was actually in scenarios. 

Art:

The artwork looks about on par with the artwork in the series proper. It's a bit dated by today's standards but it's vibrant, colourful and the action sequences are generally pretty well executed. You also do have to give credit for the character designs. They are iconic for a valid reason. 

Sound:

This is a franchise with a strong reoccurring cast and they give solid performances here. Whether it's Koyama Mami (who voices both Lunch & Arale), Otsuka Chikao, Tanaka Mayumi, Tsuru Hiromi, Nozawa Masako or anyone else. The music is pretty much the same fare we get in the series proper. So, it's well done.

Ho-yay:

There are some kind of homo-erotic moments betwixt Tenshinhan & Chiaotzu. Which is weird because Chiaotzu looks like a porcelain doll, but they're also both supposed to be adults. So, I won't judge them. 

Areas of Improvement:

Let Yamcha in on the plan. It's not like Yamcha fighting Tao Pai Pai and surviving is going to change much. It'll just mean our protagonists are showing more sense. 
Have Blue confront the Crane Hermit in private. You could keep everything as is, but have it not be in front of the emperor, thereby making Chiaotzu not appear to be completely inept. 
Expand on the Penguin Village sequence. Honestly, a film this short could afford to have a little more to it any way. And that was the best part. 

Final Thoughts:

Makafushigi Daibouken is a pretty decent film. Maybe not the best, but it's solid enough. I give it a 6/10. 

Different, curious, but still irrelevant.

Certain characters have been transformed in this film, and these changes resonate well with the personalities and relationships shown throughout the canonical anime. It's evident that there was an effort to adapt already known figures to a new aesthetic and narrative approach, and at times this works pleasantly, bringing an interesting freshness to those already familiar with the original work.

However, the film as a whole presents itself basically as an alternate version of the events of classic Dragon Ball, more specifically the Tao Pai Pai saga. In this new interpretation, a significant number of events are altered or compressed, and what ... remains faithful is told so quickly that it compromises the natural flow of the plot. This lack of fluidity harms the emotional build-up and makes the film less organic, largely due to the extremely short screen time, which practically forces the screenwriters to rush through important situations.

I've seen a series of Dragon Ball films that reimagine parts of the main saga, and because the second film in this series surprised me positively, I had certain expectations for this one. Unfortunately, those expectations weren't met. The antagonist works within the premise, and the characters are, in general, competent and coherent. However, this reinterpretation of the original saga, combined with the extreme acceleration of events, ended up making everything bland for me. It lacked impact, it lacked depth, it lacked that something extra that would justify the existence of this new version.

My rating of 4 is due to this: there's nothing that really stands out or provides a fun viewing experience. In the end, it's much more worthwhile to revisit the original saga and simply pretend this film doesn't exist.

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Diferente, curioso, mas ainda assim irrelevante.

Certos personagens foram transformados neste filme, e essas mudanças dialogam bem com a personalidade e com as relações exibidas durante o anime canônico. É evidente que houve um esforço para adaptar figuras já conhecidas a uma nova proposta estética e narrativa, e em alguns momentos isso funciona de maneira agradável, trazendo um frescor interessante para quem já está familiarizado com a obra original.

No entanto, o filme como um todo se apresenta basicamente como uma versão alternativa dos acontecimentos do Dragon Ball clássico, mais especificamente da saga do Tao Pai Pai. Nessa nova interpretação, uma quantidade significativa de eventos é alterada ou comprimida, e aquilo que permanece fiel é contado de forma tão acelerada que compromete a naturalidade do enredo. Essa falta de fluidez prejudica a construção emocional e deixa o filme menos orgânico, muito em razão do tempo de tela extremamente curto, que praticamente obriga os roteiristas a atropelarem situações importantes.

Venho de uma sequência de filmes de Dragon Ball que adotam essa proposta de reimaginar partes da saga principal, e justamente por o segundo filme dessa leva ter me surpreendido positivamente, acabei nutrindo certas expectativas para este. Infelizmente, essas expectativas não foram alcançadas. O antagonista até funciona dentro da proposta, e os personagens são, no geral, competentes e coerentes. Porém, essa reinterpretação da saga original, somada à extrema aceleração dos acontecimentos, acabou deixando tudo sem graça para mim. Faltou impacto, faltou aprofundamento, faltou aquele algo a mais que justificasse a existência dessa nova versão.

Minha nota 4 se deve a isso: não há nada que realmente se destaque ou proporcione uma experiência divertida de assistir. No fim das contas, é muito mais proveitoso revisitar a saga original e simplesmente fingir que este filme não existe.