Dragon Ball Movie 3: Makafushigi Daibouken

After having watched the previous Dragonball movies, it's quite clear this is the superior among them due to the quality of animation, and the ways in which the story is reworked while including most major story beats. There is far less reusing of individual frames, which adds to the watchability significantly. The way in which the story is remixed is interesting that it holds a Dragonball fans attention due to being different enough, while sticking closer to something resembling the Dragonball canon.

Unlike the previous movies which felt more like extended episodes, or filler arcs, this movie really felt closer to an anime movie experience. ... The biggest weakness however is the fact that there really are too many characters introduced in to short a time frame, that narratively messes up the ability to really tell much of a story without understanding some of the thematic placements of the characters. That is the main reason I feel this is closer to a 7, than a 8, despite being quite an enjoyable experience.

Another Dragon Ball film. Another retelling. This one combines the first and second tournament arc with the Red Ribbon arc. Then it tells it completely differently. For the curious only.

Animation seems a bit sloppy here and there. Certain facial expressions used by our beloved characters don't really match them. Bulma is just all over the place. Everything else just seems like a step down from the anime. It works, but you'll notice it as well. The English voice actors are different from the anime. A few remain the same, but big ones like Goku are wrong. They will annoy you. Goku's voice just lacks conviction. ... But the music is all fitting. So at least we have that.

The story is out of control. It starts with Roshi finishing the training of Goku and Krillin. From there they head to the tournament. But Chiaotzu and Tien are around. For some reason Chiaotzu is a ruler of an empire. It's weird. Tien and Chaiotzu are nothing like their anime counterparts. Then throw in some Red Ribbon Army. A hefty dose of Master Shen. Then you have the show. It's sounds like a mess, but if you look at it as it's own thing it works.

Do you need to watch this? No. Do I even recommend it? Not really. If you are a fan of Dragon Ball and are curious then go for it. It's not going to make your experience that much better or worse.

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.

=================================================================================================================Versão em Português=====================================

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.