Dragon Ball Z is the show that marked an entire generation, it is easily one of the most beloved anime series to people from Latin America (the other being Saint Seiya). Suffice it to say this movie was met with great expectation. That expectation was met with mixed reviews, on one hand you have your die-hard hardcore fanboys who truly believe that everything that has "Dragon Ball Z" in it is shitted by God himself. On the other hand, you have people who love DBZ, and have come to appreciate the great quality this show is known for. I consider myself from the second group.
In story terms, I felt the movie was lacking. The main premise was quite attractive and gave way to what could have been and enthralling story, instead it was deeply hindered by an excessive amount of humour. Not to say humour is bad, but as it is with everything, you have to measure the amount you use, too much of something could spoil everything, happily this wasn´t the case, though it did diminished the overall enjoyement of the film.
Come on lads! We all loved DBZ for its epic fights, the despair from the main characters when faced with overwhelming odds and the struggle to overcome those odds. In the movie, almost all of that magic is lost, giving way to a more casual approach (there is only one kame hame ha, for fuck´s sake, and no Genkidama!!).
The art department worked just right with this one, though I´m not so fond of CG and animation mixtures, it didn´t hurt the production at all, it actually enhanced the animation in many ways. But still, I prefer one style for the whole work, call me a backwards-thinking individual, but that´s yours truly.
One thing that has always been in need of great improvement in DBZ is the soundtrack. Sound effects are awesome, nigh perfect. But that soundtrack just doesn´t convey the epic feeling this show deserves. The movie is no different in this matter, using old tracks and new ones that resemble Disney´s musicals. Please do tell me who doesn´t enjoy the soundtrack of Naruto, Bleach, Fate (series), Fairy Tail, Sword Art Online and many more (their overall quality is another thing). I was strongly hoping for a more epic, symphonic soundtrack, sadly I was disappointed.
Character progression is non-existent, I don´t complain since it is the fourteenth movie after all. Characters motivations, fears and psyche should be quite understood at this point. What I truly appreciated were the funny moments of the antagonist, but he did lacked progression, his character was just too plain. I´m mad; I fight, I´m happy; I eat...not great depth in this one.
Being able to meet such high standards imposed by your predecessor is a difficult thing indeed. DBZ Kami to Kami struggles to keep up with the expectations delivered by the original show and movies (Broly should never be forgotten), its struggle is commendable but falls short of our great childhood memories. Not saying this movie is rubbish, it´s actually quite enjoyable, you will smile if not outright laugh. I say you should give it a try and enjoy the fond memories you had when enjoying this show.
English is not my mother tongue, so I apologize for any and all mistakes.
