Reviews

This is actually one of the more decent movies in the Dragonball Z franchise. Yes, it follows the same old tired format; bad guy shows up and do bad stuff, Goku fights the bad guy to the end. Plus the story is shit. However, unlike the previous movie, this one focuses solely on the action and actually has a better plot. The writing is a bit more solid and this movie isn't a chore to watch at all.

The Return of Cooler is the sixth movie in the franchise, and is the direct sequel to Cooler's Revenge. I really like this one as it gets to the point rather quickly, and most of the characters are used very well. First of all, there's none of the whole, "you have yet to see my true power" taking place as all of the main players go for the throat almost immediately. Goku goes Super Saiyan really quick against Meta-Cooler which delivers some really cool action scenes. At times, there's some really good face offs and imagination. The secondary cast; Piccolo, Gohan, and Krillin, aren't just bodies this time around for the lead baddie to decimate in record time. They battle Cooler's robotic guards in a cool action segment.

The plot is heavily pushed by the action until the climax, however this really isn't a bad thing at all. I also laughed at some of the comedy here, such as Krillin constantly being pummeled in comedic fashion. The 45 minute run time felt really short but in a good way though. I thought the animation was pretty good with some detailed action here and there, and very little of the reused cel approach that DBZ is well known for. I didn't have an issue with the character designs, and I dug Cooler's new look. The soundtrack is a pretty big issue if you come into this expecting the same from the last movie; but even ignoring the last movie, I feel the BGM is very weak, and it doesn't really help the action scenes.

Outside of this feature being completely linear, the problem I have with it is that it doesn't fit into the series continuity at all. There are plenty of elements here supporting that this story could have never taken place. Also, this is not a good place for newbies to start. At the very least, the first four seasons or so should be seen.

In closing, The Return of Cooler is a solid movie in the DBZ mythos. It will more than likely appeal to serious fans. Recommended only to those who are well rounded in the franchise.

Highs: Lots of action

Lows: Just another DBZ title for the most part, weak music score