Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods Review

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods is the eighteenth feature-length film in the Dragon Ball series. The extended cut was recently re-released in cinemas.

Goku (Sean Schemmel) has defeated many powerful enemies and opponents. However, his victories gain the attention of Beerus, the God of Destruction (Jason Douglas) and he seeks a prophesised Super Saiyan God since they could give him a worthy challenge. When Beerus arrives on Earth, Vegeta (Christopher R. Sabat) is tasked with keeping Beerus happy so he doesn’t destroy the planet.

Dragon Ball is one of the most popular intellectual properties Japan has given the world. It has been around since 1984 in manga, anime shows and films, an ill-fated live-action movie, and video games. Even non-fans would recognise some of the imaginary and concepts from the show. It has influenced other franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog. The series has a broad appeal due to its humour and action. Battle of Gods may be a part of a long-running series; it opened with a quick explanation of Goku’s various victories. It was a standalone film that newcomers to the series could understand.

The only other Dragon Ball movie I have seen was Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. That film was an action-heavy film: the second half was filled with constant action. It was an Earth-based film where the villains were an evil corporation. Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods leaned more into the cosmic aspects of the franchise and it was more comedic. There were only three action scenes in the film that escalated in scale and peril.

Most of the film took place at Bulma’s (Monica Rial) birthday party. Vegeta had to keep running interference to prevent anyone from upsetting or offending Beerus. A lot of the humour was based around Vegeta being a serious character who needed to embarrass himself to protect Earth. The humour was typical anime since it was over-the-top and zany. Some funny lines and gags made me laugh, like a character pointing out a flaw in a heist, and a self-aware joke about anime. The film had a 12A rating, but it was a soft 12A so it would be appropriate for children above the age of nine.

Beerus was a fun villain. He was a God of Destruction but he was not a stereotype where he craved death and violence. All he wanted was a good fight, indulge in some Earthly delights, and be polite to most people. He only fought someone if they upset him, willing to participate in some light sparring, and he had a code of honour. He was a God of Destruction out of obligation rather than desire. There was an entertaining dynamic between Beerus and his attendant, Whis (Ian Sinclair) since Beerus was a combination of a lazy cat and a grumpy teenager and Whis had to act as his parent.

For a film where Earth was in danger, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods was a light piece of entertainment. It was a genuinely funny adventure for the Dragon Ball crew.