This is the second Dragon Ball Z movie released during the series' Japanese TV run. This movie's plot, unlike the first DBZ movie, is not a re-telling of a particular moment in the TV series, but more of a side story. While Gohan assists Oolong on a trip up to the Zulmitezubri Mountains to recover Dragon Balls to wish for women's underwear, they stumble upon the Dragon Balls being used by an assistant scientist named Dr. Kochin. He makes a wish to the Eternal Dragon, Shenron, to free his mentor, Dr. Wheelo, from the ice that for fifty years buried him after the heavens punished him and Dr. Kochin for their selfish and inhumane intentions of their scientific endeavors. After the two scientists abduct Piccolo, Master Roshi, and Bulma, Goku sets out to rescue them and save himself from being used as a puppet controlled by Dr. Wheelo's only remains, his brain. This movie's plot is radically different from the usual demons-and-martial-arts affairs. It focuses on science fiction elements, which were actually developed later on into the TV series during the Cell era. The science-fiction story elements often causes the movie to drag inbetween the fight sequences, but the animation continues to be superb and surpasses that of the previous DBZ movie Return My Gohan! a.k.a. Dead Zone.
GRADE: 2.5 out of 5
GRADE: 2.5 out of 5