Search - Dragon Ball Z: First Strike on DVD

Great Value For DBZ Fans

Sean Madson | Little Falls, MN United States | 07/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great set for any serious Dragonball Z fan, as it contains the first three movie releases: Dead Zone, World's Strongest, and Tree of Might. These movies take place outside of the main series, so it's important to note that the events that take place in them are assumed not to have happened during the main storyline (with the major exception of the first movie with Garlic Jr. which actually creates a major plothole). Another thing worth mention is that although this set was technically available before, the movies featured in the previous release were from the "old" Dragonball Z dub, which contains the voice actors for the first two edited seasons. If you enjoyed the Pioneer releases better, then by all means, go obtain the other set as they are also uncut and feature the original music. I personally recommend this set however, especially if you enjoy the FUNimation voice cast and also if you want to watch the movies in Japanese. As for the movies themselves, this is what I thought of each one:

Dead Zone - 4/5 - This one features the villain Garlic Jr. as he begins his conquest for the Dragonballs in order to obtain immortality. In the process of finding the Dragonballs, he also captures Gohan (Goku's son) and holds him captive in his castle. Now it is Goku's job to rescue Gohan and the Dragonballs in order to keep Garlic Jr. from taking over the Earth.

This is the first Dragonball Z movie ever released, and I must say, it was quite entertaining. In comparison to the rest of the movies, it doesn't feature as many energy blasts as the rest of them, save maybe a Kamehameha or two. Much of the focus is placed on the characters dueling with their fists and weapons (can we say Power Pole?) The story takes place around the same time as the arrival of Raditz, so Goku and Piccolo are still enemies during this movie and Gohan's hidden powers are still... well... hidden. I watched Pioneer's version prior to viewing this one, and although the voice acting was acceptable enough for me, I was disappointed that they changed the music. Especially during the scene where Gohan gets "drunk" and starts having hallucinations. If you check out the Japanese version, you will know exactly what I mean. But other than that, this is a solid movie and a must see for any DBZ fan.

The World's Strongest - 4/5 - The mad scientist Dr. Wheelo has been revived by the Dragonballs and now seeks to find the world's strongest fighter in which to place his brain in. Since he has been frozen in solid ice for 50 years, he believes that Master Roshi is still the strongest, and sends his minions out to capture him as well as Bulma. It's up to Goku, Gohan, and Krillin to save the day as they face Dr. Wheelo in his ice fortress.

The villain in this movie is not very memorable, considering all he is is a giant brain. However, I still found the overall movie very entertaining, especially since we get to see another throwdown between Goku and Piccolo. The various fight scenes featured in this film are very well done, and show off some of the abilities learned by Goku during the course of the Saiyan saga. We also get to see Master Roshi fight a few battles, which is something that hasn't really been showcased since Dragonball. The only nagging problem I saw with this movie is the music that FUNimation used to substitute for the Japanese original. You'll understand what I mean immediately when you hear it, but you'll feel like you're watching a sci-fi horror film rather than an action anime. Definately worth watching though if you care about DBZ.

Tree of Might - 4/5 - Turles, a Saiyan with a craving for power, has arrived on Earth and brought his henchmen with him. He plants a seed in the depths of the earth that creates a Tree of Might, which drains the Earth of its power and converts it into large fruit. Anyone who eats this fruit will have power that will rival that of gods. Now it's up to the Z Fighters to put a stop to Turles and his Tree of Might.

I thought this was one of the better Dragonball Z movies to be released. It features a larger selection of the show's characters than most, and the main villain, Turles, is much more likeable than say Garlic Jr. or Dr. Wheelo. This movie also introduces a character that is used in future DBZ movies and filler: Gohan's loveable dragon friend, Icarus. The music that FUNimation decided to use in this movie is much less distracting than some of their other releases, and the dubbing seemed to be on par with the rest of the series. The story is also very well paced, being careful to build up to a climax without jumping headfirst into it. Out of the initial DBZ movies, this one is the best.

Overall, this is a great deal for the first three Dragonball Z movies. The entire set is about $30, so that's like paying $10 for each movie individually, plus you get a nice collector's box to place them all in. Each movie is enjoyable in its own way and something no DBZ fan should go without."