Official On-Going DBZ 2015 Movie Thread: "Resurrection 'F'"

[rereboy]

Providing an opinion and some logical arguments about why a plot point seems inconsistent is not "bitching". It's just criticizing, which is vital for any piece of entertainment and art. Mindless acceptance of anything without criticism can only end badly.

And when some people already accepted the so called inconsistent plot point and already made a reason to make the plot points not inconsistent, other people will make it their duty to correct the assumptions of those believers.

Fans have to resort to fan theories to attempt to correct the inconsistencies of the released product? I don't see how that invalidates the criticism regarding the product.

[Ajay]

DRAGON BALL Z: REVIVAL OF ‘F’ – REVIEW

Spoiler:

For seventeen outings, Dragon Ball films have largely lacked a cinematic quality; often feeling like extended episodes or rather expensive OVAs. With only minor contributions from the original author, Akira Toriyama, these films have often strayed from his distinctive style. Though this has not lessened the overall quality of each product, it has created a tonal division between ‘Toei’ and ‘Toriyama’ creations.

For the series’ eighteenth instalment, Battle of Gods marked the first time Toriyama had taken active control over a film; penning the screenplay and conjuring up all new characters. The film was steeped in humour and character interaction, with much of the combat relegated to a 10-minute climactic finale.

2015’s Revival of ‘F’ is a rather stark contrast to its predecessor.

-

Speaking to V-Jump magazine back in July 2014, Toriyama explicitly stated that he “increased the amount of action scenes by a good deal”. It is unsurprising then, that Revival of ‘F’ spends little time on reintroductions; instead focusing on fast-tracking its audience into the major action sequences.

Within ten minutes, Freeza is resurrected and his aim to exact revenge on the Saiyans is made clear. After revealing that he has never once trained in his life, he makes plans to prepare for four months to bring himself up to a level that will allow him to execute his plan.

However, rather than focus on the specifics of Freeza’s training, the film opts to jump ahead four months and spend its short downtime focusing on newer characters.

Though this contrivance may irk the most detail-hungry fans, without it, the film’s structure would be adversely affected, leaving little time for Toriyama to shine through his wonderfully written character interaction.

In particular, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, the titular protagonist in Toriyama’s latest manga, takes to the stage; being the one to deliver the news that Freeza is coming.

Their interaction is especially hilarious and very much the mark of the author. In particular, the tail end of their first encounter involves Bulma attempting to summon Whis with a strawberry sundae before asking Jaco “Hey, how long until Freeza arrives?” in which he remarks “Uh, one hour”. Bulma, absolutely infuriated by his lack of urgency, calls him an idiot and storms off, leaving Jaco exceptionally confused.

These small back-and-forths are wonderful and serve to break the monotony of the many fight scenes throughout the film – a familiar tactic often used to keep a steady tone throughout the series.

-

As the actions cuts to Goku and Vegeta training with Whis, the audience is privy to the first of the hugely anticipated fight scenes. Lead animator and director of the film, Tadayoshi Yamamuro, shows off his distinctive, martial arts inspired choreography; a rather different approach from the usual flurry of punches and kicks associated with Dragon Ball.

Precise grapples and throws are beautifully realised and hark back to Yamamuro’s original efforts on the Dragon Ball Z TV series. This scene all comes together as Vegeta flies through a field of flowers, launching a sea of petals up into the air as they continue to fight. It is a truly breathtaking moment that sparks comparisons to the visuals often found in Chinese director, Zhang Yimou’s work.

-

Once-important characters being cast aside has been one of the many complaints heard throughout the fandom. With constant power-ups, it is unsurprising that some were shafted in favour of more contextually relevant ones. Fortunately, Revival of ‘F’ ignores these limitations in favour of giving each character a genuine chance to shine.

Gohan, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Piccolo and, most surprisingly, Kame-Sen’nin face off in the highly advertised ‘1000-warrior battle’. Even Jaco decides to join in after some coercion from Bulma. This is entirely fan service, but it’s done exceptionally well.

While a great deal of the animation featured in this segment is wonderfully choreographed, Yamamuro seems to have utilised many static medium shots, leading to very flat, uninteresting compositions. Though this criticism may seem exceptionally picky to some, viewers who have become accustomed to more modern animation techniques may be left yearning for more.

Fortunately, this far from hampers the overall experience, as this battle contains a mix of the funniest, greatest, and most memorable moments that the film has to offer. From Jaco’s space gun takedowns to Piccolo crushing his enemies with his weighted gear, there’s little to be disappointed by.

In the climactic moments of the scene, Freeza gives us a hint (in one unmentionable act) of just how powerful he has become. In tandem with composer Norihito Sumitomo’s ominous score, Freeza’s presence is astounding. The maniacal space tyrant is wonderfully re-established by an exemplary performance from Ryusei Nakao. While his efforts in Dragon Ball Kai were rather lacklustre, he returns in top form, with voice cracks of rage and piercing screams that all underpin the arrogance that oozes from his regular speech.

-

Up to this point, Revival of ‘F’ is a true joy to watch; containing a perfect mix of humour and action that gels nicely with the tone found in Battle of Gods. However, once Goku and Vegeta teleport in for the final act, Freeza tranforms into his fourth form, as both the skies and tone of the movie darken.

While the film makes great efforts to incorporate humour throughout these scenes, it can often feel incongruous with the action that sandwiches it. Specifically, Freeza’s reaction to Beerus, while amusing, feels remarkably far away from the character the audience has seen so far. Though that’s clearly the point of the joke, it may break the immersion for fans of the character.

As the battle continues, the same highly choreographed fighting returns – albeit on a much larger scale.

It’s a shame that Yamamuro’s reluctance to move the camera so drastically alters the intensity of the battle. Often relying on long distance white flashes to convey the speed, the only time the camera really moves with the action is during some very unsightly CGI cuts. For a series so famous for its blistering battles, it’s a shame that it wasn’t possible to combine this beautiful martial arts choreography with some interesting camera work.

Appropriately and thankfully, following the two transformation sequences, there are some choice cuts that are truly deserving of genuine praise. They really help to solidify the point that this is a clash of two titans. Alongside some impressive sound design, the production staff should absolutely be commended.

This is especially true for a particular scene involving Vegeta, where the use of ramped slow motion really helps in drawing attention to the overwhelming power of the sound effects. It’s a true highlight of the film.

-

The biggest criticism for Toei’s homegrown Dragon Ball films is the lack of a fleshed out narrative; a bad guy appears during a time of peace, our characters do battle and the film ends. While interesting enemies and great action scenes make for an exciting experience, there’s generally very little substance.

Battle of Gods broke the mould of Toei’s films and left us with interesting new characters and extremely explorable themes. It had the mark of Toriyama plastered across it and was all the better for it.

Revival of ‘F’ is a fine film, but it wraps things up with an eye-rollingly obvious plot contrivance and Goku laughing into the screen as the credits roll. It’s a feeling that belongs at the end of a Toei film or an OVA. You absolutely enjoyed what you saw and there’s little to really fault with it, but it’s not a lasting feeling that you’ll remember for years to come.

One has to hope that this is a serious case of ‘middle-movie syndrome’. With such a high bar set by its predecessor, it would be a great shame to be known as a fluke. Here’s hoping a third film does away with regressive Dragon Ball and opens the progressive doors built by Battle of Gods.

3.5/5
(I'd consider Battle of Gods a rather high 4)

This is mostly spoiler free as I intend to publish this elsewhere. The dashes are just where images are supposed to go. Hope you enjoy!

[fexus]

Providing an opinion and some logical arguments about why a plot point seems inconsistent is not "bitching". It's just criticizing, which is vital for any piece of entertainment and art. Mindless acceptance of anything without criticism can only end badly.

And when some people already accepted the so called inconsistent plot point and already made a reason to make the plot points not inconsistent, other people will make it their duty to correct the assumptions of those believers.

Fans have to resort to fan theories to attempt to correct the inconsistencies of the released product? I don't see how that invalidates the criticism regarding the product.

Because as you said the other fans have already provide a logical arguments on how they think what happened happens. Unless you think your opinion are better than theirs.

[saunasolmu]

The thing is that some of the 'complainers' like to pretend that Dragon Ball wasn't always like this. As if their self-made attempts to create consistent rules to an inconsistent manga are C A N O N, and everything contradicting them is bullshit.

Er... Actually, people just don't want it to have even more inconsistencies than it already has... They don't enjoy the already existing inconsistencies of the franchise, let alone unnecessary brand new ones.

Yeah, but when you have an author who forgets his characters during the serialization, what do you expect he does 20 years after he has finished? It's just my opinion, but during these 20 years, I feel like fans have created their own theories regarding DBZ that they consider completely immovable. They seem so willing to create their own fan theories to cover the plot holes of the manga, but good lord if anything remotely inconsistent happens in some new content...

[ekrolo2]

DRAGON BALL Z: REVIVAL OF ‘F’ – REVIEW

Spoiler:

For seventeen outings, Dragon Ball films have largely lacked a cinematic quality; often feeling like extended episodes or rather expensive OVAs. With only minor contributions from the original author, Akira Toriyama, these films have often strayed from his distinctive style. Though this has not lessened the overall quality of each product, it has created a tonal division between ‘Toei’ and ‘Toriyama’ creations.

For the series’ eighteenth instalment, Battle of Gods marked the first time Toriyama had taken active control over a film; penning the screenplay and conjuring up all new characters. The film was steeped in humour and character interaction, with much of the combat relegated to a 10-minute climactic finale.

2015’s Revival of ‘F’ is a rather stark contrast to its predecessor.

-

Speaking to V-Jump magazine back in July 2014, Toriyama explicitly stated that he “increased the amount of action scenes by a good deal”. It is unsurprising then, that Revival of ‘F’ spends little time on reintroductions; instead focusing on fast-tracking its audience into the major action sequences.

Within ten minutes, Freeza is resurrected and his aim to exact revenge on the Saiyans is made clear. After revealing that he has never once trained in his life, he makes plans to prepare for four months to bring himself up to a level that will allow him to execute his plan.

However, rather than focus on the specifics of Freeza’s training, the film opts to jump ahead four months and spend its short downtime focusing on newer characters.

Though this contrivance may irk the most detail-hungry fans, without it, the film’s structure would be adversely affected, leaving little time for Toriyama to shine through his wonderfully written character interaction.

In particular, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, the titular protagonist in Toriyama’s latest manga, takes to the stage; being the one to deliver the news that Freeza is coming.

Their interaction is especially hilarious and very much the mark of the author. In particular, the tail end of their first encounter involves Bulma attempting to summon Whis with a strawberry sundae before asking Jaco “Hey, how long until Freeza arrives?” in which he remarks “Uh, one hour”. Bulma, absolutely infuriated by his lack of urgency, calls him an idiot and storms off, leaving Jaco exceptionally confused.

These small back-and-forths are wonderful and serve to break the monotony of the many fight scenes throughout the film – a familiar tactic often used to keep a steady tone throughout the series.

-

As the actions cuts to Goku and Vegeta training with Whis, the audience is privy to the first of the hugely anticipated fight scenes. Lead animator and director of the film, Tadayoshi Yamamuro, shows off his distinctive, martial arts inspired choreography; a rather different approach from the usual flurry of punches and kicks associated with Dragon Ball.

Precise grapples and throws are beautifully realised and hark back to Yamamuro’s original efforts on the Dragon Ball Z TV series. This scene all comes together as Vegeta flies through a field of flowers, launching a sea of petals up into the air as they continue to fight. It is a truly breathtaking moment that sparks comparisons to the visuals often found in Chinese director, Zhang Yimou’s work.

-

Once-important characters being cast aside has been one of the many complaints heard throughout the fandom. With constant power-ups, it is unsurprising that some were shafted in favour of more contextually relevant ones. Fortunately, Revival of ‘F’ ignores these limitations in favour of giving each character a genuine chance to shine.

Gohan, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Piccolo and, most surprisingly, Kame-Sen’nin face off in the highly advertised ‘1000-warrior battle’. Even Jaco decides to join in after some coercion from Bulma. This is entirely fan service, but it’s done exceptionally well.

While a great deal of the animation featured in this segment is wonderfully choreographed, Yamamuro seems to have utilised many static medium shots, leading to very flat, uninteresting compositions. Though this criticism may seem exceptionally picky to some, viewers who have become accustomed to more modern animation techniques may be left yearning for more.

Fortunately, this far from hampers the overall experience, as this battle contains a mix of the funniest, greatest, and most memorable moments that the film has to offer. From Jaco’s space gun takedowns to Piccolo crushing his enemies with his weighted gear, there’s little to be disappointed by.

In the climactic moments of the scene, Freeza gives us a hint (in one unmentionable act) of just how powerful he has become. In tandem with composer Norihito Sumitomo’s ominous score, Freeza’s presence is astounding. The maniacal space tyrant is wonderfully re-established by an exemplary performance from Ryusei Nakao. While his efforts in Dragon Ball Kai were rather lacklustre, he returns in top form, with voice cracks of rage and piercing screams that all underpin the arrogance that oozes from his regular speech.

-

Up to this point, Revival of ‘F’ is a true joy to watch; containing a perfect mix of humour and action that gels nicely with the tone found in Battle of Gods. However, once Goku and Vegeta teleport in for the final act, Freeza tranforms into his fourth form, as both the skies and tone of the movie darken.

While the film makes great efforts to incorporate humour throughout these scenes, it can often feel incongruous with the action that sandwiches it. Specifically, Freeza’s reaction to Beerus, while amusing, feels remarkably far away from the character the audience has seen so far. Though that’s clearly the point of the joke, it may break the immersion for fans of the character.

As the battle continues, the same highly choreographed fighting returns – albeit on a much larger scale.

It’s a shame that Yamamuro’s reluctance to move the camera so drastically alters the intensity of the battle. Often relying on long distance white flashes to convey the speed, the only time the camera really moves with the action is during some very unsightly CGI cuts. For a series so famous for its blistering battles, it’s a shame that it wasn’t possible to combine this beautiful martial arts choreography with some interesting camera work.

Appropriately and thankfully, following the two transformation sequences, there are some choice cuts that are truly deserving of genuine praise. They really help to solidify the point that this is a clash of two titans. Alongside some impressive sound design, the production staff should absolutely be commended.

This is especially true for a particular scene involving Vegeta, where the use of ramped slow motion really helps in drawing attention to the overwhelming power of the sound effects. It’s a true highlight of the film.

-

The biggest criticism for Toei’s homegrown Dragon Ball films is the lack of a fleshed out narrative; a bad guy appears during a time of peace, our characters do battle and the film ends. While interesting enemies and great action scenes make for an exciting experience, there’s generally very little substance.

Battle of Gods broke the mould of Toei’s films and left us with interesting new characters and extremely explorable themes. It had the mark of Toriyama plastered across it and was all the better for it.

Revival of ‘F’ is a fine film, but it wraps things up with an eye-rollingly obvious plot contrivance and Goku laughing into the screen as the credits roll. It’s a feeling that belongs at the end of a Toei film or an OVA. You absolutely enjoyed what you saw and there’s little to really fault with it, but it’s not a lasting feeling that you’ll remember for years to come.

One has to hope that this is a serious case of ‘middle-movie syndrome’. With such a high bar set by its predecessor, it would be a great shame to be known as a fluke. Here’s hoping a third film does away with regressive Dragon Ball and opens the progressive doors built by Battle of Gods.

3.5/5
(I'd consider Battle of Gods a rather high 4)

This is mostly spoiler free as I intend to publish this elsewhere. The dashes are just where images are supposed to go. Hope you enjoy!

Really enjoyed reading that and the rating is about what I expected after reading the spoilers. I do want to question this "middle-movie syndrome" you mentioned, I know this isn't a universal rule but from my experience the sequels usually the best one, its not until the third one that the start destroying everything.

[rereboy]

The sneak attack from Sorbet reminds me of Piccolo's attack at the tail end of the Twenty-Third Tenka'ichi Budoukai. Gokuu's guard was down, so the blast hurt him. Earlier, when Gokuu knew a blast was coming, he was able to safely weather the storm.

No one is saying that Goku not expecting an attack shouldn't make him more vulnerable since he is not ready for it.

But on the 23rd tournament, Piccolo was as strong as Goku and his attack was pretty powerful. In this movie, Sorbet almost kills SSJGSSJ Goku with a random laser ring.

The 23rd tournament told us that someone like Goku can be seriously injured by someone as strong as him with a pretty powerful attack if he isn't ready for it, that he could otherwise dodge or resist if.

This movie tells us that someone like SSJGSSJ Goku can be seriously injured by someone as weak as Sorbet with a random laser ring if he is not ready for it.

[SansrivaaL]

DRAGON BALL Z: REVIVAL OF ‘F’ – REVIEW

Spoiler:

For seventeen outings, Dragon Ball films have largely lacked a cinematic quality; often feeling like extended episodes or rather expensive OVAs. With only minor contributions from the original author, Akira Toriyama, these films have often strayed from his distinctive style. Though this has not lessened the overall quality of each product, it has created a tonal division between ‘Toei’ and ‘Toriyama’ creations.

For the series’ eighteenth instalment, Battle of Gods marked the first time Toriyama had taken active control over a film; penning the screenplay and conjuring up all new characters. The film was steeped in humour and character interaction, with much of the combat relegated to a 10-minute climactic finale.

2015’s Revival of ‘F’ is a rather stark contrast to its predecessor.

-

Speaking to V-Jump magazine back in July 2014, Toriyama explicitly stated that he “increased the amount of action scenes by a good deal”. It is unsurprising then, that Revival of ‘F’ spends little time on reintroductions; instead focusing on fast-tracking its audience into the major action sequences.

Within ten minutes, Freeza is resurrected and his aim to exact revenge on the Saiyans is made clear. After revealing that he has never once trained in his life, he makes plans to prepare for four months to bring himself up to a level that will allow him to execute his plan.

However, rather than focus on the specifics of Freeza’s training, the film opts to jump ahead four months and spend its short downtime focusing on newer characters.

Though this contrivance may irk the most detail-hungry fans, without it, the film’s structure would be adversely affected, leaving little time for Toriyama to shine through his wonderfully written character interaction.

In particular, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, the titular protagonist in Toriyama’s latest manga, takes to the stage; being the one to deliver the news that Freeza is coming.

Their interaction is especially hilarious and very much the mark of the author. In particular, the tail end of their first encounter involves Bulma attempting to summon Whis with a strawberry sundae before asking Jaco “Hey, how long until Freeza arrives?” in which he remarks “Uh, one hour”. Bulma, absolutely infuriated by his lack of urgency, calls him an idiot and storms off, leaving Jaco exceptionally confused.

These small back-and-forths are wonderful and serve to break the monotony of the many fight scenes throughout the film – a familiar tactic often used to keep a steady tone throughout the series.

-

As the actions cuts to Goku and Vegeta training with Whis, the audience is privy to the first of the hugely anticipated fight scenes. Lead animator and director of the film, Tadayoshi Yamamuro, shows off his distinctive, martial arts inspired choreography; a rather different approach from the usual flurry of punches and kicks associated with Dragon Ball.

Precise grapples and throws are beautifully realised and hark back to Yamamuro’s original efforts on the Dragon Ball Z TV series. This scene all comes together as Vegeta flies through a field of flowers, launching a sea of petals up into the air as they continue to fight. It is a truly breathtaking moment that sparks comparisons to the visuals often found in Chinese director, Zhang Yimou’s work.

-

Once-important characters being cast aside has been one of the many complaints heard throughout the fandom. With constant power-ups, it is unsurprising that some were shafted in favour of more contextually relevant ones. Fortunately, Revival of ‘F’ ignores these limitations in favour of giving each character a genuine chance to shine.

Gohan, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Piccolo and, most surprisingly, Kame-Sen’nin face off in the highly advertised ‘1000-warrior battle’. Even Jaco decides to join in after some coercion from Bulma. This is entirely fan service, but it’s done exceptionally well.

While a great deal of the animation featured in this segment is wonderfully choreographed, Yamamuro seems to have utilised many static medium shots, leading to very flat, uninteresting compositions. Though this criticism may seem exceptionally picky to some, viewers who have become accustomed to more modern animation techniques may be left yearning for more.

Fortunately, this far from hampers the overall experience, as this battle contains a mix of the funniest, greatest, and most memorable moments that the film has to offer. From Jaco’s space gun takedowns to Piccolo crushing his enemies with his weighted gear, there’s little to be disappointed by.

In the climactic moments of the scene, Freeza gives us a hint (in one unmentionable act) of just how powerful he has become. In tandem with composer Norihito Sumitomo’s ominous score, Freeza’s presence is astounding. The maniacal space tyrant is wonderfully re-established by an exemplary performance from Ryusei Nakao. While his efforts in Dragon Ball Kai were rather lacklustre, he returns in top form, with voice cracks of rage and piercing screams that all underpin the arrogance that oozes from his regular speech.

-

Up to this point, Revival of ‘F’ is a true joy to watch; containing a perfect mix of humour and action that gels nicely with the tone found in Battle of Gods. However, once Goku and Vegeta teleport in for the final act, Freeza tranforms into his fourth form, as both the skies and tone of the movie darken.

While the film makes great efforts to incorporate humour throughout these scenes, it can often feel incongruous with the action that sandwiches it. Specifically, Freeza’s reaction to Beerus, while amusing, feels remarkably far away from the character the audience has seen so far. Though that’s clearly the point of the joke, it may break the immersion for fans of the character.

As the battle continues, the same highly choreographed fighting returns – albeit on a much larger scale.

It’s a shame that Yamamuro’s reluctance to move the camera so drastically alters the intensity of the battle. Often relying on long distance white flashes to convey the speed, the only time the camera really moves with the action is during some very unsightly CGI cuts. For a series so famous for its blistering battles, it’s a shame that it wasn’t possible to combine this beautiful martial arts choreography with some interesting camera work.

Appropriately and thankfully, following the two transformation sequences, there are some choice cuts that are truly deserving of genuine praise. They really help to solidify the point that this is a clash of two titans. Alongside some impressive sound design, the production staff should absolutely be commended.

This is especially true for a particular scene involving Vegeta, where the use of ramped slow motion really helps in drawing attention to the overwhelming power of the sound effects. It’s a true highlight of the film.

-

The biggest criticism for Toei’s homegrown Dragon Ball films is the lack of a fleshed out narrative; a bad guy appears during a time of peace, our characters do battle and the film ends. While interesting enemies and great action scenes make for an exciting experience, there’s generally very little substance.

Battle of Gods broke the mould of Toei’s films and left us with interesting new characters and extremely explorable themes. It had the mark of Toriyama plastered across it and was all the better for it.

Revival of ‘F’ is a fine film, but it wraps things up with an eye-rollingly obvious plot contrivance and Goku laughing into the screen as the credits roll. It’s a feeling that belongs at the end of a Toei film or an OVA. You absolutely enjoyed what you saw and there’s little to really fault with it, but it’s not a lasting feeling that you’ll remember for years to come.

One has to hope that this is a serious case of ‘middle-movie syndrome’. With such a high bar set by its predecessor, it would be a great shame to be known as a fluke. Here’s hoping a third film does away with regressive Dragon Ball and opens the progressive doors built by Battle of Gods.

3.5/5
(I'd consider Battle of Gods a rather high 4)

This is mostly spoiler free as I intend to publish this elsewhere. The dashes are just where images are supposed to go. Hope you enjoy!

You sure made an effort making this review, our ratings are opposites tho.... RoF was a 4+ to me while BoG was a 3+.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

DRAGON BALL Z: REVIVAL OF ‘F’ – REVIEW

Spoiler:

For seventeen outings, Dragon Ball films have largely lacked a cinematic quality; often feeling like extended episodes or rather expensive OVAs. With only minor contributions from the original author, Akira Toriyama, these films have often strayed from his distinctive style. Though this has not lessened the overall quality of each product, it has created a tonal division between ‘Toei’ and ‘Toriyama’ creations.

For the series’ eighteenth instalment, Battle of Gods marked the first time Toriyama had taken active control over a film; penning the screenplay and conjuring up all new characters. The film was steeped in humour and character interaction, with much of the combat relegated to a 10-minute climactic finale.

2015’s Revival of ‘F’ is a rather stark contrast to its predecessor.

-

Speaking to V-Jump magazine back in July 2014, Toriyama explicitly stated that he “increased the amount of action scenes by a good deal”. It is unsurprising then, that Revival of ‘F’ spends little time on reintroductions; instead focusing on fast-tracking its audience into the major action sequences.

Within ten minutes, Freeza is resurrected and his aim to exact revenge on the Saiyans is made clear. After revealing that he has never once trained in his life, he makes plans to prepare for four months to bring himself up to a level that will allow him to execute his plan.

However, rather than focus on the specifics of Freeza’s training, the film opts to jump ahead four months and spend its short downtime focusing on newer characters.

Though this contrivance may irk the most detail-hungry fans, without it, the film’s structure would be adversely affected, leaving little time for Toriyama to shine through his wonderfully written character interaction.

In particular, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, the titular protagonist in Toriyama’s latest manga, takes to the stage; being the one to deliver the news that Freeza is coming.

Their interaction is especially hilarious and very much the mark of the author. In particular, the tail end of their first encounter involves Bulma attempting to summon Whis with a strawberry sundae before asking Jaco “Hey, how long until Freeza arrives?” in which he remarks “Uh, one hour”. Bulma, absolutely infuriated by his lack of urgency, calls him an idiot and storms off, leaving Jaco exceptionally confused.

These small back-and-forths are wonderful and serve to break the monotony of the many fight scenes throughout the film – a familiar tactic often used to keep a steady tone throughout the series.

-

As the actions cuts to Goku and Vegeta training with Whis, the audience is privy to the first of the hugely anticipated fight scenes. Lead animator and director of the film, Tadayoshi Yamamuro, shows off his distinctive, martial arts inspired choreography; a rather different approach from the usual flurry of punches and kicks associated with Dragon Ball.

Precise grapples and throws are beautifully realised and hark back to Yamamuro’s original efforts on the Dragon Ball Z TV series. This scene all comes together as Vegeta flies through a field of flowers, launching a sea of petals up into the air as they continue to fight. It is a truly breathtaking moment that sparks comparisons to the visuals often found in Chinese director, Zhang Yimou’s work.

-

Once-important characters being cast aside has been one of the many complaints heard throughout the fandom. With constant power-ups, it is unsurprising that some were shafted in favour of more contextually relevant ones. Fortunately, Revival of ‘F’ ignores these limitations in favour of giving each character a genuine chance to shine.

Gohan, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Piccolo and, most surprisingly, Kame-Sen’nin face off in the highly advertised ‘1000-warrior battle’. Even Jaco decides to join in after some coercion from Bulma. This is entirely fan service, but it’s done exceptionally well.

While a great deal of the animation featured in this segment is wonderfully choreographed, Yamamuro seems to have utilised many static medium shots, leading to very flat, uninteresting compositions. Though this criticism may seem exceptionally picky to some, viewers who have become accustomed to more modern animation techniques may be left yearning for more.

Fortunately, this far from hampers the overall experience, as this battle contains a mix of the funniest, greatest, and most memorable moments that the film has to offer. From Jaco’s space gun takedowns to Piccolo crushing his enemies with his weighted gear, there’s little to be disappointed by.

In the climactic moments of the scene, Freeza gives us a hint (in one unmentionable act) of just how powerful he has become. In tandem with composer Norihito Sumitomo’s ominous score, Freeza’s presence is astounding. The maniacal space tyrant is wonderfully re-established by an exemplary performance from Ryusei Nakao. While his efforts in Dragon Ball Kai were rather lacklustre, he returns in top form, with voice cracks of rage and piercing screams that all underpin the arrogance that oozes from his regular speech.

-

Up to this point, Revival of ‘F’ is a true joy to watch; containing a perfect mix of humour and action that gels nicely with the tone found in Battle of Gods. However, once Goku and Vegeta teleport in for the final act, Freeza tranforms into his fourth form, as both the skies and tone of the movie darken.

While the film makes great efforts to incorporate humour throughout these scenes, it can often feel incongruous with the action that sandwiches it. Specifically, Freeza’s reaction to Beerus, while amusing, feels remarkably far away from the character the audience has seen so far. Though that’s clearly the point of the joke, it may break the immersion for fans of the character.

As the battle continues, the same highly choreographed fighting returns – albeit on a much larger scale.

It’s a shame that Yamamuro’s reluctance to move the camera so drastically alters the intensity of the battle. Often relying on long distance white flashes to convey the speed, the only time the camera really moves with the action is during some very unsightly CGI cuts. For a series so famous for its blistering battles, it’s a shame that it wasn’t possible to combine this beautiful martial arts choreography with some interesting camera work.

Appropriately and thankfully, following the two transformation sequences, there are some choice cuts that are truly deserving of genuine praise. They really help to solidify the point that this is a clash of two titans. Alongside some impressive sound design, the production staff should absolutely be commended.

This is especially true for a particular scene involving Vegeta, where the use of ramped slow motion really helps in drawing attention to the overwhelming power of the sound effects. It’s a true highlight of the film.

-

The biggest criticism for Toei’s homegrown Dragon Ball films is the lack of a fleshed out narrative; a bad guy appears during a time of peace, our characters do battle and the film ends. While interesting enemies and great action scenes make for an exciting experience, there’s generally very little substance.

Battle of Gods broke the mould of Toei’s films and left us with interesting new characters and extremely explorable themes. It had the mark of Toriyama plastered across it and was all the better for it.

Revival of ‘F’ is a fine film, but it wraps things up with an eye-rollingly obvious plot contrivance and Goku laughing into the screen as the credits roll. It’s a feeling that belongs at the end of a Toei film or an OVA. You absolutely enjoyed what you saw and there’s little to really fault with it, but it’s not a lasting feeling that you’ll remember for years to come.

One has to hope that this is a serious case of ‘middle-movie syndrome’. With such a high bar set by its predecessor, it would be a great shame to be known as a fluke. Here’s hoping a third film does away with regressive Dragon Ball and opens the progressive doors built by Battle of Gods.

3.5/5
(I'd consider Battle of Gods a rather high 4)

This is mostly spoiler free as I intend to publish this elsewhere. The dashes are just where images are supposed to go. Hope you enjoy!

Good read thanks, seems to reflect the reviews I have read through, just a btw did the the film feel there was stuff cut out like how SaiyaJedi mentioned that it felt shorter than it's runtime?

[rereboy]

Because as you said the other fans have already provide a logical arguments on how they think what happened happens. Unless you think your opinion are better than theirs.

They can have whatever theory they want. I'll either agree with it if I think it fits and makes sense or I won't. However, no matter if I agree with the theory or not, that doesn't really excuse the movie from having that inconsistency to begin with.

I have theories about some of the inconsistencies in the manga. That doesn't mean that I don't find the existence of those inconsistencies in the manga a flaw worthy of criticism.

Yeah, but when you have an author who forgets his characters during the serialization, what do you expect he does 20 years after he has finished? It's just my opinion, but during these 20 years, I feel like fans have created their own theories regarding DBZ that they consider completely immovable. They seem so willing to create their own fan theories to cover the plot holes of the manga, but good lord if anything remotely inconsistent happens in some new content...

It's not really a matter of being expected or not. People find a flaw and they point it out with valid criticism. That's it. As long as it's not just bashing, I don't see what's the problem with it.

[JulieYBM]

I don't think Fukkatsu no F suffers from middle movie syndrome so much as it suffers from not really having anything to chew on. Freeza comes back and is then defeated. What's next? Kami to Kami left the door open but also clearly defined why the door was left open (there were new gods and challenges to surpass). Fukkatsu no F doesn't really do that.

[radrappy]

DRAGON BALL Z: REVIVAL OF ‘F’ – REVIEW

Spoiler:

For seventeen outings, Dragon Ball films have largely lacked a cinematic quality; often feeling like extended episodes or rather expensive OVAs. With only minor contributions from the original author, Akira Toriyama, these films have often strayed from his distinctive style. Though this has not lessened the overall quality of each product, it has created a tonal division between ‘Toei’ and ‘Toriyama’ creations.

For the series’ eighteenth instalment, Battle of Gods marked the first time Toriyama had taken active control over a film; penning the screenplay and conjuring up all new characters. The film was steeped in humour and character interaction, with much of the combat relegated to a 10-minute climactic finale.

2015’s Revival of ‘F’ is a rather stark contrast to its predecessor.

-

Speaking to V-Jump magazine back in July 2014, Toriyama explicitly stated that he “increased the amount of action scenes by a good deal”. It is unsurprising then, that Revival of ‘F’ spends little time on reintroductions; instead focusing on fast-tracking its audience into the major action sequences.

Within ten minutes, Freeza is resurrected and his aim to exact revenge on the Saiyans is made clear. After revealing that he has never once trained in his life, he makes plans to prepare for four months to bring himself up to a level that will allow him to execute his plan.

However, rather than focus on the specifics of Freeza’s training, the film opts to jump ahead four months and spend its short downtime focusing on newer characters.

Though this contrivance may irk the most detail-hungry fans, without it, the film’s structure would be adversely affected, leaving little time for Toriyama to shine through his wonderfully written character interaction.

In particular, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, the titular protagonist in Toriyama’s latest manga, takes to the stage; being the one to deliver the news that Freeza is coming.

Their interaction is especially hilarious and very much the mark of the author. In particular, the tail end of their first encounter involves Bulma attempting to summon Whis with a strawberry sundae before asking Jaco “Hey, how long until Freeza arrives?” in which he remarks “Uh, one hour”. Bulma, absolutely infuriated by his lack of urgency, calls him an idiot and storms off, leaving Jaco exceptionally confused.

These small back-and-forths are wonderful and serve to break the monotony of the many fight scenes throughout the film – a familiar tactic often used to keep a steady tone throughout the series.

-

As the actions cuts to Goku and Vegeta training with Whis, the audience is privy to the first of the hugely anticipated fight scenes. Lead animator and director of the film, Tadayoshi Yamamuro, shows off his distinctive, martial arts inspired choreography; a rather different approach from the usual flurry of punches and kicks associated with Dragon Ball.

Precise grapples and throws are beautifully realised and hark back to Yamamuro’s original efforts on the Dragon Ball Z TV series. This scene all comes together as Vegeta flies through a field of flowers, launching a sea of petals up into the air as they continue to fight. It is a truly breathtaking moment that sparks comparisons to the visuals often found in Chinese director, Zhang Yimou’s work.

-

Once-important characters being cast aside has been one of the many complaints heard throughout the fandom. With constant power-ups, it is unsurprising that some were shafted in favour of more contextually relevant ones. Fortunately, Revival of ‘F’ ignores these limitations in favour of giving each character a genuine chance to shine.

Gohan, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Piccolo and, most surprisingly, Kame-Sen’nin face off in the highly advertised ‘1000-warrior battle’. Even Jaco decides to join in after some coercion from Bulma. This is entirely fan service, but it’s done exceptionally well.

While a great deal of the animation featured in this segment is wonderfully choreographed, Yamamuro seems to have utilised many static medium shots, leading to very flat, uninteresting compositions. Though this criticism may seem exceptionally picky to some, viewers who have become accustomed to more modern animation techniques may be left yearning for more.

Fortunately, this far from hampers the overall experience, as this battle contains a mix of the funniest, greatest, and most memorable moments that the film has to offer. From Jaco’s space gun takedowns to Piccolo crushing his enemies with his weighted gear, there’s little to be disappointed by.

In the climactic moments of the scene, Freeza gives us a hint (in one unmentionable act) of just how powerful he has become. In tandem with composer Norihito Sumitomo’s ominous score, Freeza’s presence is astounding. The maniacal space tyrant is wonderfully re-established by an exemplary performance from Ryusei Nakao. While his efforts in Dragon Ball Kai were rather lacklustre, he returns in top form, with voice cracks of rage and piercing screams that all underpin the arrogance that oozes from his regular speech.

-

Up to this point, Revival of ‘F’ is a true joy to watch; containing a perfect mix of humour and action that gels nicely with the tone found in Battle of Gods. However, once Goku and Vegeta teleport in for the final act, Freeza tranforms into his fourth form, as both the skies and tone of the movie darken.

While the film makes great efforts to incorporate humour throughout these scenes, it can often feel incongruous with the action that sandwiches it. Specifically, Freeza’s reaction to Beerus, while amusing, feels remarkably far away from the character the audience has seen so far. Though that’s clearly the point of the joke, it may break the immersion for fans of the character.

As the battle continues, the same highly choreographed fighting returns – albeit on a much larger scale.

It’s a shame that Yamamuro’s reluctance to move the camera so drastically alters the intensity of the battle. Often relying on long distance white flashes to convey the speed, the only time the camera really moves with the action is during some very unsightly CGI cuts. For a series so famous for its blistering battles, it’s a shame that it wasn’t possible to combine this beautiful martial arts choreography with some interesting camera work.

Appropriately and thankfully, following the two transformation sequences, there are some choice cuts that are truly deserving of genuine praise. They really help to solidify the point that this is a clash of two titans. Alongside some impressive sound design, the production staff should absolutely be commended.

This is especially true for a particular scene involving Vegeta, where the use of ramped slow motion really helps in drawing attention to the overwhelming power of the sound effects. It’s a true highlight of the film.

-

The biggest criticism for Toei’s homegrown Dragon Ball films is the lack of a fleshed out narrative; a bad guy appears during a time of peace, our characters do battle and the film ends. While interesting enemies and great action scenes make for an exciting experience, there’s generally very little substance.

Battle of Gods broke the mould of Toei’s films and left us with interesting new characters and extremely explorable themes. It had the mark of Toriyama plastered across it and was all the better for it.

Revival of ‘F’ is a fine film, but it wraps things up with an eye-rollingly obvious plot contrivance and Goku laughing into the screen as the credits roll. It’s a feeling that belongs at the end of a Toei film or an OVA. You absolutely enjoyed what you saw and there’s little to really fault with it, but it’s not a lasting feeling that you’ll remember for years to come.

One has to hope that this is a serious case of ‘middle-movie syndrome’. With such a high bar set by its predecessor, it would be a great shame to be known as a fluke. Here’s hoping a third film does away with regressive Dragon Ball and opens the progressive doors built by Battle of Gods.

3.5/5
(I'd consider Battle of Gods a rather high 4)

This is mostly spoiler free as I intend to publish this elsewhere. The dashes are just where images are supposed to go. Hope you enjoy!

Fantastic review. I agree with most of your criticisms but feel strongly that what elevates this film a whole head above toei's efforts was how the characters were treated. While it does follow a formula set by the aforementioned 13 films, it does so with living, breathing characters and a sense of whimsy not found until BoG broke the scene. One other key area where I feel it justifies its existence over the others is the scene where

Spoiler:

Goku soaks in Bulma and Gohan's despair after the earth and all the people they love have been vaporized. I don't think I've seen a look of sadness on Goku's face quite so heavy on his face to date. I get the distinct feeling that he'll be a lot less merciful/careless towards his future foes because of this experience.

Also, I felt BoG had far more pacing issues than this film.

[Zephyr]

DRAGON BALL Z: REVIVAL OF ‘F’ – REVIEW

Good read man. Really hoping that this is just "middle movie syndrome" like you said. Sounds like it'll be fun to see in the theater with my friends though.

Also:

Piccolo crushing his enemies with his weighted gear

That just sounds awesome.

[Ajay]

I do want to question this "middle-movie syndrome" you mentioned

Well, 'middle-movie syndrome' generally refers to the stagnant character development and plot/theme progression found in the second film of an intended trilogy. Interesting characters or plot points established in the first film are often left unexplored in favour of inconsequential matters for the second. Any real continuation is handled in the third film.

While we have no confirmation of any such trilogy with these Dragon Ball films, that's what Revival of 'F' felt like. I guess I could have worded that a little better. It just feels like all of the fresh parts of Battle of Gods were put on the back-burner in favour of this rather strange tangent. It's just a very random self-contained little story that shares a few elements with Battle of Gods.

I think JulieYBM described it a little better than I did.

Did the the film feel there was stuff cut out like how SaiyaJedi mentioned that it felt shorter than it's runtime?

I wouldn't say it feels like there's anything cut out, but I think it does have some pacing issues. After a relatively short introduction, you're hit with relentless action for the remainder of the film. It can feel quite overwhelming. With a little breathing room, I think the film would feel a lot deeper than it currently does. You'd have time for a lot of scenes to resonate with you a little longer.

Gohan is killed, quickly revived, then Goku and Vegeta arrive and the battle begins. Everything happens to fast that it's hard to take in a lot of the powerful moments.

Fantastic review. I agree with most of your criticisms but feel strongly that what elevates this film a whole head above toei's efforts was how the characters were treated. While it does follow a formula set by the aforementioned 13 films, it does so with living, breathing characters and a sense of whimsy not found until BoG broke the scene. One other key area where I feel it justifies its existence over the others is the scene where Goku soaks in Bulma and Gohan's despair after the earth and all the people they love have been vaporized. I don't think I've seen a look of sadness on Goku's face quite so heavy on his face to date. I get the distinct feeling that he'll be a lot less merciful/careless towards his future foes because of this experience. Also, I felt BoG had far more pacing issues than this film.

It's certainly far, far above any Toei film. I hope I didn't give the impression that it wasn't in my review. Its characters are treated well, but it just doesn't have a strong enough narrative. That scene you mention is great, but it's hard to really take it seriously as a viewer when you're explicitly aware of the Whis' abilities. As I said in the piece - had this film come before the end of Z, it'd be an incredible moment, but as it stands, I just don't get any real emotional response from it. Bulma's reaction does more for me than Goku's at that point.

I'd like to add that I very much enjoyed the film, and I'd hope that the positives in my review won't go unnoticed.

[ekrolo2]

DRAGON BALL Z: REVIVAL OF ‘F’ – REVIEW

Spoiler:

For seventeen outings, Dragon Ball films have largely lacked a cinematic quality; often feeling like extended episodes or rather expensive OVAs. With only minor contributions from the original author, Akira Toriyama, these films have often strayed from his distinctive style. Though this has not lessened the overall quality of each product, it has created a tonal division between ‘Toei’ and ‘Toriyama’ creations.

For the series’ eighteenth instalment, Battle of Gods marked the first time Toriyama had taken active control over a film; penning the screenplay and conjuring up all new characters. The film was steeped in humour and character interaction, with much of the combat relegated to a 10-minute climactic finale.

2015’s Revival of ‘F’ is a rather stark contrast to its predecessor.

-

Speaking to V-Jump magazine back in July 2014, Toriyama explicitly stated that he “increased the amount of action scenes by a good deal”. It is unsurprising then, that Revival of ‘F’ spends little time on reintroductions; instead focusing on fast-tracking its audience into the major action sequences.

Within ten minutes, Freeza is resurrected and his aim to exact revenge on the Saiyans is made clear. After revealing that he has never once trained in his life, he makes plans to prepare for four months to bring himself up to a level that will allow him to execute his plan.

However, rather than focus on the specifics of Freeza’s training, the film opts to jump ahead four months and spend its short downtime focusing on newer characters.

Though this contrivance may irk the most detail-hungry fans, without it, the film’s structure would be adversely affected, leaving little time for Toriyama to shine through his wonderfully written character interaction.

In particular, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, the titular protagonist in Toriyama’s latest manga, takes to the stage; being the one to deliver the news that Freeza is coming.

Their interaction is especially hilarious and very much the mark of the author. In particular, the tail end of their first encounter involves Bulma attempting to summon Whis with a strawberry sundae before asking Jaco “Hey, how long until Freeza arrives?” in which he remarks “Uh, one hour”. Bulma, absolutely infuriated by his lack of urgency, calls him an idiot and storms off, leaving Jaco exceptionally confused.

These small back-and-forths are wonderful and serve to break the monotony of the many fight scenes throughout the film – a familiar tactic often used to keep a steady tone throughout the series.

-

As the actions cuts to Goku and Vegeta training with Whis, the audience is privy to the first of the hugely anticipated fight scenes. Lead animator and director of the film, Tadayoshi Yamamuro, shows off his distinctive, martial arts inspired choreography; a rather different approach from the usual flurry of punches and kicks associated with Dragon Ball.

Precise grapples and throws are beautifully realised and hark back to Yamamuro’s original efforts on the Dragon Ball Z TV series. This scene all comes together as Vegeta flies through a field of flowers, launching a sea of petals up into the air as they continue to fight. It is a truly breathtaking moment that sparks comparisons to the visuals often found in Chinese director, Zhang Yimou’s work.

-

Once-important characters being cast aside has been one of the many complaints heard throughout the fandom. With constant power-ups, it is unsurprising that some were shafted in favour of more contextually relevant ones. Fortunately, Revival of ‘F’ ignores these limitations in favour of giving each character a genuine chance to shine.

Gohan, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Piccolo and, most surprisingly, Kame-Sen’nin face off in the highly advertised ‘1000-warrior battle’. Even Jaco decides to join in after some coercion from Bulma. This is entirely fan service, but it’s done exceptionally well.

While a great deal of the animation featured in this segment is wonderfully choreographed, Yamamuro seems to have utilised many static medium shots, leading to very flat, uninteresting compositions. Though this criticism may seem exceptionally picky to some, viewers who have become accustomed to more modern animation techniques may be left yearning for more.

Fortunately, this far from hampers the overall experience, as this battle contains a mix of the funniest, greatest, and most memorable moments that the film has to offer. From Jaco’s space gun takedowns to Piccolo crushing his enemies with his weighted gear, there’s little to be disappointed by.

In the climactic moments of the scene, Freeza gives us a hint (in one unmentionable act) of just how powerful he has become. In tandem with composer Norihito Sumitomo’s ominous score, Freeza’s presence is astounding. The maniacal space tyrant is wonderfully re-established by an exemplary performance from Ryusei Nakao. While his efforts in Dragon Ball Kai were rather lacklustre, he returns in top form, with voice cracks of rage and piercing screams that all underpin the arrogance that oozes from his regular speech.

-

Up to this point, Revival of ‘F’ is a true joy to watch; containing a perfect mix of humour and action that gels nicely with the tone found in Battle of Gods. However, once Goku and Vegeta teleport in for the final act, Freeza tranforms into his fourth form, as both the skies and tone of the movie darken.

While the film makes great efforts to incorporate humour throughout these scenes, it can often feel incongruous with the action that sandwiches it. Specifically, Freeza’s reaction to Beerus, while amusing, feels remarkably far away from the character the audience has seen so far. Though that’s clearly the point of the joke, it may break the immersion for fans of the character.

As the battle continues, the same highly choreographed fighting returns – albeit on a much larger scale.

It’s a shame that Yamamuro’s reluctance to move the camera so drastically alters the intensity of the battle. Often relying on long distance white flashes to convey the speed, the only time the camera really moves with the action is during some very unsightly CGI cuts. For a series so famous for its blistering battles, it’s a shame that it wasn’t possible to combine this beautiful martial arts choreography with some interesting camera work.

Appropriately and thankfully, following the two transformation sequences, there are some choice cuts that are truly deserving of genuine praise. They really help to solidify the point that this is a clash of two titans. Alongside some impressive sound design, the production staff should absolutely be commended.

This is especially true for a particular scene involving Vegeta, where the use of ramped slow motion really helps in drawing attention to the overwhelming power of the sound effects. It’s a true highlight of the film.

-

The biggest criticism for Toei’s homegrown Dragon Ball films is the lack of a fleshed out narrative; a bad guy appears during a time of peace, our characters do battle and the film ends. While interesting enemies and great action scenes make for an exciting experience, there’s generally very little substance.

Battle of Gods broke the mould of Toei’s films and left us with interesting new characters and extremely explorable themes. It had the mark of Toriyama plastered across it and was all the better for it.

Revival of ‘F’ is a fine film, but it wraps things up with an eye-rollingly obvious plot contrivance and Goku laughing into the screen as the credits roll. It’s a feeling that belongs at the end of a Toei film or an OVA. You absolutely enjoyed what you saw and there’s little to really fault with it, but it’s not a lasting feeling that you’ll remember for years to come.

One has to hope that this is a serious case of ‘middle-movie syndrome’. With such a high bar set by its predecessor, it would be a great shame to be known as a fluke. Here’s hoping a third film does away with regressive Dragon Ball and opens the progressive doors built by Battle of Gods.

3.5/5
(I'd consider Battle of Gods a rather high 4)

This is mostly spoiler free as I intend to publish this elsewhere. The dashes are just where images are supposed to go. Hope you enjoy!

Fantastic review. I agree with most of your criticisms but feel strongly that what elevates this film a whole head above toei's efforts was how the characters were treated. While it does follow a formula set by the aforementioned 13 films, it does so with living, breathing characters and a sense of whimsy not found until BoG broke the scene. One other key area where I feel it justifies its existence over the others is the scene where

Spoiler:

Goku soaks in Bulma and Gohan's despair after the earth and all the people they love have been vaporized. I don't think I've seen a look of sadness on Goku's face quite so heavy on his face to date. I get the distinct feeling that he'll be a lot less merciful/careless towards his future foes because of this experience.

Also, I felt BoG had far more pacing issues than this film.

If that scene is half as amazing as it sounds, then all the other stuff is forgiven.

[Doctor.]

If that scene is half as amazing as it sounds, then all the other stuff is forgiven.

If that scene is as amazing as he described, then I'll forgive the predictable and convenient plot device; because that's the only occasion where a plot device of that magnitude can be used, in order to prompt some character development.

[fexus]

Because as you said the other fans have already provide a logical arguments on how they think what happened happens. Unless you think your opinion are better than theirs.

They can have whatever theory they want. I'll either agree with it if I think it fits and makes sense or I won't. However, no matter if I agree with the theory or not, that doesn't really excuse the movie from having that inconsistency to begin with.

I have theories about some of the inconsistencies in the manga. That doesn't mean that I don't find the existence of those inconsistencies in the manga a flaw worthy of criticism.

The only reasons that this inconsistency right now are so hard on some people because it's related to powerlevels. What about the number of wishes inconsistency? I don't see anyone complaining about that this much. People here seem to forget everything because of powerlevels. The points made in this movie are still the same as in the manga. If you drop down your guard or ki level, you can and would get easily injured. Piercing techniques are stronger than normal blast techniques. All this points are shown in the manga and are shown again here. People get mad because that level of something isn't in their standard of powerlevel.

The thing here is there are people that think that this is perfectly logical because it was explained. It was explained that Goku let his guard drop enough to let the LAZER RING to pierce him. In that situation, Goku did exactly that. That's it. You could say that it's an inconsistency because you don't like it but other people can say that it's okay because they explained that Goku did exactly that thing in that moment.

[Chuquita]

I do want to question this "middle-movie syndrome" you mentioned

Well, 'middle-movie syndrome' generally refers to the stagnant character development and plot/theme progression found in the second film of an intended trilogy. Interesting characters or plot points established in the first film are often left unexplored in favour of inconsequential matters for the second. Any real continuation is handled in the third film.

While we have no confirmation of any such trilogy with these Dragon Ball films, that's what Revival of 'F' felt like. I guess I could have worded that a little better. It just feels like all of the fresh parts of Battle of Gods were put on the back-burner in favour of this rather strange tangent. It's just a very random self-contained little story that shares a few elements from Battle of Gods.

I think JulieYBM described it a little better than I did.

I third this. I liked all those fresh plot elements; I wanted to see them expanded upon. The idea of F in the vein of Movie 12 part 2 sounds fun, and I feel like I'm definitely going to enjoy watching the movie, but going self-contained after something like BOG makes BOG feel like a massive tease.

[rereboy]

Because as you said the other fans have already provide a logical arguments on how they think what happened happens. Unless you think your opinion are better than theirs.

They can have whatever theory they want. I'll either agree with it if I think it fits and makes sense or I won't. However, no matter if I agree with the theory or not, that doesn't really excuse the movie from having that inconsistency to begin with.

I have theories about some of the inconsistencies in the manga. That doesn't mean that I don't find the existence of those inconsistencies in the manga a flaw worthy of criticism.

The only reasons that this inconsistency right now are so hard on some people because it's related to powerlevels. What about the number of wishes inconsistency? I don't see anyone complaining about that this much. People here seem to forget everything because of powerlevels. The points made in this movie are still the same as in the manga. If you drop down your guard or ki level, you can and would get easily injured. Piercing techniques are stronger than normal blast techniques. All this points are shown in the manga and are shown again here. People get mad because that level of something isn't in their standard of powerlevel.

The thing here is there are people that think that this is perfectly logical because it was explained. It was explained that Goku let his guard drop enough to let the LAZER RING to pierce him. In that situation, Goku did exactly that. That's it. You could say that it's an inconsistency because you don't like it but other people can say that it's okay because they explained that Goku did exactly that thing in that moment.

People also criticize and point out the wishes inconsistencies and other types of inconsistencies. They have done so in this very topic when the manga tie-in showed just one wish being granted. However, Dragon Ball is mainly about fighting, so inconsistencies about fighting stand out the most and generally affect the movie more.

[Doctor.]

What about the number of wishes inconsistency?

There is none.

[TheGmGoken]

Something I realized.

Goku before being shot by..a ring? Was about to beat Freeza. Is this the first time a weaker person won the fight due to skill and experience over power?