Dragon Ball Zalongside its long-running TV anime series, it released 13 theatrical films during its initial run from 1989 to 1995. Some retconned events from whatever arc the anime was adapting from Akira Toriyama’s ongoing manga, presenting similar threats to whoever it was terrorizing the main timeline. . Others have tried to tell unique stories from the world Dragon Ballholding the already established cast against threats unique to the source material. Wrath of the Dragon is one of those stories.
Although giant enemies were nothing new to the series at the time of its release, Few have been used as the final villain of an arc or film. The previous version, Fusion Rebornplayed with the concept in Janemba’s first form, but reverted him to normal size in the film’s climax. Wrath of the Dragon bought a giant final boss completely with Hirudegarn, portraying the ancient monster as an imposing, unstoppable beast. By presenting this enormous creature, the series was also forced to move the battlefieldreally making the film stand out among the rest.
Wrath of the Dragon changes the battlefield
The film’s final fight takes place in a crowded city
Dragon Ballalthough it began as an adventure series, it built its reputation through fights as Goku entered adulthood. Often grand displays of overwhelming power and flashy ki blasts, many of these battles take place in vast open spaces where characters can really show off. Wrath of the Dragon, while making use of his giant antagonist, also moves the arena to a crowded city full of innocent spectators. The change of scenery not only gives way to exciting scenes of mass destruction, but also forces fighters to interact with the environment.
Large open spaces allow the fighting to be as exaggerated as possible, but given how powerful so many of the series’ characters have become, the detailed fight choreography is sometimes sacrificed to show the scale of the battle. By placing characters in smaller, more intimate environments filled with obstacles, precision combat becomes mandatory. This is shown in Goku mapping out a strategy before launching his iconic Dragon Fist to end the battle. And while he’s not the star of the film, the city also leads to one of Vegeta’s best moments.
One of Vegeta’s best moments comes during the film’s climax.
Vegeta shows his development
Vegeta may never be able to land the final blow on the main villain, but he has enjoyed arguably the greatest character arc of all time. Dragon Balland Wrath of the Dragon puts this arc on full display near the film’s final act. Fresh off his major transformation during the Buu Saga, Vegeta finds himself playing the supporting role once again during his fight with Hirudegarn, having perhaps the least screen time of any major character. It’s used well, though, when the giant villain throws him into a crowded building full of other people.
Putting this recently concluded character arc to good use, Vegeta instinctively stands up and defends the crowded building from an oncoming attackbefore falling to the ground. Just one arc before, he senselessly took hundreds of lives in the World Tournament, and here’s showing how far he’s come in such a short time before the film.
Although not all Dragon Ball ZOriginal feature films are winners, some have genuinely interesting ideas and moments. Wrath of the Dragon is one of them, and it’s still worth watching just for its willingness to try something new as the series nears its end.