Well Dragon Ball Z fans…the time has come. After the major success of the film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods, fans couldn’t wait for another installment to the series. When the film Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F premiered, it was met with overwhelmingly positive responses from fans and critics. Resurrection F now brings fan favorite villain Frieza back into the fray – and the film is set for an English dubbed theatrical run that begins August 4th across over 1,000 theaters in the U.S. as well as Canada. The film which also managed to already rake in a phenomenal $50 million, happens to be worth the watch. FUNimation proudly acknowledges the series consistent success as a juggernaut of the anime world, as well as an influence into pop culture.

When it comes to Resurrection F, the pressure was on. To return to a beloved series and bring back an iconic character, while introducing new and enhanced transformations is no easy feat, but Akira Toriyama isn’t afraid of a challenge. The film brings Frieza back (in a quirky DBZ way) and the villain begins to undergo his own intense training to strengthen himself enough to seek revenge on the Saiyans he holds responsible for his demise – meaning Goku and Trunks of course. The opening portion of the film uses humor to reintroduce us to the Dragon Ball universe, but quickly reminds us of the series best core elements – intense action. From that point on, there are constant battles popping up throughout the film, which lets be honest, is what we love about Dragon Ball Z. While Goku and Vegeta face intense training with (Battle of the Gods characters) Beerus and Whis, they continue their subtleties of fascination mixed with rivalry that keep both constantly progressing.

photo courtesy of: funimation.com

With the two strongest warriors occupied elsewhere, the now resurging Frieza Force (and that’s putting it lightly) is set to attack Earth. The remaining Z warriors (which include Piccolo, Gohan, Krillin, and more) are the line of defense. This is one of the most memorable battles of the film as they take on over 1,000 warriors on their own and getting time to show their own progression, and moment to shine in the film. Android 18’s presence is pretty much minimal in battle… maybe she’ll get more action in DBZ Super! The animation in this specific scene lightly utilizes a new approach in using 3D animation to portray the new abilities they can integrate. It’s reminiscent of every action scene in the series and films before it, showing seemingly endless amounts of warriors in the onslaught. I believe it was a smart plan to leave time for each of the Z warriors have their moment in the action based spotlight – because soon after, Vegeta, Goku, and Frieza take the reigns in the battle. Obviously as seen in the preview, Goku has achieved a new form of power, and Frieza appropriately has upgraded as well, which makes for the ultimate clash 24 years after their first epic showdown aired. When it comes to Vegeta’s involvement, he finds his time to prove how far he has come, becoming a fan favorite moment (as well as a fellow PW writer’s.) However Vegeta’s time is limited, as Goku and Frieza are the hyped up battle that takes a majority of the screen time, and nostalgic fans will appreciate the continued feud.

photo courtesy of: denofgeek.us

The English voice cast brings back the voices of our favorite heroes which include: Sean Schemmel as Goku, Christopher R. Sabat who voices Vegeta and Piccolo, Kyle Hebert as Gohan, Todd Haberkorn as newcomer Jaco, and many other talented voice actors. Jaco happens to be another new addition to the series that will appease fans of the humorous moments to DBZ, as a character who carries the comedic relief at all points of the movie. With all of the needed factors to create a noteworthy installment to the series, the film is poised to have a successful theatrical run, and fans should be satisfied by the effort that went into creating Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F. One thing is certain, Dragon Ball Z returns to prove that the anime is still alive and strong, if not elevated to new power levels. Seeing your favorite action anime battling on the big screen should make it reason enough to watch this film. Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F will arrive in theaters August 4 and will run through August 12. Make sure you get your tickets while you can!

Overall Score: 8/10

Also, check out our PopTalk coverage of the Japanese film premiere here, and for more information, check out Dragon Ball Z‘s official website or the FUNimation page!