Does Dragonball Z: Bojack Unbound Hold Up?

Copyright: Dragonball, Dragonball Z and Bojack Unbound are all property of FUNimation, Toei Animation, Namco Bandai Sueisha And Akira Toriyama

Brevity and ethics: i have no affiliation with Dragonball, Dragonball z or the series as a whole. im just a fan. 

Bojack Unbound is considered by many to be the most distinct Dragon Ball Z movie. Unlike previous antagonists, Bojack presents as a subtle, chess-like villain, unlike in-your-face bad guys like Cooler and Broly. Despite his absence in the first two thirds of the movie, Bojack's cunning mind and calculated moves make him one of the memorable bad guys in the franchise's canon. Let’s discuss the movie as a whole.

Story:

At the movie's onset, a wealthy individual hosts a martial arts tournament as a gift for his son's birthday. The event is met with a diverse turnout, including extraterrestrial combatants battling the Z Fighters and Mr. Satan, with a monetary incentive offered. The first third of that is our heroes fighting against warriors from earth, all of said opponents are street fighter references. Krillin fights a boxer who looks like a skinny version of balrog, a sumo named Dusokoi fights a ton of people, piccolo, trunks and  gohan fight people off screen giving us a good top 4 main leads.

During the progression of the movie, an emotional scene unfolds where Chi-Chi and Bulma discuss their sons and support their endeavors. Chi-Chi takes responsibility for her role in Gohan's education, yet is content with granting him the chance to participate in the tournament, which brings light to a positive side of her character's personality. Furthermore, the movie remains consistent with the Cell Saga and showcases Vegeta's solitary existence, with his focus on following Goku's example through the galactic martial art tournament. Gohan also seeks to differentiate himself from his father through training methods akin to those displayed during Goku's time at the world martial art tournament.

In the film, there are a series of elimination scenes that occur throughout. As the participants dwindle, eight are left to compete in the top rounds: Gohan, Trunks, Krillin, Piccolo, Tien, Dosukoi (the sumo fighter), Uso (the tall white man) and Sky Dragon (the generic martial artist). Meanwhile, Mr. Satan is intercepted by a reporter and maintains his composure while under pressure, refusing to offer a comment. The inclusion of names for the four non-core characters presents a humorous notion, as it implies that the tournament lacks a standard framework or specific guidelines. While this is happening it cuts to a running gag about Mr. Satan trying to run away from the tournament feigning illness.

Following the previous event, the sumo fighter emerges victorious, enabling the next round of combat. At this point in the tournament, the participants transition into Tron-like vehicles and travel to their designated destinations, where they are supposed to compete against the extraterrestrial competitors. However, a twist to the plan causes the Z Fighters to be ejected to separate sites: Trunks to a field with a pond, Krillin to a volcano, and Gohan to one filled with balloons and toys. What was anticipated to be an intense battle between star-hopping combatants ultimately devolves into an unexpected exploration of fantastical landscapes. Everyone is confused, because no one knows what’s going on, it’s not a traditional tournament but that won’t stop the spirit of fighting as our heroes press on. 

In a matter of minutes, the villainous forces make their entrance, with Bojack's charming female combatant emerging from a molten cloud and capturing Krillin's attention. Zagnya's stunning appearance is undeniably attractive, having a multitiered appeal. This manifests as a flying knee to Krillin's head, incapacitating him. Up next, an event of grim proportions occurs in the sand biome, as Bojacks imposing combatant strangles Dosukoi to death, prompting shock and despair among the audience. The organizer then informs the crowd that the fighters they are witnessing are not those who arrived from space, but rather invaders aiming to corrupt the tournament.

The scene shifts to Trunks, who pauses to take in the rich wildlife before suddenly confronting the rival crew. A fierce battle of blades ensues, with Trunks countering the pirate's blows until the latter transforms into a massive brute, reminiscent of a Hulk-like entity. The two duel, utilizing powerful sword strikes and quick-witted kicks, until Trunks makes a critical error. Before he can process the mistake, the pirate unleashed a devastating blast that nearly kills him. The action then transitions to Gohan, who remains oblivious to the impending danger, reveling in the fantastical realm of toyland.

While Gohan ventures across the expansive, open toy realm, he encounters an older, hag-like woman named Bido, a trusted ally of Bojack's. Using powerful magic, Bido attacks Gohan, who manages to hold his ground despite the strength of her spell. Back with Trunks and his pirate nemesis, the battle progresses rapidly, with Trunks delivering a lethal blow to his adversary's chest. Confident in his victory, Trunks is quickly caught off guard as the pirate revives and kicks Trunks to the floor. His father, Vegeta, bears witness to the shocking moment, which provides a perspective shift from which the audience shares in Vegeta's anguish. At that moment, we cut back to Gohan and the hag, with the latter cackling as Gohan senses Bojack's presence. 

King Kai tells Goku “A dark demon, psychotic, unstable, filled with malice and rage. Long ago he tried to destroy every galaxy.” Telling goku about how all 4 kais sealed him in a small Star the planet that king kai was living on was his sealed fate, he continues telling Goku that when transported the exploding cell to his planet he freed BoJack from his prison beneath Kai's planet's surface. While Gohan discovers the unconscious forms of Krillin and Trunks, King Kai alerts Goku of the dangers awaiting the young Saiyan on Earth. Upon encountering Bojack, the antagonist taunts the young warrior, threatening to break his neck. Gohan does not yield, but finds himself outnumbered by the space pirates and their cohort, Bido. The old hag declares that all who oppose her master shall bow before him.

Thankfully Gohan isn’t outnumbered as Yamcha and tien join Gohans side, Bojacks crew all bow to him, the old hag demands our heroes to kneel too, when our heroes don’t they gang up on them, double teaming Yamcha and Tien, leaving hogan alone. Gohan isn’t threatened by Bojack or his horsemen; turning Super Sayajin and unleashing a quick arsenal of attacks, but this isn’t enough as the space pirates still stand. It cuts to Bojack analyzing the fight showing his cunning chess master like villainy. As the pirates throw massive energy attacks at Gohan it cuts to the afterlife, with Goku cheering Gohan on.

It cuts to the Spirit World, where Goku supports Gohan by cheering him on during the struggle. Back on Earth, the pirates unleashed a powerful blast, with Gohan narrowly avoiding the attack. Finally, the young Saiyan must overcome the combined might of Bojack and his allies, utilizing the unique abilities of the fighters at his side, Yamcha and Tien, to survive. During the chaos, it is revealed that Bojack possesses a keen mind for strategy, countering Gohan's attacks with calculated precision. As the battle draws to a close, Goku cheers Gohan on, giving the young hero the much-needed encouragement to emerge victorious.

As the pirates assault Gohan with a devastating energy attack, Piccolo intervenes, engaging Bojack in battle. Despite the combined power of the pirates, our "big green savior" blocks the blast, before Bojack retaliates with an energy beam, forcefully pushing Piccolo back.As they send him flying into the air and hitting a wall. More allies join the fray, with Trunks in his Super form dealing direct blows against Bojack. However, Trunks finds himself immobilized by the old hag's magic wire, until a mysterious item cuts through the wire, freeing the Saiyan from his captor. With his swords free, Trunks swiftly defeats the swordsman, before facing off against Bojack once more.

Trunks goes to see who assisted him, only to see the  space pirates are blindsided as a massive wave of ki emanates from the ground beneath their feet, resulting in the ledge they stood on collapsing. A smirk crosses Vegeta's face as he prepares to face Bojack head-on. The two rivals engage in a brutal beam struggle, with Vegeta's attack initially gaining the advantage. However, Bojack retaliates with a powerful blast that pushes the Saiyan back. As the battle rages on, Bojack's allies prevent Trunks from supporting Vegeta. Gohan, meanwhile, has been rescued by the resilient Piccolo, who urges the young Saiyan to fight on and defeat Bojack. Gohan prepares to face the villain,

Goku watches in horror as his son is brutally attacked by Bojack, causing Gohan to bleed and his back to be snapped. Desperate to save Gohan, Goku breaks the rules of the afterlife and instant transmissions to rescue his son, delivering a thunderous blow to Bojack. Gohan takes this inspiration in stride, rising to his feet and adopting a new determined facade. With his lightning aura sparking with immense energy, Gohan faces off against Bojack, terrifying his opponent. No longer able to rely on the aid of their allies, Bojack attempts to use Zagnya as a shield, firing a desperate ki blast in Gohan’s direction.

In a shocking turn of events, the shot is interrupted as Gohan's power rips through the attack, destroying both the ki blast and the woman acting as a shield. A determined Gohan flies up to Bojack, landing a brutal punch that impales the pirate's stomach. Bojack grabs at Gohan, begging for mercy as his blood spills out, but Gohan's Kamehameha blast proves too powerful, obliterating Bojack and saving the day. In the aftermath, Gohan reunites with his father, vowing to protect the world from any further threats.

After the climactic battle against Bojack, Gohan takes a well-earned rest, savoring his victory. Across town, Krillin and the others lay recovering in a hospital, grateful that the ordeal is over. Meanwhile, Vegeta and Piccolo, still wearing their bruises from the fight, contemplate the outcome of the tournament from a distant rooftop which is also a weird running gag of Piccolo and Vegeta just randomly hanging out. The screen fades to black, with credits rolling as a triumphant music track plays in the background.

But does it hold up?

The film is undeniably a success, with an engaging pace, a captivating story, and superb voice acting. It explores the concept of youth overcoming the past mistakes of previous generations, and the triumph of justice against all odds. The only few downsides are that Bojack's presence is somewhat subdued throughout the first two thirds of the movie, only appearing in the middle of the third act. And that while it not being canon, its place in the timeline is weird, its post cell games, so Goku is dead, and all. but why would Krillin even fall for zagnya's tricks since hes dating/married  Despite this, Bojack's strategy-minded scheming, and ability to adapt to any situation, makes him a formidable and dangerous adversary.

but the villains are pretty strong, both in character and in their feats. their powers are unique, and their plan to destroy the planet while not unique is a cliche that works well. The animation is also super good for a 90s anime, theres no obvious in-betweens, the backgrounds and models are very well done and beautiful to look at. overall a solid movie.