Sluggin'
It Out:
Dragonball Z Lord Slug Feature DVD
Funimation DVD
Review
by
: Troy
Brownfield 
For the
uninitiated: Dragonball Z is but one portion of the sprawling
Dragon Ball saga created by Akira Toriyama. Originally appearing
as a serialized strip in Japan's Shonen Jump magazine, Dragon
Ball (detailing the adventures of the cast as youngsters)
and Dragonball Z (our heroes, all grown up) follows Goku and
his friends as they battle menaces ranging from the profound
to the ridiculous. Overall, the Dragonball Z compenent is
far more serious, centered largely around enormous action
sequences and full-on displays of chi-driven martial arts
power. Currently, the Dragon Ball and Dragonball Z animated
series are the undisputed staple of Cartoon Network's widly
popular Toonami line-up.
A word
on Dragonball Z movies: While the totality of the Dragon Ball
TV universe includes three series (DB, DBZ, and Dragonball
GT, currently unseen in the States) that add up to over 500
episodes, it's so ragingly popular that several stand-alone
features have been released. Overall continuity really isn't
an issue; these are one-off action-packed features that can
be said to take place between some of the larger sagas of
the TV series. One of those features, now available on VHS
and DVD from the fine folks at Funimation, is why we're here
today.
The Actual
Review: Lord Slug, driven by consistently epic Dragonball
Z style and given added amperage by a remastered soundtrack
featuring ass-kicking bands like The Deftones and Disturbed,
simply rocks the house. If you're looking for a piercing view
of the human condition, go elsewhere; if you're wanting to
see Goku and the gang beating the living crap out of disgusting
villains bent on conquering the Earth, buddy, you came to
the right place.
This flick
wastes no time getting started. An asteroid is on its way
toward Earth, and Goku and his buddy Krillin race to stop
it. However, the threat of the asteroid contains something
worse: Lord Slug. Slug and his minions are out to rip away
Earth's natural resources; unfortunately, they also learn
about the magic of the Dragon Balls and decide to hijack those.
After all, they already plan to end all life on Earth. As
always, it's up to Goku, his son Gohan, Krillin, and hardcore
alien fighting machine Piccolo to end the danger to the planet.
Being
a long-time Dragonball Z fan, I was immediately drawn in.
This is a fun, short feature, and it doesn't waste a second.
Those who are unfamilar with the Dragon Ball universe may
be a bit confused, but the breakneak speed of the narrative
is positively addictive. The battles are up to the usual high
standard, and the inclusion of American bands makes some the
scenes really, really stand out. In terms of the plot, there's
a great twist involving Lord Slug's true nature and a brilliant
trick by Piccolo that shows how much the creative team truly
enjoys their work.
Lord
Slug should have a place of esteem on the DVD shelf of
any serious DBZ afficianado. The disc also has some nice extras,
including the uncut English version and the original Japanese
version with English subtitles. Essentially, the uncut nature
of this particular disc only goes to the use of slightly more
graphic violence and the occasional bout of swearing. Also,
fans who are curious about other DBZ products will note that
the disc contain an extensive trailers section, detailing
other features and sagas that might spark their interest.
Troy
Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews. He'd
like to thank Dave Moran at Funimation for making this film
available. Email Troy at psikotyk@aol.com
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