DragonBall Z: Wrath of the Dragon is a 1995 Japanese animated science fantasy martial arts film directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto, starring the voices of Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Jason Liebrecht, Masako Nozawa, Takeshi Kusao, and Hiro Yuki. Serving as the thirteenth entry in the DBZ film series the film focuses on the efforts of an evil magician, Hoi, to release the deadly monster Hirudegarn onto the Earth, forcing Goku and his friends to enlist the aid of a warrior named Tapion, who may be the only one capable of defeating the monster.

Plot: The story this time around follows Goku and friends who meet a mysterious alien named Hoy who tricks them into releasing the powerful Hildegarn from his imprisonment. To defeat the creature, the Z fighters must rely on the aid of the warrior Tapion, who holds the key to defeating the creature once and for all. Honestly, I thought of this film as possibly the worst simply because of how much the formula was changed. But upon thinking about it, I’ve realized that the story isn’t necessarily bad. It has something interesting and different to tell and it manages to actually have depth and character development, something most of the other films lack. It’s a slow burner mainly focusing on two storylines: the relationship between Trunks and Tapion and the Z fighters trying to stop Hildegarn’s rampage. So, you might not get the thirty minute fight but you do get an engaging story that does come an decent climax and resolution (though the Goku saves the day cliché does get old). (4 out of 5)

Characters: The characters are what you would expect from a DBZ film. The Z fighters are the Z fighters, with the standout being Trunks. Trunks spends the majority of the film developing a relationship with the warrior Tapion which he sees as somewhat of a older brother figure (mirroring that of Goten and Gohan). Tapion is actually a pretty interesting character. He and his brother were tasked with being imprisoned with the two halves of Hirudegarn to keep the creature sealed away. Tapion’s this stoic guy and he develops as much as his relationship with Trunks does. He’s a character I would like to see more of actually. Hoy wasn’t a bad villain but he wasn’t a particularly good one either. He’s a part of this race of aliens who created Hirudegarn to destroy races they consider inferior. I wished their was more to him though. And Hirudegarn was an interesting antagonist. He’s this giant monster that’s all about destruction and I have to admit the fight between it and the Z fighters wasn’t bad. I wished there was more screentime and that its presence had more of an overall impact. All-in-all, the characters are good. (3 out of 5)

Cast: I can honestly say that I’ve appreciated the performances both in the English dub and Japanese dub. The English cast consist of Sean Schemmel (Goku), Kyle Hebert (Gohan), Kara Edwards (Goten and Videl), Christopher Sabat (Vegeta), Laura Bailey (Trunks), Tiffany Vollmer (Bulma), Troy Baker (Hoi), Jason Liebrecht (Tapion), and Robert McCollum (Hirudegarn). The Japanese cast consist of Masako Nozawa (Goku, Gohan, Goten), Ryo Horikawa (Vegeta), Takeshi Kusao (Trunks), Hiromi Tsuru (Bulma), Yuko Minaguchi (Videl), Shigeharu Matsuda (Hoi), Hiro Yuki (Tapion), and Shin Aomori (Hirudegarn). (4 out of 5)

Animation: Visually, it’s stays pretty true to the series. The designs of the characters Hoy and Tapion are pretty cool. I really liked Hirudegarn’s designs, both its first form and second form, though personally I would’ve swap the stages. Good animation style deserves a thumbs up. (3 out of 5)

Score: Didn’t really mind the score though I can say that I don’t really remember it. The fight between Goku and Cooler and Broly’s legendary transformation were epic but I don’t really remember any of the music in this film. Now, Tapion’s theme with the ocarina was really cool. (3 out of 5)

Writing: The writing is good though not as strong as it could’ve been. I liked the direction that Mitsuo Hashimoto takes the film. He’s had his hands in a few of the other DBZ films (The Tree of Might, Bardock – The Father of Goku, Cooler’s Revenge, and Lord Slug). There’s a bit of humor with the action and emotional depth carried by Trunks and Tapion’s relationship that helps keep it well-rounded. The pacing is good and exposition isn’t overcooked or undercooked. One of the most significant elements of the film is how it changes up the formula. Every DBZ film basically follows some bad guy with a God complex who decides that conquering or destroying the world is a thing, the Z Fighters arrive, and half the movie is a big fight. This film however, does give us a little bit more in terms of storytelling and it’s warmly welcomed.

The end fight could’ve been a bit better with the stakes being more noticeable. Possibly having him raise an army for the other Z Fighters to engage with while Goku, Trunks, and Tapion take on the monster. Also, it was kind of stupid how Hoi was killed. Accidently stepped on by Hirudegarn. He should’ve died fighting the Z Fighters or killed by Tapion’s hand for the death of his brother. Also, there should’ve been some scenes with Tapion returning to the past. Possibly reuniting with his family and friends. And one last thing, I hated that Goku defeated the creature and I hated how he did it. It should’ve been Tapion who defeated it. It just goes to show how no matter the situation Goku has to be the one to beat the bad guys. No one else gets any shine. But despite this, the writing and direction are actually decent. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, DragonBall Z: Wrath of the Dragon is good film and does change up the formula. There are some slight issues with the writing but the characters, action, story, and direction make this one of the most memorable of the franchise. DragonBall Z: Wrath of the Dragon gets 3 out of 5.