By Jeffrey M. Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lots of fighting -- and laughs -- in brisk, thrilling anime.
Parents need to know that Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is part of a long-running anime franchise. It follows the series' heroes as they battle an upgraded version of the villain called Cell. This review is based on the English-subtitled and English-dubbed versions, both of which include uses of "damn," …
Several scenes of fighting, punching, kicking, superpowered attacks, characters
Sex, Romance & NudityMale bottom shown several times after outfit torn during battle. Female characte
Occasional uses of "damn," "dumbass," "turd," "poop," "screw that," "idiots," an
Products & PurchasesA character constantly eats black-and-white cookies that resemble Oreos, though
Drinking, Drugs & SmokingVillain smokes cigars, blows smoke on others.
Promotes teamwork and shows that it's possible for villains to change their ways
Positive Role ModelsCharacters are brave and selflessly donate their time and skills to protect the
Diverse RepresentationsAliens, androids, and humans intermingle comfortably. Movie originated in Japan,
Several scenes of fighting, punching, kicking, superpowered attacks, characters flying and smashing into things, etc. Guns and shooting; characters shot. Superpowered 3-year-old training to fight; villain shoots at her. Characters knocked unconscious. Character killed. Brief severed arm (it grows back). Lots of destruction. Brief, comically portrayed zombies.
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Male bottom shown several times after outfit torn during battle. Female characters in revealing outfits, with their bottoms outlined/emphasized, sometimes in close-up. Brief flirting ("you're cute," etc.). Character is obsessed with enhancing her figure and features. Very brief image of bikini-clad woman on billboard.
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Occasional uses of "damn," "dumbass," "turd," "poop," "screw that," "idiots," and "dumb" (English subtitles) and "damn" and "crap" (several times), "dumbass," "turd," "slime," "idiot," "dumb," "screw with me," "screw it," "buns," and "morons" (English dub).
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A character constantly eats black-and-white cookies that resemble Oreos, though the brand is never mentioned.
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Promotes teamwork and shows that it's possible for villains to change their ways. Emphasis on learning to fight vs. studying, but the ability to control one's temper is valued.
Characters are brave and selflessly donate their time and skills to protect the world from monsters and threats. But their values are all over the place. Some believe that training and preparation are all-important, and one is praised for using his mind to control his temper during battle. Some cause rampant destruction with no consequences. And one is vain, obsessed with having a perfect bottom and other features (fewer wrinkles, longer lashes) that are perceived as attractive.
Aliens, androids, and humans intermingle comfortably. Movie originated in Japan, and while human characters aren't specifically Japanese, most viewers will likely infer that they are. While a 3-year-old girl is in training and promises to be a cool hero someday, few women get to be involved in the fight; they're definitely portrayed as sideline/secondary characters.
Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.Parents need to know that Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is part of a long-running anime franchise. It follows the series' heroes as they battle an upgraded version of the villain called Cell. This review is based on the English-subtitled and English-dubbed versions, both of which include uses of "damn," "dumbass," "idiot," "turd," "screw that," etc. Violence includes fighting, kicking, and punching, plus characters getting flung through the air and smashed into things. Guns are brandished and shot, and a character is killed. A superpowered 3-year-old is flung about and shot at, but she's never in lasting danger. Female characters -- who unfortunately have a distinctly secondary role to the male characters -- wear revealing outfits that outline their rear ends, and one is obsessed with "improving" her figure and features. A villain smokes cigars and blows smoke in other characters' faces. Overall, it's brisk, silly fun, offering fantastic animation, consistent humor, and themes of teamwork and courage. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Movie Review
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Official trailer
Based on 2 parent reviews
February 17, 2023 Linn M. Parent of 8, 12, 13 and 16-year-old August 20, 2022this is not even 10+. This should be 8+, this is exactly (violence wise) like avatar the last airbender.
In DRAGON BALL SUPER: SUPER HERO, Goku (voiced by Masako Nozawa in the Japanese original and Sean Schemmel in the English dub) and Vegeta (Ryo Horikawa/Christopher Sabat) are away on another planet training. The Red Ribbon Army, now under the control of Magenta (Volcano Ota/Charles Martinet), recruits the fresh-out-of-jail Dr. Hedo (Miyu Irino/Zach Aguilar) to build a powerful android warrior. Meanwhile, Piccolo (Toshio Furukawa/Christopher Sabat) is increasingly irritated at Gohan (Masako Nozawa/Kyle Hebert), who insists on reading and studying rather than training. Plus, Piccolo is frequently recruited to pick up Gohan's daughter, Pan (Yuko Minaguchi/Jeannie Tirado), from school. Hedo's new creation, the superhero-like Gamma 2 (Mamoru Miyano/Zeno Robinson), appears and engages Piccolo in battle. Believing Piccolo defeated, Gamma 2 returns to the Red Ribbon Army headquarters, with Piccolo secretly following. Piccolo disguises himself as a guard and discovers that Magenta is building a new, more powerful version of the villain Cell called "Cell Max." And to lure Gohan into battle, they also plan to kidnap Pan!
While franchise familiarity is certainly helpful, this brisk, vibrant entry in the long-running series succeeds by juggling silly fun with gorgeously animated action, characters, and backgrounds. Mainstays Goku and Vegeta mostly sit out Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, unreachable due to an ice cream-related glitch, but their occasional appearances are sure to please fans (be sure to watch all the way through for an after-credits bonus). Piccolo is arguably the driving force of this story, the head of a team of quirky characters taking on the big villain. And while there are plenty of fights, the movie isn't entirely about that. It does sometimes pause, if not for character depth, then at least for lots of playful banter and goofy humor.
That said, while examples of teamwork abound, there are some iffy messages here, too. Characters are able to wish for things they need, rather than working for them. Fighting is often valued above thinking. And one character, Bulma, is vain, obsessed with her physical appearance to the point of using magic to enhance her figure and features. Still, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero seems mostly interested in offering viewers a good time. The good-natured humor persists throughout, never taking a backseat to the action, and the action itself is expertly crafted, with detailed attention to speed, distance, and impact, as well as some breathtaking production design. It's a breezy, satisfying ride that should go down like a plate of cookies.
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