I wasn’t really a part of the fandom when Battle of Gods or Resurrection F came out, so this was my first experience getting to see a DBZ movie in a theater…and it definitely did not disappoint.

I’ll admit, I was kind of…we’ll say apprehensive, when they announced the 2018 movie would be bringing back good-old-never-been-interesting Broly. I didn’t hate his original movie, exactly, but his character development left something to be desired, and the fanboy fervor and general continuing on of the character has always frustrated me. But, with Toriyama actually in on it this time, I was hopeful that if they had to do another Broly movie, and least this one would be able to make the character interesting.

Overall, I’m actually really happy with how they handled Broly in this movie. Ironically, by taking away some of his motivation (he no longer has an illogical hatred of Goku based on being exposed to his wailing as an infant), and letting him just be a rage monster, they actually made the character more likable. Sure, he’s a rage monster, but he’s a sad rage monster. They make it clear that the character is working without motivation—following uncontrolled instinct and brutal conditioning, without his own beliefs to back it up. He’s a victim of circumstance, and even our heroes know it, so it really feels like everyone’s just game for a good fight. Even Freiza, who instigates everything, doesn’t seem terribly invested in the outcome. Like us, he’s just here for the show.

I am still a little frustrated at the show’s continual habit of reusing old material, and this movie doesn’t break from that pattern. Whereas Battle of Gods struck out into new territory, creating fascinating characters that lived on to be some of the best parts of Super, Broly follows in the footsteps of Resurrection F, giving us villains we’ve seen before and heroes we already know and love, without much new to speak of. Yes, the animation is gorgeous; yes, the way they handle Broly is a refreshing take on the character. Yes, the soundtrack was a delightful mix of intense and ridiculous (for the dub anyway; I have yet to see the subbed version).

Did it rock the Dragon Ball world? Not really. Will I see it again? Hell yeah.