I should start this by saying this was my introduction to the Dragon Ball franchise, and as some other reviewers have noted this might not be the best jumping in point. That said, fresh impartial eyes can be useful for giving an objective review, and I am familiar with anime, as well as other Japanese cinema and culture.
There was definitely something to enjoy here; the animation was solid, the soundtrack and audio in general was good. BUT this film suffers from major structural issues.
The first half of the film is fairly rushed backstory, rushing you through some pretty complex and convoluted history without allowing any space in which a character (any character) can be written with even the slightest depth. The second half is a fight scene between a few of those characters. Really, the whole second half of the movie is one drawn out battle. It's an impressive battle, with some pretty great direction and engaging moments. It's not unenjoyable, but it lacks the depth required to care about the outcome.
Ultimately, this film doesn't really have a story. It has convoluted BACKstory and a fight. That's all.
As I left the cinema I overheard some die-hard fans say 'it felt like half a movie'. I agree. There's stuff to enjoy in that half a movie, but that's what it is.
Review of Dragon Ball Super: Broly
