Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
In order to wish for immortality and avenge his father, Garlic Jr. collects the dragon balls, kidnapping Goku's son Gohan in the process. Goku, Kami, Piccolo, and Krillin unite to rescue Gohan and save the world from being sucked into a dead zone.
Dead Zone is a brisk, entertaining DBZ film but fairly formulaic even by 1989 standards — villain collects Dragon Balls, kidnaps Gohan, heroes unite to fight. The plot is thin and predictable, serving mainly as an action showcase. Voice acting is competent for the era. The animation is above the TV series quality, with fluid fight sequences and decent production values for a theatrical short. Novelty is limited; the 'collect Dragon Balls for immortality' premise is recycled from the source material's core concept, and Garlic Jr. is a serviceable but unmemorable villain. The ending with Gohan's power surge is memorable and foreshadows his later importance, giving it a slight edge, but the Dead Zone resolution itself is abrupt.