Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
The evil Dr. Kochin uses the dragon balls to resurrect his mentor, Dr. Wheelo, in an effort to take over the world. Dr. Wheelo, his body having been destroyed by the avalanche that killed him fifty years before, desires the body of the strongest fighter in the world as his new vessel. Believing Roshi to be the world's strongest warrior, Dr. Kochin abducts Bulma and forces Roshi to surrender himself to save her. When Goku hears of their abduction, he goes to their rescue.
A fairly formulaic DBZ movie outing with a mad scientist villain and a straightforward rescue premise that doesn't push the franchise in any meaningful direction. The plot is thin and predictable even by movie-arc standards, with Dr. Wheelo being a generic world-domination villain. Animation is serviceable for its era with decent action choreography but nothing that stands out visually compared to the TV series. Acting (dub and sub alike) is standard for the franchise. The novelty is low — it recycles familiar DBZ beats without a distinctive hook. The ending resolves abruptly and without much weight, typical of early DBZ theatrical shorts.