Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler
From Dragon Ball Encyclopedia, the ''Dragon Ball'' wiki
Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler, released in Japan as Dragon Ball Z: Gekitotsu!! 100-Oku Pawā no Senshi-tachi (ドラゴンボールZ 激突!!100億パワーの戦士たち, Doragon Bōru Zetto Gekitotsu!! Hyaku-Oku Pawā no Senshi-tachi; Literally meaning "Dragon Ball Z: Clash!! 10,000,000,000 Powerful Warriors""), is the sixth Dragon Ball Z movie, originally released in Japan on March 7, 1992 between episodes 130 and 131. It was released on VHS and DVD in the United States in August of 2002, and it also had a special theater presentation (as part of a double-feature with the U.S. premier Fusion Reborn) on March 17, 2006. These movies are the first Dragon Ball-related movies to receive a theatrical release in the United States.
This film is a direct sequel to the fifth movie, Cooler's Revenge and the first appearance of Vegeta in a movie. In this film, Frieza's brother Cooler, who had been destroyed in the previous movie, returns. Cooler's remains merge with the Big Gete Star, which revives him. After his revival, Cooler takes control of the Big Gete Star. He then seeks to resume his consumption of the universe, one planet at a time.
Contents
Synopsis
Coola's Return
The movie begins with Cooler arriving on New Planet Namek within the Big Gete Star. He molds the liquid metal exterior of the star around New Planet Namek, absorbing its energy. Dende, who is now Planet Earth's Kami, senses the plight of his people and calls Son Goku to ask for help.
Goku, Gohan, Oolong, Krillin, Yajirobe, Master Roshi and Piccolo arrive and encounter an army of robots which Cooler deployed on the planet to enslave the Namekians, whom he plans to use as biological fuel for the Big Gete Star.
Battle for New Planet Namek
At first, the Z Warriors had trouble penetrating the armor of Cooler's Cyclopian Guards, but Piccolo instructed them to concentrate their energy at one point, and doing this allowed them to destroy a few of the robots. However, there were too many to handle and the warriors were captured along with the Namekians. Throughout the battle, Goku was distracted by a familiar face - that of Cooler, who he was sure had perished years ago. Goku battled Cooler, but it was apparent that Goku was no match for Cooler's new metallic form which gave him the ability to regenerate himself. He was even outclassed after becoming a Super Saiyan. Cooler revealed that the Big Gete Star constantly monitored his body and fixed any problems or glitches that may occur (like Cooler's arm getting torn off for example), while also strengthening him in such a way that it could not happen the same way twice.
Super Saiyans vs. Metal Coola
Vegeta showed up and joined in the battle, and they disposed of Metal Coola after they turned into Super Saiyans and worked together. The Big Gete Star housed an army of Metal Coola clones, however, and they showed up on a ridge. Outnumbered and tired, Super Saiyan Goku and Super Saiyan Vegeta were eventually captured and transported to the Big Gete Star's core. Metal Coola said how the Big Gete Star had been created and that he wanted the Super Saiyans' energy to create Metal Super Saiyans. Metal Coola thought he had leeched all of their Super Saiyan strength via strange wires, and said that it would have been dangerous to drain any more. Super Saiyan Goku and Super Saiyan Vegeta then regained consciousness and began releasing more of their Super Saiyan energy into the wires after Metal Coola said that he had closed the circuit. They grabbed the wires when Metal Coola tried to retract them and overloaded the system. The Big Gete Star began to suffer and the Metal Coola clones on the planet and within the ship exploded. The Big Gete Star began to leave the planet as Metal Coola said that he could still repair all of the damage given time. Super Saiyan Goku said that he was going to destroy Metal Coola's head, but Metal Coola's head grew a giant unfinished body and grabbed Super Saiyan Goku. Super Saiyan Vegeta distracted Metal Coola with an attack and Super Saiyan Goku was able break free from Metal Coola's grasp and destroy him. The Big Gete Star then exploded in orbit.
Goku and Vegeta fell from the sky and landed near the rest of the Z Warriors. After they had eaten some Senzu, they realized that Vegeta was nowhere to be found. Vegeta was shown flying in space in his Attack Ball with the Big Gete Star chip in his hands and he crushed it.
Major battles
- Piccolo Junior, Kuririn, and Son Gohan vs. Coola
- Son Goku vs. Coola
- Son Goku (Super Saiyan) vs. Coola
- Son Goku (Super Saiyan) and Vegeta (Super Saiyan) vs. Coola
Continuity
The events of this movie cannot be placed even in the anime continuity. Its major plot hole is that Dende is Kami of Planet Earth at the beginning of the movie, by which time Gohan could turn Super Saiyan. But Goku and Gohan didn't power down from Super Saiyan form from when they left the Hyperbolic Time Chamber until Cell was destroyed. Also, Gohan is clearly younger than he was in the Cell Games, because his hair is still long and he is still shorter than Krillin.
Vegeta becomes a Super Saiyan in the movie and no one is surprised; this means he must have been Super Saiyan before. However, Goku was out of commission when Vegeta first turned into a Super Saiyan. Also, seeing as how Dende is now the Guardian of Earth, Piccolo is a Super Namek due to his merging with Kami, and therefore is stronger than both Goku and Vegeta in their Super Saiyan forms. However, Piccolo has trouble dealing with Cooler's robotic guards.
Voice ast
Releases
The film originally released in Japan on March 7, 1992 between episodes 130 and 131. It was released on VHS and DVD in the United States on August 13th, 2002. It had a special theater presentation (as part of a double-feature with the U.S. premier Fusion Reborn) nearly four years after its official release on March 17, 2006. These movies are the first Dragon Ball-related movies to receive a theatrical release in the United States. This film, alongside it's predecessor, "Cooler's Revenge", was re-released in November 2008 alongside the remastered Season 7 of the TV series.
Music
- Opening theme (OP)
- "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA"
- Lyrics: Yukinojō Mori, Music: Chiho Kiyooka, Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto, Vocals: Hironobu Kageyama
- "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA"
- Ending theme (ED)
Trivia
- This is the first film in which Vegeta appears.
- This is the first film in which the Super Saiyans (Goku and Vegeta) work together to combat a villain.
- This is the only film that takes place on New Planet Namek and the first film where the Z Warriors fight a villain on another planet (that is not Planet Earth).
- This is the last appearance of the Kaio-ken.
- This is the first time that Goku does not transform into a Super Saiyan spontaneously (out of rage).
- It also one of the first Dragon Ball-related movies to receive a theatrical release in the United States.
- This is the only time that Dende has been shown wearing an outfit similar to Kami's old clothing.
- The robot trying to cut up the captured Namekians and Z Warriors inside the Big Gete Star bares a striking resemblance to the medical droid from the Star War film series.
- The scene which Piccolo enters the Big Gete Star resembles the star gate sequence in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- The Namekian who Gohan saves from a blast bears a striking resemblance to Nail, looks and clothing.
- The attack that Goku uses to vaporize Cooler's body as well as the Big Gete Star in the ending heavily resembles the Omega Blaster and the Stardust Breaker (albeit with a yellow colorization).
- Planet Earth does not appear at all in this film, unless one counts the brief scene at Kami's Lookout early on or the flashback of Goku's first fight against Coola.
- Vegeta uses an Attack Pod at the end of the film even though he has long since abandoned using one in the series.
- This is one of the few films to not feature Plant Earth as the main setting.
.jpg)
