Dragon Ball Z: The Movie

Dragon Ball Z (Z Doragon Bōru Zetto) is an immensely popular Japanese anime that has found fame in both Japan and the United States. The series was first started in Japan in 1989 and was based on a manga that was created by Akira Toriyama. The original Dragon Ball followed a character named Goku. Dragon Ball Z is the continuation of the story of Goku along with his two sons, Gohan and Goten. It has spawned 13 movies to date.

Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest

Known in Japan as Doragon Bōru Zetto: Kono yo de ichiban tsuyoi yatsu, Dragon Ball Z: the World’s Strongest is the second Dragon Ball Z movie and was released in 1990. The movie starts with Gohan and Oolong looking for a cache of Dragon Balls that they believe have been frozen in the Tsumisumbri Mountains. Dr. Kochin, who is searching for a body to house his mentor, Dr. Wheelo, kidnaps Master Roshi. Dr. Wheelo’s body is no longer a viable source and only his brain remains, so Kochin believes that he can put Dr. Wheelo’s brain into a body and choses Roshi because he believes him to be the strongest. Roshi, however, is proven to not be the strongest. Bulma then blurts out that Goku is the strongest person he knows. He manages to escape from Kochin’s fortress but not before putting the idea in Kochin’s head that Goku is the strongest body to put his mentor’s brain in. Gohan and Krillin arrive to help Bulma free Roshi and end up running into an old friend named Piccolo. Piccolo is being controlled by the scientist and Goku ends up fighting him. Gohan finally manages to break past the mind control and to free Piccolo. It is then a battle to defeat Kochin and get everybody out of the fortress.

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (Doragon Bōru Zetto: Chikyū Marugoto Chōkessen) was also released in 1990 and is the third Dragon Ball Z movie. Gohan and Krillin manage to rescue a small baby dragon that it named Ikarus. They try to restore Ikarus to its full size but they are not able to, so Goku decides to hide him in a cave where he can keep him safe and close to Gohan, who he has formed an attachment too.

A group of aliens land on the Earth and plant a seed which grows into a tree known as the Tree of Might. The tree actually destroys all living things on a planet and leaves the planet barren and devoid of life. It is up to the Z Warriors to defeat the tree, and the aliens, in order to save the world from an unkind fate. The Z Warriors do their best to distract the aliens so that Goku can gather enough power to be able to defeat them once and for all. The tree and the aliens end up destroyed and the Z Warriors save the day once again.