Entertainment
 

Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge

From Dragon Ball Wiki, the ''Dragon Ball'' encyclopedia

Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge

Japanese box art
Directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto
Produced by Chiaki Imada
Rikizô Kayano
Written by Story:
Akira Toriyama
Screenplay:
Takao Koyama
Starring Masako Nozawa
Ryuusei Nakao
Mayumi Tanaka
Toshio Furukawa
Naoki Tatsuta
Naoko Watanabe
Kohei Myauchi
Ichirō Nagai
Sho Hayami
Joji Yanami
Music by Shunsuke Kikuchi
Release date(s) July 21, 1991
Running time 48 min.
Language Japanese and English

Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge, known in Japan as Dragon Ball Z: Tobikkiri no Saikyō tai Saikyō (ドラゴンボールZ とびっきりの最強対最強, Doragon Bōru Zetto: Tobikkiri no Saikyō tai Saikyō; lit. "Dragon Ball Z: The Incredible Mightiest vs. Mightiest"), is the fifth Dragon Ball Z movie, originally released in Japan on July 20th 1991, between episodes 99 and 100. It was translated in America by FUNimation in 2002.

Contents

[edit] Plot

[edit] Back-story and Cooler's arrival

Cooler's Henchmen

In this movie, Frieza's brother Cooler is introduced. It begins with a flashback to when Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta, and Cooler's ship picks up Goku's space pod escaping the system. Cooler lets it go, believing it to be no threat. More then twenty-five years later, Cooler discovers that his brother Frieza has been killed by a Saiyan. Showing no compassion towards Frieza, Cooler takes his Armored Squadron - Doore, Neiz, and Salza - after Goku to reclaim his family honor. His forces ambush Goku and his friends on a camping trip, and Goku is wounded by an attack meant for Gohan.

After Krillin sets up camp with Goku, Gohan flies off to obtain Senzu beans from Karin. After obtaining the beans, he is ambushed by the Squadron, but is saved by Piccolo. Piccolo kills Doore and Neiz, but Cooler attacks, sending Salza after Gohan as a near-dead Piccolo falls to the ground below. Gohan arrives at the cave with the Senzu beans, but they are destroyed by Salza. However, he heals Goku with a spare bean. After Krillin and Gohan are defeated by Salza, Goku appears fully healed. Cooler shows up, and begins battling Goku.

[edit] Goku vs. Cooler

Cooler in his final form

After several minutes of a somewhat even fight, Cooler tells of his history with Frieza. He then reveals his final transformation, and pummels Goku easily. However, as Cooler threatens to destroy the planet, Goku once again channeled his fury to become a Super Saiyan. Cooler finds himself, like Frieza was, grossly outclassed, but summons a trump card in the form of a large scale orange sun-like energy ball (the same attack Frieza used to blow up Planet Vegeta and the one he used to attempt to kill Future Trunks) to destroy Goku and the Earth. However, after a stint of struggling, Goku eventually manages to send it back with a Kamehameha wave, sending Cooler into the sun. As Cooler curses Goku, he realizes that Goku is the Saiyan he let escape, and that he could have stopped him a long time ago. Cooler then disintegrates and dies in the sun.


Super Saiyan Goku after easily shrugging off a powerful ki blast by Cooler.
‎

Goku, drained after his battle, is found by Krillin and Gohan. They are looking for Piccolo when Salza reappears, and is about to destroy them. However, before he can attack, he is run through and killed by a Special Beam Cannon from a distance. Gohan looks around for Piccolo, and the movie ends with Piccolo staring at the sun.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Heroes

[edit] Villains

[edit] Major battles

  • Cooler's Armored Squadron vs. Goku
  • Cooler's Armored Squadron vs. Piccolo
  • Salza vs. Gohan and Krillin
  • Goku vs. Cooler
  • Goku vs. Cooler (Final Form)
  • Goku (Super Saiyan) vs. Cooler (Final Form)

[edit] Canonicity

Cooler's Revenge is one of the few Dragon Ball Z movies that can be placed in the series timeline without serious problems. The events of the movie could be placed between episodes 124 and 125 of the Trunks Saga, while the Z Fighters were training for the arrival of the androids. In the book Daizenshuu 7, the movie events are placed chronologically in this period, around years 764-767. A debriefing prior to the "Strongest vs. Strongest" stage of the Special Saga in the video game Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 asserts that Cooler's Revenge takes place following "[Goku's return] to Earth after crushing Frieza", somewhat confirming this.

However, there are several minor facts that disturb the canonicity of the mainstream series. To begin with, in spite of Future Trunks killing both King Cold and the revitalized Mecha-Frieza only hours prior to Goku's return to Earth, Cooler seems intent only seeking vengeance for the shame thrust upon his family by Frieza's display of inferiority on Namek, as though he were completely unaware of not only his father's recent death, but also of the second death of his brother, as well. However, it is entirely possible that news of these recent events never reached him, since Trunks, along with killing Frieza and King Cold, blew up their spaceship and killed all of Frieza's men. Another inconsistency stems from the fact that Gohan has a tail in the film, despite not having one during the time in the series when Cooler's Revenge is purported to take place. This is not unheard of in the mainstream series, however, as Gohan's tail regrows twice within just twenty-one episodes of the first time his tail is removed by Piccolo in "Gohan Goes Bananas". (In the edited Ocean Group dub, there is a 7-episode difference between "Gohan's Metamorphosis" and "The End of Snake Way"). In addition, Goku was shown to easily transform into a Super Saiyan upon his return to Earth, but needed to enter a "rage" to transform against Cooler. Then again this could have also been done just for dramatic purposes, as in the movie Bojack Unbound Gohan should have been able to transform into a Super Saiyan 2 with no problem, yet it wasn't until the end that he finally did it.

There is also a possibility that the film takes place in one of the alternate timelines of the series. If this film takes place during a timeline where Future Trunks, and in turn King Cold and Frieza, does not confront the Z Fighters, then this might explain why Cooler is intent on nothing more than seeking vengeance for the shame caused by Frieza's defeat, and why he appears to be completely unaware of the deaths of his father and brother on Earth.

Another alternate timeline possibility is that Goku returns to Earth before Frieza, King Cold, and Future Trunks arrive, and did not practice becoming a Super Saiyan along the way from Namek; this could explain why Cooler was intent on seeking revenge on only Goku and why Goku had to become enraged to transform into a Super Saiyan.

[edit] Releases

The movie was originally released on both VHS and Laserdisc in Japan. They were in a 16:9 format, cropped from it's original 4:3 format. It was then released later in Japan as part of the well-known Dragon Box sets, remastered from it's original film masters and in a 16:9 anamorphic widescreen format. There was much controversy from fans over the decision to crop the movies from it's original 4:3 format. The controversy died down when Toei announced that the films were originally animated for widescreen viewing. The boxed set was released (containing all four Dragon Ball and all thirteen Dragon Ball Z movies) with great critical and audience reception.

In the United States, it was released in January 22, 2002 by Funimation, in VHS, Laserdisc, and DVD. It was released in a 4:3 format.[1]. The fast-food chain Burger King featured Dragon Ball Z toys in it's "kids" and "big-kids" meals, in which figurines of Goku, Krillin, Gohan, Piccolo, and Cooler where bundled for a limited time. [2] The movie was later re-released on October 15, 2002, bundled with Lord Slug and The Return of Cooler. [3]

Funimation re-released this film in November 11, 2008, alongside the sixth movie, Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler, digitally remastered and in a 16:9 format, as a "Double Feature" DVD and Blu-ray.[4]

[edit] Cast

Character Name Voice Actor (Japanese) Voice Actor (English)
Goku Masako Nozawa Sean Schemmel
Gohan Masako Nozawa Stephanie Nadolny
Piccolo Toshio Furukawa Christopher Sabat
Krillin Mayumi Tanaka Sonny Strait
Oolong Naoki Tatsuta Bradford Jackson
Chi-Chi Naoko Watanabe Cynthia Cranz
Kami Kôhei Miyauchi Mike McFarland
Korin Ichiro Nagai Mark Britten
Yajirobe Mayumi Tanaka Mike McFarland
Cooler Ryuusei Nakao Andrew Chandler
Salza Sho Hayami Michael Marco
Neiz Masato Hirano Bill Townsley
Doore Masaharu Satou Mike McFarland
Frieza Ryuusei Nakao Linda Young
Bardock Masako Nozawa Sonny Strait
Shenron Naoki Tatsuta Christopher Sabat
Narration Joji Yanami Kyle Hebert


[edit] Music

Original music

  • Opening Theme (OP)
    1. "Cha-La Head-Cha-La"
      • Lyrics: Yukinojō Mori, Music: Chiho Kiyooka, Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto, Vocals: Hironobu Kageyama
  • Ending Theme (ED)
    1. "Tobikkiri no Saikyō tai Saikyō!"; とびっきりの最強対最強 (The Incredible Mightiest vs. Mightiest)
      • Lyrics: Masaru Satō, Music: Chiho Kiyo'oka, Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto, Vocals: Hironobu Kageyama & Ammy

[edit] Trivia

  • By title, Cooler's Revenge is sometimes mistaken for The Return of Cooler, as the theme of the latter film deals with a true plot for revenge by Cooler. The 'revenge' inferred in the title of Cooler's Revenge is an allusion to Cooler's non-personal vendetta with Goku, for his shame over the defeat of his brother, Frieza.
  • Cooler's Revenge establishes that Cooler is the reason Goku's Saiyan Pod made its safe travel to Earth, after identifying Goku is harmless to his brother's operation (that, as well as the fact that he was upset at his Brother for making a mistake like that).
  • Icarus, who first appeared in The Tree of Might, Lord Slug and the Garlic Jr. Saga is seen multiple times in the film.
  • This is the first Dragon Ball Z film in which Goku transforms into his traditional Super Saiyan form.
  • Goku was able to easily transform into a Super Saiyan when Future Trunks showed up in the Trunks Saga; however, he had to become enraged to turn Super Saiyan when fighting Cooler. Of course, this was done so the fight with Cooler would last longer, as Goku was stronger than Cooler in Super Saiyan form, but it is a plot hole, though this could be because of the alternate timeline theory.
  • All three of Cooler's henchmen are killed by Piccolo.
  • This is the first Dragon Ball Z movie in which the Dragon Balls are not a part of the plot.
  • For reasons unknown Gohan has a tail in this movie. It is however possible for it to have grown back and to be removed again between when Frieza came to earth and the arrival of the Androids.
  • When Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan, a Robin that died as a result of Cooler's tearing the planet apart is revived and flies away. This would imply that the Super Saiyan has a degree of healing abilities.
  • When going towards the sun cooler reverts back to his normal state but his voice doesn't change back.

[edit] See also


Dragon Ball films
Dragon Ball adaptations
Theatrical films Curse of the Blood Rubies • Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle • Mystical Adventure • The Path to Power
Dragon Ball Z adaptations
Theatrical films Dead Zone • The World's Strongest • The Tree of Might • Lord Slug • Cooler's Revenge • The Return of Cooler • Super Android 13! • Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan • Bojack Unbound • Broly - Second Coming • Bio-Broly • Fusion Reborn • Wrath of the Dragon
Television specials Bardock - The Father of Goku • The History of Trunks
OVAs Gaiden: Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku • Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!
Dragon Ball GT adaptations
Television specials A Hero's Legacy
Other adaptations
Live-action films Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins • Dragonball: Evolution

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
Retrieved from "http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z:_Cooler%27s_Revenge"