Cooler's Revenge Movie - Dragon Ball
The Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge movie, also known as “Dragon Ball Z: The Incredible Mightiest vs. Mightiest” (ドラゴンボールZ とびっきりの最強対最強) is a Japanese anime fiction martial arts movie and the fifth film based on the Dragon Ball Z series movie franchise. The movie was first released in 1991 in Japan at the Toei Anime Fair. The movie is directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto and produced by Chiaki Imada and Rikizo Kayano. Production staff also include, scriptwriter Takao Koyama, music composer Shunsuke Kikuchi and cinematographer Masatoshi Fukui. Editing of the movie was done by Shin’ichi Fukumitsu. The movie proved to be popular and managed to reach 2.38 billion Yen in sales just in Japan.
Plot
The movie begins by introducing Frieza’s brother, Cooler. A flashback starts with Frieza destroying the Saiyan world, Planet Vegeta. However as the planet explodes, Cooler’s radar on his ship picks up on a Saiyan space pod carrying a baby named Kakarot, as it heads away from the planet to Earth. Cooler’s men think of it as an escape and allow the ship to go. Leaving it as his brother Frieza’s incompetence and responsibility.
The story moves forward 20 years, the Saiyan baby that escaped Planet Vegeta’s destruction is all grown up as Son Goku on Earth, In the storyline, Goku and his friends have defeated Cooler’s brother Frieza on Planet Namek and Goku has already acquired the ability to transform into a Super Saiyan. Cooler, even without compassion to his brother, takes his squadron consisting of Doore, Neiz, and Salza, and heads to Earth to kill Goku to avenge his brother’s death and reclaim his family’s honor.
While on a camping trip, Cooler ambushes Goku and his friends. From an unexpected attack, Goku gets wounded after taking a hit that supposedly was meant for Gohan. Krillin and Oolong hide in a cave with Goku and manage to escape from Cooler. During this time Gohan escapes with his flying dinosaur, Icarus to get Senzu Beans that can revive his father from Korin. After receiving the beans from Korin, Gohan gets ambushed by Cooler’s men, blasting Icarus down to the ground and fighting Gohan.
Just before Gohan was about to meet his end by Doore, Gohan’s teacher and Namekian of Earth, Piccolo intervenes to save him and allows Gohan to get away. Piccolo is able to withstand the attack of Doore, Neiz, and Salza but Cooler soon arrives on the field catching an off-guarded Piccolo with a Death Beam that impales his chest but does not kill him.
Cooler sends Salza to follow Gohan while he’s busy with Piccolo. Gohan finally arrives at the cave that is protecting his father and friends. However just as he reaches the cave, Salza destroys the beans. Luckily, with Yajirobe’s spare Senzu Bean he heals Goku. During this time Gohan and Krillin are fighting with Salza, and losing. Cooler then shows up with an unconscious Piccolo, blasting an attack on the group while Goku watches in horror. An enraged Goku rises from injuries and takes down Salza, finally meeting Cooler on fair grounds.
After a series of exchange of attacks, Cooler tells a brief history of Frieza and transforms into his Final transformation. It is a transformation that his brother Frieza was unable to achieve that’s more powerful than Freiza’s final form. Cooler easily overpowers Goku and he sets Goku plummeting to the ground. Goku tries on fighting with Kaio-ken attacks to no avail.
Cooler continues to overpower Goku and also destroys everything around them. As Goku lays on the ground beaten, a bird becomes a victim of the battle and is fatally hurt next to him. Goku holds the bird and as he does is reminded of his friends and family imagining the terror that they would face if Goku was to lose here and Cooler was to win this fight. Goku’s anger and determination brings upon his Super Saiyan power and as Goku transforms, revives the bird with his energy. Goku full of another level of power goes after Cooler one more time.
Cooler gets a taste of Goku’s incredible powers and all his attempts to blast or punch him, no longer affects Goku. In an act of desperation, Cooler powers up an enormous ball of energy, similar to his brother Freiza’s finishing move, launching the ball of energy towards Goku and the earth. This leaves Goku nowhere to dodge. If he does, the energy ball would impact and take earth out completely. As a final attack, Goku fires his Kamehameha wave which sends the ball of energy back to Cooler. Inevitably overcoming him and pushing the energy ball and Cooler both hurling towards the sun.
As Cooler is defeated and hits the sun’s surface, he realizes that Goku is the infant Saiyan in the pod that he let go decades before. A feeling of regret that he did not shoot the pod when he had the chance to. Finally Cooler’s body disintegrates in the sun with his energy blast.
After the battle, Gohan and the others, Krillin, Oolong, and Icarus, finds an exhausted Goku, they search for Piccolo when Salza comes back in an attempt to kill them, but before Salza attacks, a special Beam cannon from Piccolo kills him from a distance. Gohan finds Piccolo while the film ends with a fully recovered Piccolo looking at the sky.
New Characters
Cooler (クウラ or Kūra): He is Frieza’s brother who travels to Earth seeking revenge on Goku for Frieza’s death. In the battle with Goku, he transforms into a final form but still is unmatched to Super Saiyan Goku. He makes another appearance in The Return of Cooler movie, where he fuses with a sentient computer forming a Big Gete star. He also makes an appearance in the special TV OVA Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans as a ghost warrior that’s created by Dr. Lychee. He also makes cameo appearances in Dragon Ball GT & Fusion Reborn, and also reappears in Super Dragon Ball Heroes anime and Manga.
Armored Squadron of Cooler(クウラ機甲戦隊 or Kūra Kikō Sentai): This squadron poses similar to Freiza’s Ginyu Force. The squadron consists of three warriors serving Cooler, namely Sauzer ((サウザー or Sauzā) Cooler’s right-hand man, a good looking blue-skinned commander with blonde hair, French accent and with ability to slice through objects using Ki blade from his right hand. Naise (ネイズ, Neizu) has a brown-skinned amphibian humanoid structure, who’s able to retract his head into his body and fires an electrical attack to immobilize his opponents. Lastly, Doore (ドーレ, Dōre) is similar to the Hulk with green skin with long black hair and a helmet. Piccolo kills all of Cooler’s Squadron by killing Doore with ki blast, burning Neiz with his attack, and impales Salza with his Special Beam Cannon.
Links
Dragon Ball Series
Dragon Ball Z Series
Dragon Ball Kai Series
Dragon Ball Super Series
Dragon Ball GT Series
Super Dragon Ball Heros
Akira Toriyama