Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' is the direct sequel to Battle of Gods, released in Japan in 2015. The "F" stands for Frieza: what's left of his army uses the Dragon Balls to bring him back, and the tyrant, burning for revenge, decides to train for the first time in his life. With Goku and Vegeta far away training under Whis, it falls to the rest of the heroes to hold the line on Earth.
Full plot (spoilers)
Sorbet, commander of the remnants of Frieza's forces, comes to Earth with his right-hand man Tagoma and forces the Pilaf Gang to gather the Dragon Balls. Shenron grants the wish, but Frieza comes back in pieces, just as Future Trunks's sword had left him, and his men have to reassemble him with their technology. Learning how much stronger Goku has become, Frieza postpones the invasion and puts himself through four months of training.
Jaco the Galactic Patrolman rushes to warn Bulma. With Goku and Vegeta on Beerus's planet, the defense against an army of a thousand soldiers falls to Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Master Roshi, Tien Shinhan and Jaco himself. They handle the troops, but Frieza is another matter entirely. Bulma finally gets through to Whis and the two Saiyans return.
Goku faces Frieza and both agree to go all out. Goku becomes a Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, with blue hair and a blue aura, and Frieza answers with his new gilded form, Golden Frieza. Frieza starts strong, but lacks the stamina to sustain the transformation and fades as the fight drags on. As Goku offers to let him leave, Sorbet shoots Goku in the back with a ray gun. Frieza invites Vegeta to finish Goku off and become his second-in-command; Vegeta refuses, transforms as well and takes control of the fight. Cornered, Frieza blows up the Earth. Whis shields those present and rewinds time by three minutes, and Goku uses the second chance to destroy Frieza with a Kamehameha. In a post-credits scene, the tyrant is back in Hell.
What it introduces
- Golden Frieza, the gold form Frieza earns through training.
- Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, later known as Super Saiyan Blue, reached by both Goku and Vegeta.
- Sorbet, Tagoma and Shisami, officers in Frieza's army.
- Jaco, star of Toriyama's 2013 manga Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, in his first animated appearance.
- Whis's ability to turn back time by a few minutes.
Production
The film was directed by Tadayoshi Yamamuro, the series' longtime animation supervisor. The big change is that Akira Toriyama wrote not just the story but the entire screenplay: producer Norihiro Hayashida explained that it was the first time the creator had written a script for the series, checking every line of dialogue. According to Hayashida, the idea of bringing back Frieza came to Toriyama at a concert by metal band Maximum the Hormone, while they played their 2008 song "F", which is about the character. The song is used in the film too.
Hayashida also admitted the team deliberately kept the pace fast and fight-heavy, partly with American audiences in mind, at some cost to the drama. Norihito Sumitomo returned for the score, and the theme song, "Z no Chikai", is performed by idol group Momoiro Clover Z.
Did you know? The first 1.5 million moviegoers in Japan received a book, Dragon Ball Volume F, containing Toriyama's complete script and design material from the film.
Reception
The film opened at number one in Japan with a bigger start than Battle of Gods, and ended 2015 with about ¥3.74 billion at home, the sixth highest-grossing Japanese film of the year. It was the first Japanese film shown in IMAX 3D and in 4DX theaters. It earned a nomination for Animation of the Year at the Japan Academy Prize, and Ryūsei Nakao, Frieza's Japanese voice, won Best Voice Actor at the Japanese Movie Critics Awards. Funimation released it in North American theaters in August 2015, and the run grossed around $8 million in the US and Canada.
Critics praised the animation and the pace but faulted a thin plot and a Frieza who, despite the new form, never feels truly threatening.
Where it fits in the timeline
Like its predecessor, it takes place between Majin Buu's defeat and the manga's epilogue, shortly after Battle of Gods. The Dragon Ball Super anime retells it in episodes 19–27 (per Toei; some sources split it as 1–14 and 15–27), adding scenes and subplots. After this film the story continues with the series' Universe 6 arc and, in theaters, with Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
Our take
Resurrection 'F' is the answer to anyone who found Battle of Gods too laid-back: here the fighting barely stops. Our favorite part is the ensemble battle against Frieza's army, with Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin and Tien back on the front line, a real gift for anyone who grew up with those characters. The weak spot is the ending, solved by a time rewind that drains the weight from everything before it. Still, it's a fun ride, with Frieza at his most deliciously petty, and essential viewing if you want to understand Super Saiyan Blue. For the full list of films, head to our movie guide.