Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge

Dragon Ball Z: The Incredible Mightiest vs. Mightiest
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 Show Hayami Joji Yanami
Music by	Shunsuke Kikuchi, American Bands
Release date(s)	July 21, 1991 (1991-07-21), January 22, 2002 in North America and Europe
Running time	46:00
Language	Japanese and English
Preceded by	Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
Followed by	Dragon Ball Z: Return of Cooler

Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge, known in Japan 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, Doragon Bōru Zetto Tobikkiri no Saikyō tai Saikyō^?), is the fifth Dragon Ball Z feature movie, originally released in Japan on July 20, 1991 between episodes 99 and 100. It was released in North America by FUNimation on January 22, 2002.^[1] Bridge Entertainment's title is Super Rivals. The movie was re-released with Dragon Ball Z: Return of Cooler in November 2008 alongside the remastered Season 7 of the anime series.

Plot

In this movie, Frieza's older brother Cooler is introduced. It begins with a flashback to when Frieza destroyed the Saiyan home world, Planet Vegeta. Cooler's ship soon picks up Goku's space pod on the radar. Goku's ship is shown to be heading towards Earth, but Cooler's henchmen believe it is an escape. Cooler lets the ship go, accounting that it's Frieza's naiveness, and responsibility. More than twenty years later, Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan and defeats Frieza on Planet Namek. Despite showing no compassion towards his brother, Cooler takes his Armored Squadron - Doure, Naiz, and Salza to Earth. He plans to kill Goku in order to reclaim his family's honor. His forces ambush Goku and his friends on a camping trip, and Goku is wounded when he takes a blast from Cooler that was intended for Gohan.

After Krillin sets up a shelter in a cave with Goku, Gohan flies off to obtain Senzu beans from Korin. After obtaining the beans, he is ambushed by Cooler's henchmen, but is saved by Piccolo. Piccolo dispatches Doure and Naiz, and takes on Salza, easily gaining the upper hand. During the battle, Cooler arrives and catches Piccolo off-guard with a powerful energy beam, which impales him through the chest but does not kill him. Cooler then sends Salza after Gohan as he continues to blast Piccolo. Gohan gets to the cave with the Senzu beans, but they are destroyed by Salza. However, he heals Goku with a spare bean Yajirobe gave him earlier. After Krillin and Gohan are beaten down by Salza, Goku appears fully healed. Cooler shows up, holding onto an unconscious Piccolo. He then blasts his body with an unexpected attack as Goku watches in horror. Goku blasts Salza into the distance, and begins to fight Cooler.

After Goku proves to be a worthy opponent, Cooler tells of his history with Frieza. He then reveals his final transformation, and pummels Goku around effortlessly, despite Goku using the Kaioken attack numerous times. Cooler then proceeds to destroy the landscape. However, after seeing a bird die from wounds inflicted by damage caused during the struggle, Goku thinks back on his friends and family, how they all would be killed if he let Cooler kill him. He then picks up the dead bird, letting out a yell so powerful it cracks solid stone. Goku then transforms into his Super Saiyan form, and gives enough of his energy to revive the bird. Cooler then finds himself, like Frieza was, grossly outclassed. After attempting to punch and blast the Super Saiyan with no effect, Cooler summons a trump card when he powers up an enormous ball of energy. Cooler launches the attack with hopes to destroy Goku and the Earth along with him. After a stint of struggling, Goku eventually manages to send it back with the Kamehameha wave, forcing Cooler off the Earth, towards the sun. As he hits the sun's surface, Cooler recounts back when he let the space pod that carried Goku off, regretting his action and realizes that Frieza is not the only naive one but he is too. His body is then seemingly disintegrated by the sun.

Goku, drained after his battle, is found by Krillin and Gohan. They are looking for Piccolo when Salza reappears, and prepares to kill them all. However, before he can attack, he is killed by Piccolo's "Special Beam Cannon" from a distance. Gohan looks around for Piccolo, and the movie ends with Piccolo gazing skyward.

Continuity Issues

Some consider this as one of the few films in the franchise to be canon. It has been presented that this film can fit in the gap between the Frieza and Android sagas. Though this appears plausible, certain things in this film contradict with the Dragonball Z series.

First off, Icarus the dragon appears in this film. He was introduced in the non-canonical film Tree of Might. Second, and perhaps most important, Goku appears to lack the ability to unlock his super saiyan abilities at will, though some may argue that Goku was simply holding back. Third, Gohan, inexplicably has a tail.

Cast

Music

Original music

• Opening Song
  1. "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA"
     • Lyrics: Yukinojō Mori, Music: Chiho Kiyooka, Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto, Vocals: Hironobu Kageyama
       • Song Lyrics
• Ending Song
  1. とびっきりの最強対最強 (Tobikkiri no Saikyō tai Saikyō!, The Incredible Mightiest vs. Mightiest^?)
     • Lyrics: Masaru Satō, Music: Chiho Kiyoka, Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto, Vocals: Hironobu Kageyama & Ammy
       • Song Lyrics

Funimation Dub Soundtrack

The following songs were present in the Funimation dub of Cooler's Revenge:^[2]

• Drowning Pool - Reminded
• Dust for Life - Poison
• American Pearl - Seven Years
• Breaking Point - Under
• Finger Eleven - Stay and Drown
• Breaking Point - Falling Down
• Drowning Pool - Mute
• Drowning Pool - Told You So
• American Pearl - Revelation
• Breaking Point - Phoenix
• Disturbed - The Game
• Deftones - Change (In the House of Flies)

References

1. ^ Dragonball Z Movie 05 - Cooler's Revenge
2. ^ Imada, Chiaki (Producer), & Hashimoto, Mitsuo (Director). (2002 Jan 22). Cooler's Revenge [Motion picture]. Japan: FUNimation.