Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might / Lord Slug (Double Feature) [Blu-ray] Review
"TREE OF MIGHT/LORD SLUG", the third and fourth "DRAGON BALL Z" films are now out on Blu-ray featuring even more action-packed battles, both digitally remastered in 1080p High Definition.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
Video is presented in 1080p High Definition and 16×9. With the first two films, because of its age, the colors stood out but there were much more scratches and dust that were evident in the video presentation.
For "TREE OF MIGHT", the scratches and dust were minimal and "LORD SLUG", very little. So, this second volume of the "DRAGON BALL Z" film series definitely looks much better video-wise compared to the first volume.
With the 1080p conversion, the colors are vibrant for two films that are nearly 20-years-old and personally, this is probably the best we will ever see these two films on the Blu-ray format.
But the video quality is much better over the first two films and I was pleased with that.
As for the audio, audio is presented in Dolby TrueHD English 5.1 with Japanese Music (or with U.S. Music) and the original Japanese audio track. The Japanese audio is in its original presentation, and it's a version that I have seen multiple times of these films when they were shown on Japanese television. With that being said, you're not going to get much at all from your home theater system for the Japanese track. Now for the Dolby TrueHD English 5.1 track, oh my... you will hear the difference.
For "TREE OF MIGHT", you actually hear the forest ambiance as Gohan, Bulma, Oolong and others are going camping. You hear the sounds of the animals around you and especially the fire and the flames burning. I was very impressed by the sound distribution on each speaker channel for "TREE OF MIGHT" and "LORD SLUG". "TREE OF MIGHT" was the film that really surprised me by the amount of sound coming from the rear channels. For a classic film, it was great to hear these two films via Dolby TrueHD.
And although I typically watch a lot of my anime in Japanese, I feel that "DRAGON BALL Z" is one of the best well-casted, well-done English voice dubs for an anime series out there. Each character and their English voice talent do a tremendous job and although having watched "Dragon Ball Z" in Japanese when I was younger, the improved sound quality and very good voice acting for the English dubs has been my preference for viewing the films and TV series.
The digitally remastered high definition 1080p treatment for the film and it's TrueHD audio definitely made these two films much more enjoyable!
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Surprisingly there are no special features included on the Blu-ray but there are a good number trailers for a lot of the recent FUNimation DVD releases.
As any "DRAGON BALL Z" fan can expect, you're going to get a lot of action and really awesome battles from these two films.
The earlier "DRAGON BALL Z" films tend to feature the dragon balls being used a lot, Gohan's unknown power and Goku being the person who typically would bring that 1-2 punch. For fans of the TV series, as mentioned earlier, Icarus makes his debut on the third film "TREE OF MIGHT" and so you can see how Gohan and Icarus became very close. The fourth film "LORD SLUG" pretty much answers the question for those wondering if a Saiyan can become a Super Saiyan, can a Namek become a Super Namek? And with "LORD SLUG", the answer is yes.
To watch these films on Blu-ray and to see how the color becomes much more vibrant and again, for a film of its age, nearly 20-years old, it's absolutely beautiful. And the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio and the use of the audio directed to the surround channels were well done. It really enhances your viewing of the two films. So, all in all, great treament by FUNimation for putting these two on Blu-ray, 1080p High Definition and Dolby TrueHD treatment but also giving fans a chance to own these two films for a low price.
Overall, if you are a big fan of the "Dragon Ball Z" series and own a Blu-ray player, then definitely start considering getting these films on Blu-ray! It's well worth it!
Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might / Lord Slug (Double Feature) [Blu-ray] Overview
This remastered set contains 2 Dragon Ball Z movies in Blu-ray: Tree of Might and Lord Slug
The Tree of Might:
The Earth’s destruction lies dormant within a single, solitary seed. Brought forth from the darkest reaches of space, the Tree of Might has been sown with the vilest of intentions, for once it takes root nothing else can survive. A plant designed to drain the energy of a planet, it steals the very essence of life only to blossom in death and desolation. Unable to fell this mighty threat, Goku and the Z Warriors must instead confront the harbinger of the evil, a Saiyan bearing an uncanny resemblance to our hero – Turles. This new enemy kidnaps Gohan and sets the son against the father, a tragedy which only delays the inevitable fight. As Goku finally faces off against his deplorable double, Turles turns to the thieving tree…
Lord Slug:
Once again called upon to save their planet from disaster, Goku and Krillin race to head off a giant asteroid on a collision course with Earth. The threat deflected, their home is saved… Or is it? A greater menace looms in the shadows, a being so evil that he was banished from his old world and now seeks to create a new one of his own. Lord Slug, prepared to dominate by freezing all opposition, seeks out the seven Dragon Balls. Fully restored to youth and more powerful than ever, the Z Warriors soon prove no match for this ancient enemy, a Namekian with abilities from lore and legend. As Goku falls, another must step up before all is lost.
Stills from Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might (Click for larger image)
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Customer Reviews
Looks great on blu ray! - yellowflash678 -
Love these movies, a simple time in DBZ. If you have blu ray buy these, you wont regret it.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 09, 2010 03:00:06
