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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Dragon Ball Z-3.3: Z Warriors Prepare (2000)

Dragon Ball Z-3.3: Z Warriors Prepare (2000)

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Released 12-Dec-2000

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Anime Notes-Previous Saga Info
Biographies-Character
Featurette-DBZ Web Promo
Trailer-Preview Next Saga
DVD Credits
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2000
Running Time 61:04
RSDL / Flipper No/No Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 2,4 Directed By Daisuke Nishio
Studio
Distributor
Toei Animation
Madman Entertainment
Starring Sean Schemmel
Christopher Sabat
Case Brackley-Trans-No Lip
RPI $24.95 Music Shuusuke Kikuchi
Chiho Kikuchi
Takeshi Ike


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame Full Frame English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio None
16x9 Enhancement No
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles None Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    Normally when reviewing DBZ DVDs I am expecting three episodes, at least. But as I came across the *cough* VHS *cough* version of this particular title (I had yet to receive my DVD review copy) I glanced at the back and noticed there were only two episodes (!) on this set of episodes, and in place of the third episode was a documentary on the series. I was outraged! First of all, putting only three episodes on each DVD is bad enough, as the DVD format could hold considerably more episodes comfortably with only the one audio track and minimal extras (as this disc has). Secondly if you were buying or renting this DVD, which is quite far into the series, you would know the background stories therefore making the documentary relatively useless.

    Anyhow, the DVD is comprised of three parts; two episodes (109-110) and one episode length documentary. The two episodes don't really progress the series further in terms of plot, they are more character development (Vegita) and comic relief (episode 110).

    In more detail they are:

    The World Of Dragonball Z: For people who haven't watched the older episodes of DBZ, this is an informative clip-filled look back at the past sagas. The blurb on the box is somewhat misleading, as it states that it will take you through how DBZ has become a classic anime worldwide when really the special is just full of clips. Good watching for someone who has no idea about the series, but I struggled through it since I have seen it all before many times already.

    Z Warriors Prepare (Episode 109): All the Z warriors are training towards a common goal, to defeat the coming Androids, with Vegita pushing himself at our gravity multiplied by three hundred! The episode mainly centres around Vegita but also has a very funny scene where Gokuu praises Gohan (his son) for some good work while sparring and then proceeds to knee him in the stomach - very nice indeed!

    Goku's Ordeal (Episode 110): In the most comedic episode of the series thus far, Chi Chi forces Gokuu and Piccolo to get their driver's licenses so she can have a car and not walk anywhere. The two questions I asked myself when watching this episode were:

    This episode is very funny and probably worth the price of the DVD, especially for some of the looks Piccolo gives.
 

    Madman is doing a great job getting the uncut version of DBZ to Australia but still have not provided us with the Japanese language track - where is it I ask?

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Transfer Quality

Video

    The standard affair from Madman, which isn't a bad thing entirely.

    It is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and is not 16x9 enhanced. If only DBZ was widescreen...

    The transfer is as sharp as usual, with this DVD fitting somewhere in between DBZ 3.1 and DBZ 3.2. The only reason I didn't award it five stars for "Sharpness" was that a couple of times during the second episode the transfer exhibited a blurred look, but this was only for certain shots inside the gravity machine. Shadow detail is exemplary as usual.

    Colour was very much on the red side for the two episodes, as when inside the Capsule Corp. capsule, everything is pretty much red. Fortunately, no chroma noise was spotted, so the transfer was spot on in this regard.

    Due to the ageing materials that this transfer was made from, grain is a big problem, but this has reduced in visibility on this DVD, so maybe the episodes will get cleaner as they get further into the series. Aliasing was kept to a minimum but film artefacts were still apparent, presumably inherent in the source materials.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The one audio track on this DVD is an English Dolby Digital 2.0 mix, encoded at 224kb/s, returning to the same audio track encoding rate at the first DVD - well done to Madman for that.

    Dialogue was comprehensible at all times, which was lucky since no English subtitles have been provided yet again. Audio sync was perfect without taking into account the Japanese/English translation.

    The music was your typical forgettable synthesizer tunes - in fact, I have already forgotten them. I'm hearing a call for the Japanese musical score, are you hearing this call Madman?

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

    The extras present on this disc are the same ones that are present on the first two DVDs. For a description check my first DBZ review, Dragonball Z 3.1. Don't any other extras exist?

Menu

    This is the same menu that has accompanied the other two DVDs except the words have been changed. Still, nothing is wrong with it and I see no reason to change it.

Notes - Previous Saga Info

Biographies - Characters (9)

Trailer - Dragonball Z Web Promo (00:13)

Trailer - Dragonball Z - Android Saga (00:50)

Notes - DVD Credits

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    The Region 4 version of this disc misses out on;     The Region 1 version of this disc misses out on;     For the third time, Region 1 wins.

Summary

    Dragonball Z 3.3 has two good episodes on it, but where was the third?

    The video quality is as per usual.

    The audio quality is a little bland but perfect technically.

    What these DBZ DVDs need are extras, and good ones.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Andrew Siers (I never did my biography in primary school)
Wednesday, January 10, 2001
Review Equipment
DVDPioneer DV-626D, using Component output
DisplayToshiba 34N9UXA. Calibrated with Video Essentials.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to DVD player. Calibrated with Video Essentials.
AmplificationYamaha CX-600 Pre-Amp, Yamaha MX-600 Stereo Power Amp for Mains, Yamaha DSP-E300 for Center, Teac AS-M50 for Surrounds.
SpeakersMain Left and Right Acoustic Research AR12s, Center Yamaha NS-C70, Surround Left and Right JBL Control 1s

Other Reviews NONE