Be aware that there are also edited, English Dubbed Only releases of movies 4-9. The original Japanese versions, however, remain fully intact on all unedited releases.
Movies 4, 5, 8 and 9 contain a score in the English dub by “real” American bands, as opposed to the original Japanese score (or a score by Mark Menza, who handled movies 6 and 7, and later the GT TV series). Movies 4 onwards have been released directly from FUNimation, themselves, from the start.
After re-releasing Dragon Ball Z movie 1 on its own in 2005, FUNimation released a box set entitled “First Strike” in November 2006 that contained the re-releases of the first three movies the re-releases of Dragon Ball Z movie 2 & 3 cannot be purchased separately from this box set. They continue to feature an unedited Japanese language track, however. In order to maintain consistency with their “Ultimate Uncut Edition” initative for the first two seasons of Dragon Ball Z, FUNimation created a re-release of these three movies, including their own, new, completely re-dubbed English track (which does not feature the original Japanese score, or a faithful dialogue translation). Pioneer’s (now Geneon’s) rights have since expired, reverting back to FUNimation.
These first three movies (released slightly out of order: 1, 3, 2) contain the original Japanese score on their English dubs. Individual Disc ReleasesįUNimation originally produced the first three Dragon Ball Z movies in conjunction with Pioneer Home Entertainment (who also handled the home distribution of the movies). In September 2009, online listings for these two movies indicated that they may have been canceled indeed, the products never actually made it to store shelves. These appear to be break-outs from the “Double Feature” versions, despite FUNimation announcing their acquisition of “Dragon Box” prints for the 13 Dragon Ball Z movies. In August 2009, listings for new versions of Dragon Ball Z movie 1 and Dragon Ball Z movie 2 appeared on Amazon with a low price point ($9.98) and cover art mirroring single-disc releases for the Bardock and Trunks TV specials.
There, you’ll find in-depth information such as the original Japanese titles, fully translated cast and crew listings, theme songs, and more! For more detailed information on the Dragon Ball Z movies, be sure to visit the “ Movie Guide” on this site.