Dragon Ball : La Légende de Shenron

Just recently I've begun to watch the entire series from the first episode with English subtitles. The Japanese version is by far much better than the English version of the series because of the lack of censorship on it.

This being said, having to watch "Curse of the Blood Rubies" with an English dub was a little painful for me. Don't get me wrong! The dub in Dragon Ball and this movie are very good, but they just don't compare to the way it's originally meant to be heard and seen.

If you're new to the Dragon Ball franchise, this movie is a great place to pick up if you don't feel like watching the first saga of the series. Though the story is different in MANY aspects, it can sum up a ton of episodes in a very short period of time if you want to just jump into the action of the series.

All of the main characters are introduced with the exception of Emperor Pilaf and his goons, whom are in the first saga. In place of Pilaf, you'll be meeting King Gurumes. The way the characters meet is a bit different, but you'll end up in about the same place with either the series or this movie.

Blood Rubies is a bit more "cutesy" than the original Dragon Ball series in my opinion, and seems to be a bit more aimed at a younger audience than the series itself is. That doesn't mean it's a bad movie though, but anyone coming in directly from the series may find themselves a tad disappointed.

Overall I recommend this movie to anyone who's interested in the Dragon Ball series, regardless if you've seen the first saga or not. It's a fun animation, and though a bit slow in some parts, will keep you interested until the end.

"Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies" is Dragon Ball's first movie. The movie is a retelling of the beginning of Dragon Ball but this time it replaces the villain Pilaf with a new character named King Gurumes. Gurumes is a king cursed with an insatiable hunger, a hunger that he tries to satisfy through eating blood rubies. He wants to use the Dragon Balls to wish the hunger away, which is an interesting motivation for the villain. Arguably his wish is more noble than that of our heroes.

The main downside to this movie is how much it just repeats from the series. It adds very little to make itself stand on its own. If you have seen the series, there isn't much here to recommend. It is just interesting to see a different telling of the story. Almost as if you are stepping into an alternate universe of Dragon Ball. Maybe these are the events that happen in Universe 6 after Beerus wishes Earth back in their universe.

If you are using this movie as a replacement for the Pilaf Saga of the series, the main thing you will miss, outside intro of Pilaf, Mai and Shoo, is the introduction of Goku's future wife Chi Chi. Instead we have the "Snow" looking red head of this movie, Penny.

On its own, the movie is fun and charming just like the original series, but it doesn't do enough for me to place it above the series. And if you have seen the series, there isn't much of a point in watching it at all. But if like the King, you find yourself with an insatiable hunger for Dragon Ball content, this will tide you over.

This the first movie released during the Japanese TV run of Dragon Ball. Basically, this movie is a re-telling of how the main characters (Goku, Bulma, Oolong, Yamcha, Puar, and Master Roshi) of Dragon Ball meet. In the movie, however, as they meet, they help a farmer's daughter named Penny save her village from its wicked king, Gurumes, who's seeking the Dragon Balls to wish for lots of food to eat to satisfy his hunger. The movie re-creates some rather hilarious sequences from the Pilaf Saga episodes of Dragon Ball, giving it a generally family-friendly atmosphere. In the U.S., this movie, re-titled "Curse Of The Blood Rubies", was released on syndicated TV as a 2-part series pilot, but the editing and dubbing was done well enough that much of the movie mirrors its original Japanese counterpart.

GRADE: 4 out of 5 stars

Being a huge fan of the Dragonball franchise, I simply had to watch this, although I do just watch all available movies. Now, the weird thing is that I had no idea what the plot of this film was. It turns out it's actually a retelling of the original "Dragonball" series! I admit that I was kind of turned off by the idea that I would just see the same stories that I had seen before. I actually ended up enjoying this film because even though it doesn't really add anything new to a great franchise, it was enjoyable in its own right. It helps that the animation is so gorgeous.

It's great to see these classic characters even if it's not an original concept. It was weird how they replaced Emperor Pilaf and his minions with these new characters. I mean, they act nothing like Pilaf and his henchmen. It doesn't matter, because it still captures the spirit of the Dragonball series. It's always weird to see this much material being put in a 50 minute movie! I actually was impressed with the end result. I would recommend this to non fans if only so they could get a nice introduction to the series. It's just great to see the first in a huge movie series. This movie is definitely not canon. Puar's voice is as funny as ever. ***

I thought this movie served as an excellent introduction to the series, and because it's a semi original plotline, those who have seen the series will enjoy another outing with Son Goku.

The animation is good, and (while I prefer the japanese) the english dubbing isn't half bad. The story line is simple, involving basically the dragonball gang looking for the something while a giant army does the same, resulting in a multitude of exciting (and never repetitive) fights. Lots of humor, lot's of action, and excellent characters, what more could you possibly ask for?

I definately give this movie an A+!