The action in this one moves faster than most DBZ movies, with choreography that actually breathes instead of just punching until someone wins. Young Gohan gets real moments to prove himself without the plot stopping to explain why he matters. It's formulaic as hell, evil Saiyan shows up, plants a tree, everyone fights, but the execution is tight enough that you don't care you've seen this exact setup before.

A mysterious device crashes on Earth and sets off a wildfire near where Gohan, Kuririn, Bulma and Oolong are camping, and the friends use the Dragon Balls to restore the damaged forest. Days later, strange warriors plant a seed at the crash site. It grows into a colossal tree that levels the forest and nearby cities. North Kaio warns Goku that this is the Shinseiju, a tree that drains the planet of its nutrients and leaves it barren while ripening a fruit that grants immense power to whoever eats it. Behind the scheme is Turlus, a Saiyan who wants that power for himself. Goku and the Z Warriors set out to fight the invaders and destroy the tree before Earth is ruined, a task that may be harder than they expect. The film is a sci-fi action adventure centered on defending the planet.