Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990 TV Movie) User Reviews

The Sins of the Saiyans

[gigan-92 · 9/10 · 16 January 2011]

Another one of the recently re-released TV DBZ movies, and one of the few 45 minute features with a real story. This one centers around the back story behind the Frieza's betrayal and untimely genocide of the Saiyans. The main reason to see this, overall, to see how much of a bad ass Goku's father(Sonny Strait) was! But on a serious note, this movie is great because it shows the barbarity of the Saiyans without sugar coating it at all. And yet we still sympathy for them, personified mostly threw Vegeta, who we see as a child here. Very early on we see the greater evil of Frieza, who is as menacing as ever.

Very good voice acting throughout, and a flowing story as well. The action is brutal, bloody and just plain awesome to boot. This movie is an essential if you're a fan and for animation and anime fans in general.

HUGE Potential!

[Stefan_Loves_Movies · 8/10 · 9 February 2022]

Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990) is a wonderful story of Goku's father. I love the concept and the fact that it fits PERFECTLY in the DBZ Universe. Its problem is that it's too short. 48m is NOT enough!

I wanted to see MORE! I'm sure if this movie was longer it would have been ONE OF THE BEST DBZ movies!

Still, nevertheless, I'm sure you'll enjoy the movie!

The untold story of Goku's dad.

[emasterslake · 8/10 · 15 June 2008]

Goku's father, Bardock was a low ranking Saiyan soldier working for Frieza along with the rest of the Saiyan. His son, Goku was only an infant and is being schedule to be sent to Earth to destroy. But little did his dad know, is that his son will be a savor for the Earth in years to come.

This tells the full story of Bardock, who was only mentioned briefly in the anime. As well as featuring familiar characters including Nappa, a Young Vegeta, Zarbon, Frieza, and Grandpa Gohan.

It's highly recommended for those who want to see what Bardock was really like, and what was his thoughts on the son he hardly seen or knew in person.

The best Dragon Ball Z Movie There Ever Was.

[Emphinix · 23 July 2003]

Bardock the Father of Goku is a great DBZ Movie because you learn everything about what happened before the series and all the secrets of Goku's past.

It's a very good movie, I saw this movie with my brother at his dorm at a college campus and I downloaded the movie to on my pc

The best of the first 5

[antmo007 · 10/10 · 13 March 2020]

One of the best Dragon Ball Z movies. Most like canon though it is not. Interesting story about Goku's father, full of interesting plot twists. It describes how it all began. The first four movies (Z series) I didn't like, but this one is great and I recommend it to everyone. Definitely the best of the first 5 DBZ movies.

Best DBZ Movie Ever!!!

[tysonhollen · 10/10 · 11 March 2006]

This story is number one out of all fifteen of them.It tells about Goku's father who was given psychic powers while on a mission.Bardock appears a couple of times in the TV episodes during the frieza saga and this tells all of bardock's story.Now i understand why they showed him in the series and in the beginning of movie number five.I hope everyone else likes it as much as i did.It's better than outlaw star movies.We learn how grandpa gohan found goku and why named him that.A good movie for people of all ages.A great back story like the history of trunks was.Rent or buy it someday.I give it a 10 out of 10.=It's too bad they don't show re-runs every day on toonami like the old days.The plot is great,no sex or curse words.i wish that they would have showed it when i was a kid.better than the gay crap they have on nowadays like Lupin the 3rd ,ben 10,that Yu-Gi-Oh rip-off Duel Masters,Megas XLR or naruto.It's on par with Tenchi Muyo,Yu-Gi-Oh,Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho.Watch when it's on TV again and you m,ight agree with me.

Best DBZ Movie Ever ( English)

[anthonywltrs · 10/10 · 7 October 2021]

This is single-handedly the best movie in the Dragon Ball franchise and it had nothing to do with Goku or Vegeta being the main characters. Instead, this is the story about the last days of The Saiyan Race within Universe 7, more specifically Goku and Raditz's father, Bardock. Bardock isn't the perfect father by any straight, he isn't there to visit Goku after the day he was born nor did he think he was special when he tested his power level, the same could be said for not caring or being there for Raditz ( He isn't in the movie). However, Bardock is a great warrior who deeply cares about his crew and fighting who one day during a mission is given the ability to see into the future, and what he sees horrifies and mystifies him, the destruction of the Saiyan race and the future of Goku on Earth

We see Frieza's paranoia of the Saiyan Race at an all-time high with Zarbon advising to Frieza that the Saiyans especially the lower class like Bardock could pose to be a huge threat one day. Frieza wastes no time in dispatching Dodoria to murder Bardock and his entire crew on the false pretense Frieza asked Bardock and his crew to go on a special mission to wipe out the inhabitants on Planet Meat

After realizing Frieza had set them up and saw the massacre of his crew as well as barely surviving an attack from Dodoria and his men, Bardock comes to the realization that Frieza will be the one to destroy the Saiyans by blowing Planet Vegeta. Bardock goes on a short path of redemption and despite knowing he will be long dead by the time Goku arrives on Earth and becomes a different warrior than him, Bardock attempts to face Frieza head-on with the hope that he may have a chance to change the future, while also regretting not being there for Goku and Raditz

In his final moments, as Frieza unleashes his Super Nova attack to destroy Bardock and everyone else on Planet Vegeta, Bardock has renewed hope that Goku will be the one to avenge him and their race by defeating Frieza. It is honestly a powerful and emotional Dragon Ball movie and Bardock's sacrifice is no different. This movie sets up the future showdown between Goku and Frieza, as well as Goku's earliest battles and adventures on Earth leading up to his fight with Vegeta as well.

I LOVE THIS MOVIE

[itaysabovich · 10/10 · 2 September 2021]

GREAT MOVIE BARDOCK GETS FUTRE POWERS AND HE SEES HES PLANET BEING DISTORYED AND HES TEAM GETS KILLED BY DADORIA AND THEN HE FIGHTS FREZA.

A special?

[ericstevenson · 10/10 · 11 February 2024]

This has always confused me because many people refer to this as a "special" and not a "movie" like the literally over a dozen "Dragonball" films made. It's certainly longer than a lot of the movies, like "The Dead Zone", which is only 41 minutes long! Anyway, this is considered by many people to be the finest "Dragonball" related work to not have official involvement from the series creator, Akira Toriyama and I certainly agree! It's certainly one of the best origin stories ever made! This features Goku's father Bardock as he was the leader of a group of Saiyans who worked for Frieza. It starts off with him destroying some people who give him the power of precognition.

He's able to have visions of the future of his son, Goku but it's not until the end that he understands what these visions mean. His son is the one who will stop Frieza someday, or at least beat him the longest battle in the entire franchise. Eh, close enough. Frieza's fear is mostly of the Saiyans teaming up to beat him. It's weird to admit this, but I think it was interesting to see some backstory on characters like Dodoria. I mean, a lot of these guys don't have much purpose before Vegeta kills them. It's great how Bardock tricks Dodoria's own men into beating each other.

I've heard some people say it doesn't make sense that this special treats Goku as Bardock's only son, when he had a brother, Raditz. The answer's pretty simple, as Bardock simply doesn't even pay much attention to Goku in this, much less remember Raditz. While it's sad to see him go, there is this short manga that retcons his death as sending him to the past where it's revealed he was the original Super Saiyan! Whether or not this is canon, there's no doubt that this deserves respect as something that inspired Bardock to have a cameo in the manga. Either way, it's an extremely well driven plot giving humanity and loyalty to this character. Tying in directly into "Dragonball" at the end is wonderful too. ****

a beautiful origin story

[erminahotmail · 8/10 · 3 January 2024]

Then this film that was released in 1990 is a story that talks about how Saiyans are extinct. Then this film is about Goku's father or Bardock. So for me Bardock was truly a beautiful character. So if someone asks me why this film unlike the othersat the same Animation of the series Well because a film released for television is no to the cinema and then it was really very interesting when Bardock receives the power to see some films of the future especially those of his son and then he was really taken when Bardock tried tofacing Freeza was really nice sometimes about Bardock's death I won't tell you about Goku because all the time Goku only cries and I also tell you that it was really unfair that this film came out for television but now that it is no longer became canon because of Akiratoriyama who has now made another story that was seen in the 2018 film that this version seems like a Saiyan version of Superman because because Goku the same thing happens that he received for me or his parents put him in a neuroscience before he their planet camedestroyed congratulations toriyama you had to undermine what you had created before for me the origins of Goku from Ma la sono this film to conclude the vote 8.

I'll Say it, I don't Care About Bardock

[JayWolfgramm · 4/10 · 9 March 2023]

Goku does not need to be the answer to some long-awaited prophecy. Goku is not a "chosen one". He is just a man who stepped up to face the challenge. I think Goku summed it up best. When Frieza bragged saying that he blew up Planet Vegeta and killed his father, Goku replied: " I don't care." This movie makes the cardinal mistake any prequel can make, have there be visions/prophecies of the future. Bardock is given useless physic powers in this movie. These powers let him see glimpses into the future. This means the animators can recycle clips and save them time but waste the audience's time. You could take out his whole psychic subplot and not miss a thing. Bardock already gets motivation to fight Frieza, the visions of the future do not change the outcome of the story, but they do interrupt the flow.

I do enjoy seeing more of Planet Vegeta before its destruction. The movie has solid world building for the Frieza Force and the Saiyans. And I absolutely love the backstory for Bardock's headband. That may sound like a dumb thing to point out, but I love it. I also appreciate the darker tone that the specials have compared to the movies. These "specials" also fit better in continuity than the movies.

I think the fact that both of the Specials: that being "History of Trunks" and this one, are prequels where the outcome is grim. That allows the series to be a little more serious and feel a bit more weighty. I give it credit for coming out so early in the Dragon Ball Z timeline, but I don't like Bardock as a character. And I don't like the stupid prophecy and flash forward parts.

I also like the fights; they are bloodier and visceral than most DB fights. The movie is also well animated. "Bardock" is an average movie but it is a brilliant spectacle.

Great DBZ special

[dgalloway · 20 August 2003]

Normally, Dragonball Z movies have weak plots, horrible dubbing, censorship up the wazoo, and pretty useless fighting. However, this one is an excellent example of what the movies SHOULD have been like.

Bardock is a saiyan who, like everyone else on his home planet Vegeta, works for Freeza. One day, his team of low-level soldiers take out a planet that was giving even Freeza's highest elite teams a run for their money. However, the last survivor curses Bardock by giving him the power to see the future.

Bardock begins to dream about Goku's future back on Vegeta, while the rest of his team is sent to another planet on Freeza's orders. Bardock dreams that Goku will become a great warrior, but thinks nothing of it. However, as the plot unfolds, and he learns what Freeza is planning, he realizes that Goku will be the only hope for the universe someday.

The stuff I can't give away is what really makes the plot so wonderful. There are only a few fights, but that's to be expected; the plot is the main focus here. However, two fights do stand out: a little Vegeta destroys a bunch of Saibamen, and Bardock's final confrontation with Freeza. Overall, I recommend that any moderate to hardcore DBZ fan get this movie sometime. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Bardock - you rule, baby!!

[Karma_K2 · 2 April 2002]

Well, I only saw this two days ago for the first time - and as a newly recruited Dragonball Z fan (that is, a solid fan for the past 2 years), I have to say that this was fantastic. Bardock was beautiful (and that is a term I only usually use for Piccolo and Vegeta). I have to say, that at the start, I couldn't see much resemblance between Bardock's personality and Kakarot's (Goku's). But as the film progresses, you can't help but notice the same self-sacrificing and caring nature they both share – although Bardock's was kinda buried. They are both willing to die for the people and planet that they love. And Vegeta! Well, he was beautiful. Very true to character – arrogant and proud. (I'd like to take a moment here and point out how sorry I feel for Vegeta, named after his father and his planet!). As was Frieza. I couldn't help but find myself despising that cold-hearted lizard all over again – and I must admit I had a great laugh when he was defeated by Goku on Namek (albeit temporarily) and permanently by Trunks on Earth. But anyway, all I have to say is that this is a classic piece of Dragonball Z work.

Another Great DBZ special

[MovieCriticMarvelfan · 7 April 2001]

Originally broadcast almost 11 yrs ago, this tv special shows how advanced japanese animation is, nowadays people have jumped on the DBZ bandwagon. Now DBZ is the most popular cartoon out there, and yet it ended almost 6 yrs ago.

This special "Story of Bardock" reveals Goku's father and his battle with Freeza, who would be very familiar to DBZ fans.

Bardock has dreams of a future son ,Goku who will save the universe from Freeza and all enemies.

Bardock at first denies this, thinking he is hallucinating,but when Freeza kills his friends and sets his sight on him, he knows it's more than a dream.

Like in the movie Superman, Bardock must send his son Guku, in a space pod so Freeza won't get to him.

The final showdown between Bardock and Freeza is memorable along with the action.

Goku would later become a great warrior and avenge his father by killing Freeza.

Later Freeza's brother, Koola would seek revenge on Goku.

As you can see what makes DBZ great are it's complex stories and it always follows up to the events in it.

Great DBZ special.

Another Great DBZ Special

[MovieCriticMarvelfan · 4 April 2001]

Originally broadcast almost 11 years ago, this tv special shows how advanced japanese animation is, nowadays people have jumped on the DBZ bandwagon.

This special "Story of Bardack" reveals Goku's father and his battle with Freeza, who would become a familiar character to DBZ fans.

Freeza would die and later get resurrected numerous times as well as Goku.

The story mainly is about Freeza killing of of Bardack's friends when he finds out Bardack is a super saiyan.

Bardack has dreams that he will have a son who is a mighty warrior. Soon he realizes this dreams are real when Freeza target s him. Bardacks knows he has to protect his futher son, and so like in the movie "Superman" Goku is sent in a space pod, to live on Earth and avenge his father Bardack.

Great DBZ special.