The problem I have with this movie

I don't want to insult people who liked this movie but I want to explain the reasons why I didn't and perhaps discuss why it seems to be so polarizing.

Overly silly versions of the characters treating world threatening issues as a joke. Even in Dragon Ball for all its humor I felt like there was something real at stake. The characters felt consistent and their motives felt true to their personalities. I don't mind some comic relief in the mix but in this movie it seemed to completely overshadow everything else.

This movie completely lacks any sense of genuine character development and sincere emotion. In the Sayian Saga when the characters are facing the threat of Raditz, Vegeta and Nappa we got to see real emotion and real character development. Goku and Piccolo had to team up (a very interesting situation considering their relationship in Dragon Ball). The partnership forced both to mature as characters. Goku gave up his life to help Piccalo kill his brother, forcing him to leave his son in the hands of his once mortal enemy (decisions that had weight and consequence). Gohan had to face his fears and mature as an adult without his father in a life or death situation. Piccolo had to put his hatred for Goku aside and had to learn to care for Gohan eventually resulting in him sacrificing himself for Gohans sake (yet despite this development his personality remained intact). Yamcha fought hard but his over confidence caused him to loose his life (a good hard lesson that had real impact). Chiaotzu sacrificed everything to overcome a seemingly invincible opponent only for that sacrifice to be in vain. After loosing an arm and seeing the death of his friends Tien gave everything he had only to be defeated (a real tragedy). The characters had to face overwhelm odds and watch in horror as Nappa ravaged the earth for the sake of strategy, knowing that holding out for Goku was the only chance they had to win. Then when Goku does arrive, the battle isn't just arbitrary punches and kicks, there is actually strategy involved and the characters have to pull out many different tricks to win, the rely on cunning more than just raw power. All the characters developed, even the villains. Every character had a role to play that mattered (even Yajirobe), there were real stakes, real feelings like loss, fear, desperation, courage and hope. That was the Dragon Ball Z that I loved. Battle of the Gods is nothing like that.

Many of the characters seemed to lose the qualities that defined them. In DBZ even in the face of absolute defeat Vegeta always gave it his all. Even in the face of humiliation, pain, and the loss of his life he held onto his pride. Vegeta did terrible things but he was respectable as a character because he constantly took it like he dished it and remained true to his own code. In battle of the Gods Vegeta seems like a totally different character. Vegeta faced death many times in the past but never let that overshadow his tireless will to fight and he would far rather die than give up his pride. We saw that with Frieza, we saw that with Cell, we saw that with Majin Buu. Vegeta changed as a character but he never gave up the traits that fundamentally defined him.

There are no real stakes in Battle of the Gods. Even though the world is being threatened none of the characters really seem to take it seriously. When the Sayians attacked earth all of the characters gave everything they had and more, they were terrified yet that fear made them change and grow. In Battle of the Gods the only character who grows at all is Goku but even he doesn't express any impression of genuine concern over the world's impending destruction. It's all a joke and not a good joke at that.

The Humor seemed stereotypical and one dimensional. There were moments here and there that worked but most of the humor was the same silliness that every other anime has. Such as food jokes that a child could come up with. Dragon Ball had humor, but that humor was intelligently written. Goku's innocence made him a fish out of water, his naive actions felt believable because of the way he had been raised and the fact that he had powers that he didn't understand. Krillin dealing with his envy of Goku led to genuine humor. Yamcha being a seemingly cool guy who couldn't deal with women due to inexperience also felt genuine. In Dragon Ball the characters were silly but they developed and their actions still made some sense and had consequences. In Dragon Ball there was also world building, new abilities (that were more than just spectacle), new races and locations that were more than just set dressing.The Dragon Balls actually had a real role in the story and were more than just a convenient tool to use whenever. The Dragon Balls had a sense of wonder and mystery about them. In this movie they are just a bingo prize. Battle of the Gods was totally superficial and one dimensional by comparison.

Battle of the Gods had a few good points. The visuals are mostly good. Goku having to deal with obtaining power from his friends and family was a good moment (although that point was weakened when he effortlessly learns to use the full power of SSJGod on his own just moments later.) Finally having opponents that couldn't just be beaten by a power up was refreshing. There were one or two moments were the humor was actually clever and was more than just silly food loving nonsense and chibi expressions.

Overall this movie really felt like a silly fanfiction For me, Dragon Ball Z started going down hill long before it ended but at least it remained somewhat recognizable. Battle of the Gods wasn't consistent with Dragon Ball Z or Dragon Ball (and yes I have watched both and read the manga). The characters were caricatures of themselves and the story was almost completely void of substance. If you just like silly one dimensional humor and just want to see these characters have fun again, by all means enjoy. As for me, I guess I just have to accept that this Dragon Ball world is no longer the one I remember so fondly.