The third season of the popular shonen (boy's) show Dragon Ball Z continues the adventures of Goku and Gohan on Namek, Piccolo's home planet. Goku, who has been in a regeneration tank since the end of season 2, recovers ju... more »st in time to challenge the sniggering Frieza, one of the most grating villains in anime history. Having defeated Gohan, Krillin, Vegeta, and Piccolo, Frieza takes on Goku in a protracted duel. When he begins to doubt his ability to overcome Goku, Frieza destroys the core of Namek, ensuring it will explode in a matter of minutes. Enraged by the death of Krillin and so many others, Goku transforms into the one thing Frieza fears: a Super Saiyan, a legendary warrior who appears once every 1,000 years. As the seconds tick away, the two most powerful individuals in the universe duke it out. While they're beating the soba out of each other, King Kai hatches a plan to use the Dragon Balls of Earth and Namek to ensure a happy ending. As the battle between Goku and Frieza intensifies, the kicks and punches fly, producing titanic explosions. But the duel goes on for more than 20 episodes: With only a limited budget and crude special-effects techniques at their disposal, the filmmakers have to recycle footage endlessly. Dragon Ball Z: Season 3 is more entertaining when the viewer allows a few days to elapse between episodes, rather than indulging in a Super Saiyan marathon. (Rated TV PG. suitable for ages 8 and older: violence, brief nudity, tobacco use, ethnic stereotypes) --Charles Solomon« less