Dragonball Evolution DVD Review

I have seen bits and pieces of this movie and have yet to make an opinion about it. The fight sequences I saw were ok but some of the effects seemed a bit off. I'm thinking about investing 1 dollar to rent it at redbox and see if this is the crapstorm so many people make it out to be.

You need a new rating system for how bad this movie was..one star, 1 out of 10..just does not cut it..it was abysmal, it was horrendous, it was ...[frick]ing shit!

I really feel for the DRAGON BALL fans!!!

The chics in it were great, that was about it! I wanted this to be a good movie, it just wasn't STREET FIGHTER CLUN LUNN was 10 times better than this an that was only okay, did surprise me how dark though STREET FIGHTER was but this, damn, bad of the bad!

Scorpio Eagle wrote:
"O.k. let me start this post with I am a HUGE Dragonball Z fan.. I did not read the manga nor did I catch the first animated show Dragonball.. when it hit the US in the 90's Dragonball Z is what you got.. that being said.. I watched Dragonball Evolution last night and all I can say is what a steam pile of CRAP!! That's 1.5 hours of my life I can never have back.. I was on the fence about the movie hoping for the best knowing I'd be disapointed royally.."

Well, one problem is your admitted lack of familiarity with the original series. Having seen nearly all of Dragonball and read near all the manga, the film isn't the exercise in blasphemy everyone claims it to be. It had some missteps, but the characters were well done, which was my biggest concern.

"Problems:
Justin Chatwin: I mean it's a Japanese story.. GOKU is supposed to be ASIAN.. I've read comments about the fact that he's an alien and not Japanese.. that's crap.. he's supposed to go unnoticed which means he blended with the people in the area who are you guessed it JAPANESE.. if it's so not a big deal why didn't they just go after an asian guy who actually knew martial arts? why? because it is a big deal this is as bad as trying to have Will Smith play Captain America.. not a smart move.."

Technically, Dragonball is set on a parallel Earth, with radically different geography, and Asia does not exist. Don't even get me started on the Cap nonsense...

"Yamcha: He had no role in this movie he couldn't even fight.. this makes no sense.. the scenes between he and Bulma were just pitiful.. no chemistry.. nothing.."

Yamcha was but a desert bandit when he met Goku and Bulma. He later trained under Muten Roshi, which the film understandably did not touch on yet. The relationship with Bulma was a bit rapid-fire, but hey, they were touch-and-go as it was in the manga.

"Roshi: he looked nothing like him but I give Chow a pass sense he's the only guy with any acting chops in this festering turd of a film.."

Well, the essence of the character is what's important, and Yun-Fat certainly succeeded. Remember, this film was made for wide release, so certain things would not have worked. (I've seen an aesthetically accurate Roshi in "Dragonball: The Magic Begins," and... ugh.

"Piccolo: come on.. he wasn't even wearing the Namekian wardrobe the voice and look were decent but no antenna's.. the fight with Goku was just ridiculous.. it ended before it even began.. the special effects sucked! Goku was supposed to be naturally gifted he learned techniques incredible fast.. well CHi Chi was teaching this dude.. Roshi, Gohan (his grandfather) it was just terrible."

1. The cape and turban could have been very offensive to Middle-Eastern viewers, so I understand why they 86'd it. If you look at Lord Slug, though, the outfits have a bit in common.
2. I, too was disappointed in the final battle, but in the manga, Goku's first showdown with Piccolo pales in comparison with the World Tournament match at the end of Dragonball (which if translated to screen, would eclipse most fight scenes in film.)

"They need to just reboot this thing and start with something that makes sense like "the Arrival" when Vegita arrives.. all and all I think this movie turned out to be exactly what we all thought it would be whale fesis.. unless they are ready to put the proper money, time and talent behind this and be ready for a 3 picture franchise this won't work.. "

In my opinion, they laid decent groundwork for a franchise, which could succeed given one change- GET RID OF JAMES WONG. As a matter of fact, Stephen Chow should have directed the movie, and should take the reins from this point on. A Dragonball sequel in his capable hands could even surpass Kung Fu Hustle.

@Kyatollah

Very astute comments about my post and you have some valid points.. honestly you are correct I was not a fan of the original Dragonball franchise in any form and was am not very knowledgable on that part of the lore. However in retrospect I guess they did a pretty decent job attempting to bring it into this current time period. The essence of Roshi was there and there was a conscious effort to keep the stoey rooted in Dragonball not Dragonball Z.. but why the change in the origin of the dragonballs? Why would Goku be a minion of Piccolo's? I just think they should have began with DBZ.. even Dragonball but leading up to the events of the world marital arts tournament and Goku running off to marry her and then set up for Vegita and the arrival.. I understand it was a daunting task to bring the story to a movie and please the many many fans but I think they could have done much much better but as long as they learned some lessons maybe we'll get somethig that isn't necessarily aimed at 8 year olds and resembles the show or the manga more..

Good read though dude I enjoyed your feedback...

I'm a fan of DB and DBZ (GT was lame compared to the first two) and I haven't seen the movie. All of the previews I saw just made me think it was going to be sucktastic and it sounds like I was right.

I will watch it, if only to have a leg to stand on in bashing it! LOL!

As for doing another DBZ movie, I agree with Osiris, I think the Wachowski brothers have a good sense of the vision necessary to pull off a movie like this. The Neo/Smith fight at the end of Revolutions shows a good DBZ fight is possible.

oh and another wtf moment
-goku changes at an eclipse(originally full moon)

and a kind of in the middle thing
-the kamehameha could be considered as a wind/air technique because roshi did use it to put out a fire...after oolong disguised himself as bulma and shows roshi her(his) boobs. oolong also wishes for panties in that manga xD