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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: Twentieth Century Fox
Salesrank: 8545
Released: July 28, 2009 |
| Our Price: $13.82 |
| Used Price: $2.40 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Genre: Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Release Date: 28-JUL-2009
Media Type: DVD
Description of Dragonball: Evolution:
Co-produced by Hong Kong legend Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle), Dragonball Evolution is an agreeable if low-wattage live action adaptation of the iconic manga and anime series Dragon Ball. Director James Wong fuses the series’ fantasy-based characters and devices with a somewhat lackluster storyline involving average teen Goku (Justin Chatwin), who breaks from his wholesale pining for classmate Chi-Chi (Jamie Chung) to that he’s at the center of an intergalactic search for the all-powerful Dragonballs by evil warlord Piccolo (Buffy’s James Marsters). With the help of master Roshi (Chow Yun-Fat, who backburners his stoic screen image in favor of some God of Gamblers/Once a Thief-level hamminess), Goku develops his fighting skills to take on Piccolo and save the Earth. The film’s abundance of martial arts should please younger and less discerning viewers, but its hackneyed dialogue and sluggish pace (especially in the fight scenes, which stutter where they should flow) may disappoint longtime fans of the book and television adaptations. The CGI effects, which labor mightily to reproduce the source material’s eye-popping look, also fall short, though the cast is game, especially Marsters and Chow. -- Paul Gaita
Stills from Dragonball: Evolution (Click for larger image)
Dragonball: Evolution Reviews:
Another Americanized film 
2009-12-07 - I approached the film Dragonball with no preconception of the Dragonball franchise, and evaluated it as a film. American teenager Goku is depicted as an outcast of sorts in high school, for his unusual background (lives with asian grandpa, rides a scooter when everyone else has a car, etc.). And he is head over heels for a asian girl named Chi-Chi. Basically, you need to approach the film as a typical boy-saves-the-world kind of film, that just happened to have names and backdrop of the Dragonball manga/anime franchise.
Another way of looking at the film is that it became "Americanized." It's not an unusual approach. For example, the anime show Cardcaptor Sakura was shown on TV years ago, in English track, with Americanized names and dialogue. I think Twentieth Century Fox, the movie studio that produced this film, figured that having an Americanized version of Dragonball as a film would be profitable, and draw consumer interest from fans of the anime/manga franchise. Of course, interest was drawn, along with boos and bad reviews from disappointed fans over this Americanization.
The film itself is mediocre. I don't think the plot was fleshed out enough to create a decent story. Goku basically goes from one quest to another, in search for all seven Dragonballs, and defeat Piccolo. The director tries to make the film interesting with all the fight scenes, and special effects. But the fight sequences seem to stutter in a go-and-halt like fashion, rather than run smoothly. Compare the fight scenes in this film with that of Mortal Combat, for example, and you'll see exactly what I mean.
In my view, Dragaonball: Evolution is not the worst film of the year, as many reviewers proclaim in their reviews here. But it is certainly a disappointing one.
Not Worth Your Time 
2009-11-25 - On its own, this is an absolutely horrible movie. To Dragonball Fans this is an absolute disgrace.
Horrible movie. Horrible use of the Dragonball name.
2009-11-23 - I've been a diehard fan of the series since I first saw it on Cartoon Network all those years ago. When I heard about a live action movie coming soon (I first heard in 2002 or 2003 thru a magazine published by Beckett), I was estatic. I was expecting a huge cast with big name stars to play the characters of the most popular and succesful anime of all time.
This movie shouldn't even carry the rights to Dragonball. It was nothing like it. Let's start off with characters.
Goku - He likes girls? Wait, what? In the anime, he didn't even know what the difference between a boy and a girl was. He married Chi-Chi without even knowing what marriage was, and school? What school? Where's the always hungry, gullible, naive Goku we've grown to love? The actor who plays him isn't the first I would pick to play Goku anyway. Ugh.
Krillin - What the hell? Where is Goku's best friend Krillin? How do you do a dragonball adaptation without him?
Bulma - One of the finer points of the movie. The actress who plays Bulma is gorgeous, just like Bulma should be. Still, they did away with the blue hair, and gave her a blue streak?
Master Roshi - Reminds me NOTHING of the Master Roshi from the anime. I mean absolutuly nothing like the original Roshi.
Other small annoying little changes... Where are the talking animals? Roshi's turtle, Oolong, Puar? How about Yamcha being deathly afraid of girls, especially when he met Bulma. The Kamehameha was WEAK, it looked horrible. Goku only wears the classic Orange Gi, for about 5 minutes on-screen. Y'know the movie is going to be bad, when the best fight scene in the movie is near the beginning with high school kids. Wow.
So, if you're looking for a movie true to the anime. This is not it. You will be extremely dissapointed. Now, in an attempt at pretending I know nothing of Dragonball, and was watching and hearing everything for the first time...It's still horrible. You'll just have less reason to dislike it, than the fans.
Dragonball,Evoolution 
2009-11-03 - I really enjoyed this movie It had A lot of action scenes & special effects.
Horrible
2009-10-28 - As a Dragon Ball fan I can only say that the money I spent at the theater was already the biggest waste of $10 I have ever indulged in. Don't waste your money on a DVD the would be more enjoyable if it were used as a drink coaster.
