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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: Twentieth Century Fox
Salesrank: 6355
Released: July 28, 2009 |
| Our Price: $9.49 |
| Used Price: $3.39 |
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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:
What a sad effort to make a quick buck 
2009-12-21 - Honestly don't even bother wasting your time and money on this lousy movie. James Wong obviously can't direct for crap if this is the result. For someone whom has not seen the Dragon Ball manga you'd still expect him to direct a film with a decent plot right? what talent?. I mean Batman was a great comic and the movies were great but this film totally suck.
Don't trust the 5 star reviews from a bunch of virtual marketers. (You might like this film if you are mentally aged 5 or under or under influence of drugs) If you don't believe me just read the other reviews from people with 1 star, we can't all be wrong, and we don't try and trick you into buying or seeing the movie too!
Dragonball Evolution....... 
2009-12-19 - I'd have to agree with one reviewer out there in cyberland that people just love to complain about live-action adaptations of their beloved series. Determined that Hollywood will never get what made those series so great in the first place in the movies. Dragonball: Evolution is certainly no exception. I was one of those few that remained optimistic about the movie. I'll admit, fans have a right to be upset that the people who made this movie took liberties in making the movie, not adhering to the original DBZ series storyline and whatnot. They also have the right to be unhappy that the production values were pretty low-budget. I, too, was expecting something pretty spectacular in that department as the anime is pretty wild.
Yet, even so--on its' own merits, I still thought the movie was entertaining. Personally, I enjoyed it. My thoughts on things are that, if they made this movie exactly like the anime series, it would be pretty pointless. Why would fans even bother to go see it at all. Honestly, I've been a fan of the series since it first aired years ago and I wouldn't see it if it were exactly the same. Second, maybe they didn't have enough money to make the production values any better. I hear tell that a sequel is already in the works. If so, maybe they'll get things right this time all the way around. That way, casual fans and hardcore fans alike will feel the same way about the movie.
WONDERFUL Magic classic timeless movie the BEST 
2009-12-14 - If you are a true dragon ball fan ,you will love this movie . There are many DragonBall so called fans who run around dogging this movie who are not real fans. When watching the movie you will see excellent acting, story telling SPECIAL EFFECTS .But mostley you will get the feeling you are a part of the movie , that there is hope in the world & good will win over evil. this movie has the backing & punch of the true dragonball creater, his hand in this movie ,is clear, he is creative and vibrant....you can not stop watching & I look forward to the next movie because its a joy to watch. The young at heart wii love the movie.
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.
