On April 10, the American public faced the biggest terror to hit the silver screen since “Street Fighter” in 1994. “Dragonball Evolution” shows what happens to a good foreign story when it is adapted to fit American standards.
James Wong, director of “Final Destination 3,” brings Dragon Ball, a legendary Japenese manga series, to life in a live-action version.
In this modern adaptation, the story has been altered to suit a semi-plausible, yet severely overdone plot. The energetic hero has become a shy school boy, infatuated with the popular girl in his high school. He hides his inner strength from the other students, not wanting to scare his crush. This is trite and unbearably annoying.
But wait – there’s more. In swoops, the evil villain killing off his stereotype-conforming Asian grandfather within the first 10 minutes. Now, the hero must avenge his grandfather’s death and protect the world from devastation, with the help of Bulma and crazy Master Roshi.
As if this weren’t enough, there’s even a party scene – yes, a party scene – where the school dork dares to trespass on the cool kid’s turf. After 20 minutes, it leaves you wondering, is there even a bit of this movie that doesn’t fall into the teenage drama category?
Well, 84 minutes of PG material will do that to one of the most action-packed series of all time.
“There were only two parts that were consistent with the anime, when Goku’s stuffing his face with a chicken leg and when he ends up with Chi Chi [the wife of Goku, the protagonist of the “Dragon Ball” series],” said local “Dragon Ball” fan Alicia LaRosa.
Everything else, LaRosa explained, was dramatically different from the original story.
The film even features the stereotypical teen drama party scene, where Chi Chi’s house is more like a celebrity’s mansion than a high school girl’s home.
And if the American producers didn’t desecrate the story enough, they even throw in a romantic pairing that conflicts with a pairing in the original story.
“Dragon Ball” is the worst nightmare of fan of the series.
The acting is, at best, mediocre.
Justin Chatwin, who plays Goku, was not a horrible choice by casting director Carla Hool. However, he simply did not believe in his character. An actor is only as good as the script he is given, so for that, Chatwin must be pardoned for not doing a dynamite job.
There was no excuse for the performance Emmy Rossum gave for Bulma. With brown, waist-length hair and a single blue streak, Rossum’s portrayal of Bulma is the polar opposite of the original character. Rossum drops her voice severely for this role, as though her character’s intelligence prevents her from being feminine.
Unfortunately for fans, both Yamcha and Master Roshi are disappointing as well. Yamcha, a roguishly handsome bandit in the animated series, is portrayed by
Master Roshi, played by the amazingly talented Chow Yun-Fat, was ill-cast. It is insulting to have a talented actor play an 80-year old, perverted master, only to be criticized for being too young and fit for the role.
But, “Dragonball: Evolution” does have some redeeming qualities.
James Marsters flawlessly assumed the role of the villain Piccolo. Marsters mastered the role as the powerful alien who, with one flick of the wrist, levels a house in seconds. Possibly most true to the manga, Marsters makes Piccolo an intimidating green-skinned enemy bent on controlling ultimate power. With the exception of some costume changes and the source of his ultimate defeat (remember, good must defeat evil), Marsters could not have been a better choice for the live action adaptation.
For fans and newcomers alike, the movie is incredibly entertaining. Whether its fans pointing out every discrepancy, or excited children laughing at the humorous facial expressions of the actors, the movie captivates audiences.
And for all 84 minutes of it, “Dragonball: Evolution” left audiences eager to see what happened next. While the storyline may be predictable, there is still the excitement of seeing how the director portrayed the scene.
There were even some surprises for diehard fans that the trailers skillfully excluded. “Dragonball: Evolution” combined comedy, drama, and action into a delightful package that is worth the $10 admission ticket. “Dragonball: Evolution” has something for everyone as it provides the perfect balance of fantasy and reality in an extraordinary lighthearted film.
Nora Drapalski can be reached at ndrapals@student.umass.edu.
