Dragonball Evolution: Should be remade

Foreign Gross: $48,134,914
Domestic Gross: $9,362,785
Yahoo User grade: C

In the summer of 2009, Dragonball fans rushed to the theater to watch the highly anticipated live action adaption: Dragonball Evolution. No one knew what to expect and not much was known about the movie's story line except it followed the events of the first Dragonball series. The movie was a huge success in Japan, and was even praised by Dragonball/Z creator Akira Toriyama. The movie itself contained cool graphics and some pretty intense fight scenes but unfortunately, that's all there was to the movie. The storyline deviated so much from the actual story, many vital characters were altered horribly or worse: not even present in the movie, and there was just a huge sense that the movie was rushed, which made it very unenjoyable, especially for anime purists.

Now, I understand that this film was a sort of re-imagining for a new generation, but whatever they were able to accomplish in the orient, they failed miserably in the U.S, by $39 million. The story of the movie followed a teenage Goku on the hunt to find the dragonballs after his grandfather was brutally killed by this green monster named King Piccolo. Piccolo is a powerful demon who has control over this destructive monster Oozaru. Oozaru has been reborn into some person but it is unknown who. There are 7 dragonballs and when all 7 are united, a powerful dragon named Shenron can be summoned and can grant one wish. Along the way Goku runs into his mentor Master Roshi, his friends Yamcha and Bulma and his future wife Chi-chi. Goku's main reason is to track down the 4 star dragonball because it was his grandpa's prized possession. After a series of events, fights, and Goku's learning of the "Air bending" technique Kamehameha, Goku finds Piccolo to do battle with him and quickly discovers that Goku is the reborn Oozaru. Using an eclipse, Piccolo brought out Goku's transformation into Oozaru, which looked like a wolf man looking beast and terrorizes his friends until they free him from the beasts form. Then Goku kills Piccolo. The dragon is summoned and all is well.

That may seem like a cool story, but it's not the story I know. First, in the anime, Goku was a child with a tail. It took him a long time to meet with everyone that was in the movie, and there were still important people missing such as Goku's best friend Krillin. Both Goku and Chi-Chi were younger and master Roshi was way older. Oozaru was never a servant to Piccolo and in fact can only be transformed into by an alien race called Saiyans, which Goku is and only when they have their tail and during a FULL MOON. The Kamehameha wave is NOT an air bending technique but rather a manipulation of energy released in waves. Air bending is from Avatar: The last Airbender. Shenron is a petite dragon in comparison to the monstrous dragon in the anime and the same goes for Oozaru. If you still need some proof, here are some videos to help.

Goku's Kamehameha and kill of Piccolo in Evolution


Goku's Anime kamehameha


Goku killing Piccolo


Evolution Shenron


Anime Shenron


Evolution Oozaru (around 1:40)


Anime Oozaru


So many differences that were made. Now the reason I say it was rushed is because graphically, it could have been way better, and there could have been a more cohesive story developed. We have graphics technology these days that are out of this world, there is no harm in making a 30 story CGI ape, unless there was no time to do so. If it was a budgeting issue, the story still could have been better. I think that they should not make talks of a sequel and redo the initial story, because if they go off base in the first movie, how much so in the next? It worked for The Hulk, it can work for this! If I could suggest anything, I would say turn dragonball into a live action series, with the proper story line since Dragonball itself is so extensive. If it were to be put on a cable network and run an hour at a time, they could get far and not have to rush and cram. We still get the live action effects, and they get to have a successful production. I in no way am condemning the acting abilities, because everyone did a fair job (especially Piccolo), but, when you have such a crappy story, everyone suffers.