The "Masters of the Universe" of this Generation?

[Catman]

Remember the Dolph Lundgren He-Man live-action movie from the `80s? The Masters of the Universe. Remember it? Yea...that's the vibe I'm getting from this movie.

Basically you get a popular cartoon, remove everything that was great about it, and try to make a quick buck. Yet there's enough "so bad it's good" moments that people will defend it. Or atleast consider it a guilty pleasure. Oh...and get a good actor as the villain so people will say, "hey atleast the villain was good."

So, am I wrong in thinking that this will be remembered as the He-Man movie of the `2000s?

 

[JP]

Basically you get a popular cartoon, remove everything that was great about it, and try to make a quick buck.

Like what?

The action? Still there.
The adventure? Still there.
The energy blasts? Still there.
Flying? Still there.
Capsules? Still there.
The dragonballs? Still there.
Granting a wish from a dragon? Still there.
The tournaments? Still there.
Searching for Dragonballs using a radar? Still there.
Kamehameha? Still there.
Mafuba? Still there.
Oozaru? Still there.
Piccolos origin? Still there.
Saiyans? Still there.
Nameks? Still there.
Power pole? Still there.
Characterizations? From what we've seen Bulma, Piccolo, Yamcha, and even Goku are still pretty much faithful. Roshi is still to be determined.

 

[DorkyFresh]

at first i thought you were talking about the look and feel of the movie, haha. anyway...i'd say that's a good comparison, but i wouldn't call it the MotU of the 2000's.

 

[Catman]

Like what?

For starters, the character's seem off. Goku comes across as a generic hero. Roshi isn't a pervert or goofy which is a BIG part of his character. The Roshi here is your generic mentor role. Bulma seems about right. So, I'll give them credit for that.

Also, they changed the origin of the Dragonballs.

And, the movie looks a little too down to Earth. I imagine the budget wasn't that high but there isn't enough of the imagination that you got with the cartoon.

 

[XSpidercideX]

For starters, the character's seem off. Goku comes across as a generic hero. Roshi isn't a pervert or goofy which is a BIG part of his character. The Roshi here is your generic mentor role. Bulma seems about right. So, I'll give them credit for that.

Also, they changed the origin of the Dragonballs.

And, the movie looks a little too down to Earth. I imagine the budget wasn't that high but there isn't enough of the imagination that you got with the cartoon.

Eh, none of those things can be determined until we see the movie...

 

[Catman]

Eh, none of those things can be determined until we see the movie...

True, but you'd think it would be showcased in the trailer. Who wants to see Roshi being all serious when he could be drooling all over Bulma. Just saying...

 

[JP]

For starters, the character's seem off. Goku comes across as a generic hero. Roshi isn't a pervert or goofy which is a BIG part of his character. The Roshi here is your generic mentor role. Bulma seems about right. So, I'll give them credit for that.

Have we seen much of Roshi to really say? Chow Yun-Fat specifically said that Roshi likes women and is a 'funny' character. I'm inclined to believe him.

Also, they changed the origin of the Dragonballs.

Did they, really? Roshi is saying what HE knows about the Dragonballs. He said something very similar in the anime: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOHR04lrl0E

So, it isn't hard to say that by the next film they'll find out were the Dragonballs came from, just like in the manga.

And, the movie looks a little too down to Earth. I imagine the budget wasn't that high but there isn't enough of the imagination that you got with the cartoon.

I'd have to disagree. I think it looks extremely stylized and colorful. And that gorgeous shot of Mexico City in the trailer looks very futuristic. But to each his own I guess.

 

[Nathan]

Have we seen much of Roshi to really say? Chow Yun-Fat specifically said that Roshi likes women and is a 'funny' character. I'm inclined to believe him.

Which straight man doesn't like women? And I get the feel he'll be more Bulletproof Monk funny, than old perverted hermit funny.

 

[Catman]

I'd have to disagree. I think it looks extremely stylized and colorful. And that gorgeous shot of Mexico City in the trailer looks very futuristic. But to each his own I guess.

That's not really what I meant. The anime was...fantasy. You had like talking animals and everything. This seems too grounded. I mean, yea, you still have over the top action and fighting but it's more Mortal Kombat than the actual world created by Dragonball.

I get the feel he'll be more Bulletproof Monk funny, than old perverted hermit funny.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[StylishHokie21]

Characterizations? From what we've seen Bulma, Piccolo, Yamcha, and even Goku are still pretty much faithful. Roshi is still to be determined.

They're not faithful in the slightest. Give me a break.

 

[kaypain]

family film....

you're problem is Hokie and you won't admit to it, is that you really want a 100% carbon copy of the Anime/Manga, you try to picture this movie in your closed-minded brain and everything is turning the exact opposite of what YOU want. They as faithful as they can get without getting ridiculous, and it may not be ridiculous to you, but the majority of the general audience will be drawn away if this was indeed 100% faithful.

so let's say hypothetically speaking the movie was 100% faithful, Bulma had full blue hair, we have talking prehistoric animals, Goku was spot on, Roshi was bald, had a beard, wore sun glasses, and was perverted, the story was exactly spot on no changes, all this.....

BUT the movie still bombs like ****... why? because oh, this movie was perfect for the egocentric Fanboy, everything was right, but the general audience, where the real money comes, look at this as sillly and not worth their time, why? because there are certain things that could work in Anime, but in the real life no, and yes, I know Dragonball is a fantasy driven alternate universe craze, but in the likes adaptation of you have to think what's best for the audience, not just the stuck up fans.. but you probably wouldn't care if the movie bombed, no, you'll be satisfied, they delivered YOUR movie, you don't want the movie to succeed you want it to PLEASE you for your selfish desire for the movie.

Really, any anime fan would say a girl with full blue hair looks believable... but would an non-anime fan think so? would they actually take this movie seriously if it was 100% faithful

 

[JP]

They're not faithful in the slightest. Give me a break.

How so?

Piccolo and Bulma in particular are right of the pages. . .

 

[Octoberist]

When I saw the trailer, it still didn't boost my confidence in the film.

But it looks fun, I suppose. But there's something about it and I can't put my finger on it. It's Fox I know, but it's not like how Terminator Salvation is changing my mind.

Yeah, it's a different type of movie, but I was damn skeptical about it. But after reading the reports from E3, the latest on-set articles, and the latest trailer made me feel like Terminator Salvation has potential.

I don't know if Dragon Ball Evolution will impact my views in the way that Terminator Salvation did. We'll see if it's the next Master of the Universe which is a guilty pleasure of mine.

 

[Alchemyst]

well at least with MOTU, it had its reasons, they couldn't have had the movie take place in Eternia because it would have called for a bigger budget, 100 million on a film back in the 80's would have been insane. They did what they could with the story, Im still holding out on faith for DB, but comparing it to MOTU may be a little too much.

 

[StylishHokie21]

How so?

Piccolo and Bulma in particular are right of the pages. . .

I'll give you Piccolo, but can you honestly say that the rest of them come right off the pages?

 

[Da-Scribe]

Which straight man doesn't like women? .\

Seriously?

He wouldn't have bothered saying it if it wasn't a major characterization.

 

[Timstuff]

I think that someone's memory is a little foggy about just how awful Masters of the Universe was...

http://revver.com/video/1101707/nostalgia-critic-he-man-masters-of-the-universe/

 

[Iceburgeruk]

For starters, the character's seem off. Goku comes across as a generic hero.

Right lets look at that. For the sake of dramatic tension they decided to have granpa gohan die within the film so as to give the character something to react to. So do you really think goku would be happy and carfee after his granpa died? Also remember that goku`s main moments of happy ridiculousness are when nothing si going on, when the action started he got serious real quick. Considering this is an action film and not a soap anime with spare time for throwaway fun episodes, then we can expect serious goku to dominate. That is in fact faithful to the manga incarnation.

For starters, the character's seem off. Goku comes across as a generic hero. Roshi isn't a pervert or goofy which is a BIG part of his character. The Roshi here is your generic mentor role.

This is a trailer for an ACTION film. Yes they don`t sho goku laughing and joking and they don`t show roshi perving but give them a break they have 2 mins to tell an ignorant audience why they would want to see this film. If they threw in their light hearted momnet it would make the film seem like a comedy with action. If they did that then people would head to the cinema expecting hot shots and the film would bomb. If they do like they have done and sell it as ana action movie then people will go for the action and accept the additional laughs they weren`t expecting.

And, the movie looks a little too down to Earth. I imagine the budget wasn't that high but there isn't enough of the imagination that you got with the cartoon.

They are adapting the piccilo saga. How as the cartoon more imaginative? The piccilo saga mainly took place fighting on desert plains. Where were the mindblowing imaginative settings in the piccilo saga?

 

[Nathan]

He wouldn't have bothered saying it if it wasn't a major characterization.

How should I put this, it could by like lying but without actually lying.

So he likes women, like anyone else, but that doesn't have to mean to the extent as in the manga. Just like he'll be funny, but probably not old perverted hermit funny.

 

[TheVileOne]

Chow Yun Fat looks and sounds nothing like Roshi should.

 

[SatEL]

Chow Yun Fat looks and sounds nothing like Roshi should.

Neither does Goku, Neither does Granpa Gohan. I mean do they want to tell me these guys cant grow a ****ing beard? Neither does Chi-chi, neither does Bulma, hell the whole cast is ****ed up.

 

[StylishHokie21]

I'd say Marsters as Piccolo looks pretty good, but everyone else is miscast.

 

[BestGirl]

I'd say Marsters as Piccolo looks pretty good, but everyone else is miscast.

I think the female cast looks pretty good, but the men are unfortunately disappointing, especially Chatwin. Marsters is the only one I really love right now.

 

[StylishHokie21]

It makes me glad they didn't put Krillin in here. Just imagine what he would have looked like.

 

[Nathan]

There's not a lot that can be done wrong with him. Small, bald, asian dude, but with casual clothes like the rest of the cast.