The Official Rate and Review Thread

[Radamantis]

The biggest problem, by far, is the terrible, terrible script. The straightforward plot - 'find the Dragonballs' - gives scope for an epic, Star Wars-style fairy-tale, but at only 84 minutes, this is 'Dragonball lite', a story that skims along the surface of the mythology, the plot, and the characters.

This is the principal reason some fans dislike this movie so much, and also

The ridiculously frenetic, outlandish action of the source material has also been updated to by-numbers wire-work kung fu that we've seen thousands of times since The Matrix. Imagine a live-action incarnation of the Dragonball anime's violence (if such a thing were possible) - it would be mind blowing, but studio 20th Century Fox didn't have the ambition to try and replicate it here.

DB was never about the profecy, or a chosen one. lack of originality from Wong and Ramsey.

 

[Milu]

hopefully Fox will take some notes and learn, but i doubt it.

Of course they won't (thanks to you-know-who running the studio). They'll just throw stuff at the silver screen and hope it sticks, instead of thinking a project through.

'Tis a shame, because some of my favorite films once came from Fox (not to mention that fanfare is just iconic).

 

[SolarTiger]

Second fresh tomatoe review

http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=15596&s=Reviews

That wasn't even a review!

 

[Godman]

Of course they won't (thanks to you-know-who running the studio). They'll just throw stuff at the silver screen and hope it sticks, instead of thinking a project through.

'Tis a shame, because some of my favorite films once came from Fox (not to mention that fanfare is just iconic).

Yea but also some of my worst films came from Fox

 

[Lobo]

All studios have both great, and wretched films.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

All studios have both great, and wretched films.

Yeah, but where FOX generally stands alone among the major studios is that it is systematic. Other studios make mistakes, in some cases many many mistakes, but they at least intend to make great films. FOX on the other hand designs films specifically to be this way, and that is why fans and talent hate them so much. You don't see name directors refusing to work with other major studios the same way you do with FOX. Just ask Alex Proyas or Ridley Scott about how great FOX is.

 

[Adrian89]

The movie was awful! WTF was I thinking when I went to see this cr@p?!?

1/10! I can't understand the ppl who voted 10/10, but it's their problem.lol

 

[dark_b]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh there are a lot of deleted scenes

goku has a best friend teto.
http://www.dragonballmovieblog.net/2007/12/luis-arrieta-is-gokus-school-bud-updated/

 

[Kanon]

Watched it last night, was terrible... If it wasn't for Twilight, this would be the worst movie I have seen this year...

I'll watch it again in a few hours... then I'll write a proper review...

 

[Nathan]

So, was the Piccolo fight longer than a few Ki attacks, 6 punches and a massive Ki attack showdown?

 

[Booznian]

Nope, that's about it. Extremely dissapointing.

 

[Octoberist]

this movie reminds of a comic book adapation from the mid 90s

 

[Kanon]

Last night, Once the movie was over, the whole audience burst into laugh

 

[dark_b]

so the fight is still short?

 

[Kanon]

The Piccolo vs Goku is pretty short.

Spoiler

They start shooting fireballs at each other for like, 1 or 2 minutes, then they run at each other and do a little air fighting (less than a minute I think), they fall, Piccolo hovers above Goku, Goku starts the whole "I got to believe" thing, and shoots a kamehameha at Piccolo that somehow also propells him towards Piccolo (I don't know how the hell that is supposed to work, the kamehameha is pretty Deux ex Machina the whole movie), punchs Piccolo, and it's over.

 

[lb2009]

50% of users voted 1

 

[dark_b]

whait a minute. you watched the movie in the theater right? if you did then the fighti is exactly the same.


ha ha ha pathetic.

 

[Kanon]

whait a minute. you watched the movie in the theater right? if you did then the fighti is exactly the same.

Yep, first was in a micro theater of Warner (I don't know why if the movie is from FOX) and then an avant premiere (the movie opens this week here.

I haven't watched the bootleg copy except for the first minutes. I noticed two missing scenes there: The beginning with the fight in the ropes (if poor, is one of the best parts of the movie) and a missing part where Goku's bike is trashed (there is a few minutes in between the car arriving and the guy daring Goku to fight)

 

[Antrax255]

Yep, first was in a micro theater of Warner (I don't know why if the movie is from FOX) and then an avant premiere (the movie opens this week here.

I haven't watched the bootleg copy except for the first minutes. I noticed two missing scenes there: The beginning with the fight in the ropes (if poor, is one of the best parts of the movie) and a missing part where Goku's bike is trashed (there is a few minutes in between the car arriving and the guy daring Goku to fight)

What country do you live in?

 

[Kanon]

What country do you live in?

Argentina

 

[huzzah]

So what has happend to Piccollo's sword? Wasn't there a picture of him holding a sword? I never it in the *cough* and it seems it hasn't made to the theatrical release

 

[Kanon]

Beyond Redemption. It is a half way between the fidelity and the reinvention. It is a story very independent of the original, but shoehorning elements of the old Dragon Ball that clash with the new Dragonball Evolution.

Dragon Ball is one of the greatest works of fiction the 20th century. As such, the disappointment is almost predestined. Fantastic Four, with a smaller fanbase, but with a similar track record, is in its own a decent film, although beaten by the obvious comparison with the source material. Unfortunately, with Dragonball Evolution, the thing is not only "Goku is not like that" or "he never went to school," or not being as good as the masterpiece in which is based. Dragonball Evolution is a extremely poor film, with an story practically non existent, which is "wraped around" with touches of the mythology of Dragon Ball. The result is a story hackneyed and dull, with plot holes, moving very fast over a frame that could be interesting if you give us time and interest to appreciate.

On its own, Dragonball Evolution offers a hyper cliché story of coming of age, with situations almost a carbon copy of other movies. You can play calling Peter, Mary Jane and Uncle Ben, instead of Goku, Chi Chi and Son Gohan, or Luke, Leia, Han, Obi Wan, and Yoda instead of Goku, Bulma, Yamtcha, Roshi and Gohan, (and you can replace "believe in who you are" with "use the force"), and so on for a long while, with Harry Potter, etc.

The story is very poorly developed, full of holes without explanation and characters who appear out of nowhere (super serious if one of these characters is the main villain), forced situations, and romances pulled from the sleeve. And the expression Deus ex Machina gets a new meaning when a kame hame ha is used for lighting and pulling out candles, to hurt, to heal, etc, or when Mai gets the ability to mimic others just to justify a stealing scene (wich propels a stagnant plot towards the ending)

Now, comparing with the source material... Goku rather have his grampa to teach him how to talk to girls, and never shows a yearning to face a challenge in other fighters, and lives full of doubts. Bulma is barely the genius: it is suggested that she is capable of inventing stuff, since that's her motivation, but you barely see something out of that inventive (the radar the only exception). Let's not even talk about her clasic ****iness. The perverted side of Roshi is almost absent: a shirt with a girl, a mag with a model on the cover, and a little touching Bulma when riding the bike. Not only it stops there, but in a later scene he touches her by accident and lets her go immediately apologizing in fear (the degenerate Roshi we all love knows that a good punch is a small price to pay). Yamtcha is a bandit in the desert, alright, but not at all a fighter. It's not even implied that he can fight.

The characterizations are regrettable, in part derived from cheap acting, in part from the shortcomings of the script. Justin Chatwin only delivers in the highschool scenes. Beyond that, it's lame and (unintentionally) funny. James Marsters as Piccolo is... nothing. He barely speaks, and when he does, his acting brings nothing, and there are some times he walks "gangsta" style. The more "bearable" works are from Randall Duk Kim, who presents a convincing and warm Son Gohan, and Chow Yun Fat, overacting as no one else in some scenes, but a solid work in general.

On the plus side: The rope fight, if bad looking, in development and concept feels like a Dragon Ball fight. And the way Goku works around the problem with the molten lava is the only moment in which movie Goku resembles the real Goku.

Conclusion: I can't even think who I should recommend this movie to. I actually advise not watching it in a theater. Wait for the DVD: this is not a movie to watch where you should be quiet. I requiers a party, to point at the screen and laugh, so you won't cry.

About the mexican dubbing: Goku's voice (Mario Castañeda just like in the mexican dubbing of the TV series) adds all the emotionality that Justin Chatwin lacks. "Oozaru" is pronounced "Osauro" :?

 

[Chewy]

http://screenrant.com/dragonball-evolution-reviews-ross-6619/

He gives it 0.5/5

When you head to the theater to see a movie called Dragonball: Evolution, you obviously aren’t expecting Shakespeare. From the advertising, the whole thing gives off a feeling of light, campy, action-packed fun that you would hope would allow you to just sit back, relax and turn off your brain for 90 minutes or so. Yeah, well, that’s why we have words like “hope” as a counterpoint to “guarantee."


Dragonball: Evolution may very well be one of the worst films of the past 12 months or so - I am actually struggling to think of the last movie I thought was quite as bad as this one was. And it’s not one of those cases where it’s just not my cup of tea… No, this is a flat-out bad movie in pretty much every area that makes up a motion picture.
Based on the popular anime series of the same (or at least similar) name, Dragonball: Evolution follows Goku (played by Justin Chatwin) who carries out his grandfather’s dying request to find Master Roshi (played by Chow Yun-Fat) and locate all seven of the powerful Dragon Balls. He already has one of them, but with the help of Bulma (played by Emmy Rossum), Master Roshi and Yamcha (played by Joon Park), he must find the others before the evil Lord Piccolo (played by James Marsters) does, whose intentions are to use them to take over the world.
Now let me just point out that I very much represent those who are not fans of the source material, and in fact know next to nothing about it. I can say without reservation that I am in the majority - if you’re a fan it may feel like everyone in the world is a fan of the cartoon, but trust me, most of the general movie-going population (who will be exposed to this through TV and other marketing) will barely even have heard of it, never mind having seen any of it.
So I then have to judge the film purely on its own merits, without having the prior knowledge to be able to compare and contrast it with the source material. Some fans of the cartoon may get a kick out of seeing such things as a certain costume or a hairstyle appear in some form, but as a movie this thing flat out stinks. And not even in a “yeah it was bad, but kind of fun in spite of that” kind of way - in pretty much all areas you can think of, it is awful.
The main problem with the film is the script, meaning both dialogue and the story. First off, I can’t believe how bad the dialogue was in this movie. From the very first scene in the film, which sees the movie starting off with a short back story explanation, the dialogue is painful. Near the beginning of the movie we see Goku being trained to fight by his grandpa while balancing on two ropes - and the back and forth exchange of dialogue is like something written to sound cool, but is delivered and pulled off so poorly that it’s cheesy and downright cringe-worthy.
That’s pretty much representative of the entire movie right off the bat - everything comes off as cheesy, nothing can be taken seriously, not even when Goku is supposed to be upset right after his grandfather dies (which happens within the first 10 minutes, so that’s not really a spoiler). Every time a character opens their mouth and delivers this atrocious excuse for dialogue, I felt like covering my ears and shutting my eyes in embarrassment (which I did do a handful of times, I’m not even kidding).
Well, you might be thinking “so what?” Who cares if the dialogue is bad and high on the cheese-meter? The action has to make up for that, right? Well, wrong. Actually, dead wrong. Action is the one thing that could have saved this movie from the abyss, but they even manage to muck that potential up. The action is not just mediocre or even sub-par - oh no, it’s worse than that - it’s terrible. Director James Wong clearly doesn’t know how to direct the needed action (although he seemed to do okay with Jet Li’s The One), and the attempts he makes are reminiscent of a young kid having fun in a special effects studio, just randomly pressing any of the fancy buttons on display.
They attempt to have 300-esque action scenes of things going from normal speed to slow-motion and then suddenly speeding back up to normal again. But for such a technique to be effective you have to know what you’re doing, and it’s evident from this movie that Wong doesn’t. Zack Snyder, although using it a bit too flippantly in 300, timed the slowing down thing pretty much perfectly, matching up exactly with the action on-screen and giving that extra bit of kick. But here it’s used far, far too often for no reason other than to just have it in there for the sake of it. There’s a strange sense that the movie thinks what it’s doing is cool… but “laughable” is more the accurate description.
You probably want to know how the cast did… Well unfortunately, like the rest of the movie, pretty awful. Justin Chatwin is completely miscast in the role of Goku (for some reason an American playing this character just doesn’t feel right), Emmy Rossum is hot but nonetheless terrible as Bulma, and I feel embarrassed that Chow Yun-Fat has gone from amazing stuff like Hard Boiled and The Killer to eye-rolling stuff like this. The only actor who did all right (and I stress, just all right) was James Marsters as (an underused) Lord Piccolo - he’s not in any way good, but, let’s just say… he was less terrible than the rest of the cast.
The only thing I can think of that’s even remotely positive about Dragonball: Evolution is that the special effects are pretty cool at times. Not during some of the hand-to-hand combat scenes (where the effects are so obviously… effects, if you know what I mean), but when they use what is known as “KI attacks,” which are basically blasts of different colored energy from their hands.
Props go to Amalgamated Dynamics for creating special effects which are, on their own, quite visually stunning. Also, the movie is really quite short, so at least I didn’t have to sit through the pain for all that long.
However, that’s pretty much where the positive stuff ends - you just know a movie is in trouble when you are literally straining to think of something you liked about it.
I don’t know if the story they used here in any way resembles the original cartoon/anime stories, but how they told it in the movie was abysmal. There were clearly elements taken from the source material, and it is then clearly a story (or one of the stories… I don’t know, I’m not a Dragonball fan) that may work well in a cartoon but it does not work well on the big-screen. Not for even the slightest moment.
I lost count of the number of times I rolled my eyes, snickered, groaned, and shook my head in embarrassment and shame during this movie. I can’t actually believe the filmmakers looked at the script and thought, “Yes, this is good stuff. Let’s go ahead and make it!” It’s probably just one of those cases where they saw the popularity of the source material and thought that they could make a quick buck by just throwing anyone in the roles, sticking together bits and pieces from the cartoon to form something resembling a story.
So needless to say I don’t recommend Dragonball: Evolution. I wasn’t expecting this to be any good, but I don’t know if I was expecting it to be this bad. Please, if you believe in the magic of cinema, avoid this with as much effort as it takes.

 

[Timstuff]

This movie has 25% at Rotten Tomatoes so far. That might sound bad, but actually, I'm pretty sure it's the best reviewed movie Fox has put out this year (and yeah, that's bad news for them). Also, it's beating out Hanna Montanna's tomato rating by 3 points, although the latter is pretty much guaranteed to be the #1 opener this week.

I can't help but wonder how badly the critics are going to trash Wolverine when it comes out. I haven't seen DBE so I can't compare it to Wolverine, but I'm guessing that at best Wolverine will rate in the low 50% range. At worst though, I can see it doing DBE numbers. I have a hard time imagining DBE being much worse than Wolverine since Fox's movies tend to get progressively worse as the year goes on, but hey, this is Fox. They have some magical way of taking your already low expectations, and shocking you with how badly they failed to meet them.

 

[craigdbfan]

This movie has 25% at Rotten Tomatoes so far. That might sound bad, but actually, I'm pretty sure it's the best reviewed movie Fox has put out this year (and yeah, that's bad news for them). Also, it's beating out Hanna Montanna's rating by 3 points, although the latter is pretty much guaranteed to be the #1 opener this week.

I can't help but wonder how badly the critics are going to trash Wolverine when it comes out. I haven't seen DBE so I can't compare it to Wolverine, but I'm guessing that at best Wolverine will rate in the low 50% range. At worst though, I can see it doing DBE numbers. I have a hard time imagining DBE being much worse than Wolverine since Fox's movies tend to get progressively worse as the year goes on, but hey, this is Fox. They have some magical way of taking your already low expectations, and shocking you with how badly they failed to meet them.

The only reason for the score not completely plunging down even more is because Fox didn't provide critics both in the United States and overseas a screening.

So expect that percentage to be even lower than 25% about a week from now.