After doing some research online, it would appear that there are a lot of fans of the Dragonball anime series that seriously hate this movie. Their claim is that it has nothing to do with the actual plot and that the characters are radically altered in their live action form. So, let me qualify this review before I write it….I don’t know anything about Dragonball aside from the fact that it is a worldwide anime saga. The movie is based on the King Piccolo Saga episodes.
For a non-fan of the anime version of Dragonball, Dragonball: Evolution is a mediocre action adventure. The plot is basically that Goku, a teen boy who is trying desperately to put himself in the line of vision of the most popular girl at school, gets caught up in a master plot by the evil Piccolo. The latter is roaming the universe destroying things in an attempt to collect all the dragonballs. Goku only learns of this after he’s grandfather is murdered and his homestead destroyed. It’s up to young Goku to save the world and protect the sacred dragonballs, with a little help from some newfound friends.
This is definitely an action story that has been told countless time in recent cinema history. While it’s not a low-budget affair, don’t expect massive special effects either. The acting is tolerable and the one-liners are pretty enjoyable. I think the main strength of this movie is they tried to stick to what was attainable. Without a Star Wars budget I would imagine something that is already so developed would be tough to bring to life but by keeping it simple, the producers kept it from being terrible as well. This is an enjoyable rental for sure but I’m not sure it would warrant repeated watchings. The release also features a host of special feature vignettes that are also a fun once through.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
