Back in October, I wrote a little piece on the leaked trailer for Dragonball (now re-named Dragonball Evolution) and in it I basically talked about how terrible the teaser looked. I was clearly not the only one who thought this and after 91 comments and some feuding, Screen Rant Master Vic had to shut down the thread to simmer things down.
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In defense of the movie (at that time), that trailer was very early and not complete in terms of post-production. Today however, we have the first official trailer for the upcoming live-action adaptation of the hit Manga series and it still sucks… maybe even more than the first teaser.
From this trailer, the characters and costumes look ridiculous (especially the secondary characters), the fight choreography looks awful and the dialogue and cinematography has B-movie or worse written all over it. Not to mention the terrible use of slow motion in some of the action sequences.
Don’t believe me? Watch and see:
Now, re-watch it while trying to put aside the special effects (which are 95% of it) and focus on what’s actually happening, especially the dialogue and acting. They are burying this in heavy visual and sound effects.
It looks like they’re trying so hard to take and use cool styles from other films but this movie doesn’t have that kind of ‘cool’ and using those techniques in the wrong places with poor execution really makes this feel over-the-top but in a bad way.
What I’m seeing from the trailer and images of this film give me the exact same feeling as Catwoman and Elektra did – both of which are both on my list of worst movies ever.
Some stories simply cannot be translated to the big screen. Have you seen the characters from Dragonball Z or its action sequences? It’s not even remotely human. The show was super popular and many people I know really dug it but I don’t think it makes for a live-action version, especially if it’s supposed to be faithful to the cartoon. Even if it’s not, the extreme nature, extreme style and crazyness that was Dragonball Z (for example) can’t be done in reality because it’s so far from reality that it looks stupid when they try to imitate with real people. The styles are simply too different.
Even the characters saying the word “dragonball” while holding a literal glowing ball sounds and looks like cheese in live-action. And that scene with that vehicle transforming while Justin Chatwin (playing Goku) says “cool” is really awesome too… Not.
I can’t tell if this is made solely for the fans of old (not me) and the young audiences or if the fans of the series’ will hate this and Fox is actually targeting more of a mainstream audience.
I don’t know if the movie will actually be as bad as I think this trailer is because I know Dragonball isn’t my thing regardless -- but I expect pretty weak box-office earnings and I know I will not see it at the theater. Like I said in my first article, it might be a fun rental. I would love to know what fans of the cartoons think of this. Do you think it can be done well in live-action? Does this meet your expectations? And for those who don’t know much about Dragonball or simply may not have fancied the cartoons, will you see this flick?
Dragonball Evolution stars Justin Chatwin, James Marsters and Chow Yun-Fat and comes out April 8, 2009.
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178 Comments
@Kaypain,
I’m not forcing anything anywhere. Re-read the article and your ignorant comments. I said what I think about it, and I asked for what everyone else thinks.
As for underestimating the “fandom”, are you referring to the same fandom that is split on whether or not they’ll even give this a chance?
Thanks for your 3 consecutive comments though
@BlackDingo,
I heard about that Elektra director’s cut actually. I think I also heard something similar about the Daredevil DVD which I could be wrong on. Maybe one day I’ll give that a view although after seeing what I saw a few years back, I can’t get motivated to watch it again
Consider me frozen.
Victor did you delete my last comment to Oscar?
@aGeneral,
I didn’t say the movie was based on Dragonball Z, I use that as my example about how over-the-top it is because that show was the most popular among North American audiences.
It’s a super successful manga series which spawned a few TV shows but I don’t think it’s style can be translated to the big screen properly. It simply can’t meet many expectations of its built in fanbase and it won’t hit the mainstream enough to warrant a bigger budget and cast so we end up with this semi-serious-but-not film that’s style and effects belong in the nineties.
@Ink,
Because I saw the trailer and wanted to write something about it… Have you been to this site before? lol. I think the word is “news” or something like that. I’m not sure what that means but it has something to do with reporting what’s going on in the film and TV entertainment world. I don’t know of too many news sites that only talk about what they like and/or are looking forward to. But then again I’m new to this ‘internets’ thing
Did you actually just ask that? Oh, and when I said ‘regardless’, I was referring to me not having an interest in the anime shows so I’m not a part of the built-in fanbase prior to the film coming out. I need to be sold as a member of the mainstream movie-going audience and these trailers fail to do that.
ps. Check out some other sites for their opinions on the trailer (firstshowing, G4 TV, Chud, etc.)
Oscar!, I can’t tell if you were joking or if you’re actually trying to tell me and everyone else here that you think I write bad.
Either way, for the angry folk who insist on commenting against each other or our writers as opposed to on your thoughts about the movie or trailer need to leave. Screen Rant isn’t that type of site.
Watch the trailer. If you like it, say you like it, if you don’t – tell us that too and maybe give us some details of what you like/dislike.
Is that really too hard? Poor Vic has to babysit the angry hidden-behind-monitor socially inept people who bash others and it’s really a waste of his time.
It’s a movie talked about on a movie site. It’s about entertainment and opinions in a fun way.
This movie was rushed into production as the writers strike started. I wonder if that’s why the trailer (and likely the movie) are sucking. Could be part of it, but you never know.
heath
Be careful Rob or Vic may give you the boot…
lol greenknight, that’s just Vic.
btw, thank you and BlackDingo for the defense
Your welcome Dude !!
Nothing like a vast difference in opinions on something to get a thread’s posts mounting… I love a good debate..
Hey ya’all.
I’m one of the writers from this site, and I’m a Dragonball fan. (I feel like I just stood up in front of a support group and confessed.)
BOTH sides are correct.
If you look at this from the side of someone who is a moviegoer / critic seeing different things through different genre, I get where they are coming from.
The trailer is not spectacular and does not inspire. You need to see that aspect of the opinion. The scene on the tightrope made me cringe. It looked bad… from a movie perspective.
Coin: Other side -
With that said, since this writer was/is a Dragonball fan to some degree, the trailer did not excite me from how it looked or panned out, but the premise of DB, DBZ or whatever they’re touching on is pretty cool and seeing the characters come to life in a live version of a cartoon is cool.
And if they do it right, which used to be hard, but no longer is as challenging, the movie can be rewarding to the DB fan base.
Yes, the outfits looked a but crazy… that’s how the cartoon looked. Yes, there were some crazy looking scenarios… of course they are, these are super powered aliens. Some trying to destroy things, other defending things.
Don’t be surprised if the movie gets splattered by mainstream critics. They don’t get it. DB fans do. The fans are who count and the studios are banking on the fans to help it do well.
BUT, we don’t need to attack someone for a differing opinion. I’ve opened myself up to both side here… I see both sides, but my fan side wins out and says: “Cool. Can’t wait to see how well they make this out to be.”
Don’t make Vic shut the thread down. It’s nice to have a place to converse about DB.
‘Nuff said?
Well said Bruce…considering my ancestry I don’t like to be said to be a crawler..wall crawler maybe…Thanks for the great post and the even hand!!
Cheers
@greenknight
Yes, I did delete that ONE comment.
Vic
Censorship CENSORSHIP!!..call the National Guard, The National Enquirer,The FBI, Get the Pepto Bismal, get some iodine…
Your toys Vic
OK, I started laughing at the ridiculous material. The acting is terrible but how do you get past some of the stupid dialogue? I mean…come on when I start laughing at a film…and I’m pretty sure it’s NOT a comedy…that’s just sad.
@ Cali, i did contribute. You were wrong about Dragonball AF, so i corrected you. Thats what you do when someone is wrong, you correct them
And its Goku, he has spikey hair, a tail, and turns into a giant monkey. Sounds like Goku to me.
@ Rob, you didnt just say what you thought, you also attacked the film, so you have to be ready to be attacked yourself its part of your job. You wrote something and now it has alot of comments, would you rather it have only 10 comments with only people that agree with you? “I was clearly not the only one who thought this and after 91 comments and some feuding, Screen Rant Master Vic had to shut down the thread to simmer things down.” See, you knew before hand that this was gonna be a hot topic or else you wouldnt have brought that up.
@greenknight333 its ok, you can send me that message personally, i dont mind
@dave fernandes LoL, how do you know the acting is bad?
I feel like this is going to be another MK movie. I think I’d need to be on some class of substance before I’d ever willingly watch it, because unlike a chick-flick, there is no added “incentive” to put up with crap like this.
Oscar!, I love and want as many different opinions about the trailer and movie as possible. But you’re comparing separate things.
Personal attacks are entirely different. That has nothing to do with agreement or disagreement.
Notice how you said “attacked the film” in reference to me and not “attacked fans” or “attacked people who like this trailer”. There’s a significant difference. And no, part of the “job” is not dealing with personal abuse. That’s why Vic has to moderate so when people come on swearing and bashing others, we have to get rid of those comments because like I said, this isn’t that type of site and we don’t want that.
@ Oscar
Wasn’t that important in the grand scheme of things…Won’t waste anymore time on this..
Cheers
@ Rob, its the same thing. When you call something dumb, your calling the people who enjoy/like it dumb. Like I said, you knew this was gonna happen. If you dont like the result dont post. Your right about the name calling and stuff like that though. But some people just get caught up in the heat of the moment
try not to take things personal. I know i dont, everyone is entitled to their opinion. If someone thinks im an a** or a piece of s*** im ok with that cuz they dont know me personally. Thumbs up on what you said about being behind a computer screen, if we were all in a room im pretty sure things would be way different 
totally right dude,
I expected there to be many differences in opinion and I know not to take it personally
Can’t say I agree with calling people dumb being the same as not thinking a trailer is good. People enjoy different things.
Im might not be the same thing but fans take it as a personal attack, thats why they are fans
Im pretty sure if everyone here at Screenrant met we would be very good friends cuz after all, we do enjoy talking about the same things 
BTW i was joking about the garbage thing didnt mean it literally.
*IT might not be
@Oscar
Calling a trailer that is obviously horrible by any measurement “dumb” is no reflection on fans of Dragonball. What if “Iron Man” had been bloody awful and we dogpiled on it here? Would that be calling fans of the Iron Man comic book “dumb?” Of course not.
On the other hand I’m not into being politically correct. If someone thinks that an obviously crappy movie is “freakin’ AWESOME” well… I’ll let that speak for itself (*cough* AVP:R *cough*).
Vic
AVP:R was awesome!!!! lol j/k
@ No, thats not what im trying to say. You would be calling the fans of the crappy Iron Man movie(which it certainly wasnt) “dumb” not the fans of the comic. And im starting to think that you thought AVP:R was a crappy movie. LMAO!!!
@Rob
Ya know a “lol” and a little smiley face doesn’t hide the condescending tone of your response to my question. At least that is how it felt to me.
“I think the word is “news” or something like that. I’m not sure what that means but it has something to do with reporting what’s going on in the film and TV entertainment world.”
Please correct me if I’m wrong but this statement:
“we have the first official trailer for the upcoming live-action adaptation of the hit Manga series”
Is the only “news” in your entire piece. I don’t have a problem with that, in fact that is what I like about this site, but please don’t lecture me about reporting the news when 99% of your article is opinion.
Thanks though for the clarification on the “regardless” mix-up and let me just leave it at I hope you and others are wrong about this movie being crap.
If I think a movie is dumb I’m going to say so. If someone likes that particular movie they can draw their own conclusions, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going criticize something for fear offending those who like it.
And when the counter-arguments come in the form of “you suck!” or “you’re an idiot” or “shut the f* up!” then what do YOU think that says, hmm?
I am an enemy of political correctness and the fear of offending anyone at all costs.
Vic
@Vic
Not sure if your response was specific to mine or if it was just a general response, hopefully the latter.
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