Dragon Ball Z Evolution Game

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Dragon Ball Z Evolution Game 3,7/5 1323 votes

By Kallie Plagge @inkydojikko on

From Dragon Ball A To Dragon Ball Z

In this retro version of the classic Street Fighter, Son Goku will have to fight in the International Martial Arts Tournament and face dangerous rivals from the Dragon Ball saga. Concentrate all his strength on each kamehameha and move him quickly around the ring to escape from the attacks of Piccolo, Vegeta, Frieza or Trunks.

Even if you're a hardcore Dragon Ball fan, it can be hard to keep track of every single Dragon Ball thing that happens. On top of the manga, various anime series, and movies, there are more video games based on Dragon Ball than most die-hard fans can probably even play. Dragon Ball FighterZ is by Arc System Works, for example, but did you know that the developer made a few other Dragon Ball fighting games in the past? And now there's another Dragon Ball video game on the horizon: Dragon Ball Project Z.

Game

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The original Dragon Ball manga began in 1984, and though the series wouldn't become popular in the West until the late 1990s, a few Dragon Ball games made their way outside Japan in the meantime. By the time the 2000s hit, Dragon Ball games came from every direction, sometimes multiple per year. This is the history of every Dragon Ball game released in the West in English.

If you picked up Dragon Ball FighterZ, be sure to check out our beginner's guide to help you grasp the game's fundamentals. You can also check out the video version with the best tips to know before starting. And for specifics on how to unlock some of the game's secret characters, check out our guide detailing how to unlock Android 21, SSGSS Goku, and SSGSS Vegeta.

Though, if you'd rather see all the cool references the game makes to the series, you can view our gallery highlighting all of the game's Easter eggs and references. Otherwise, check out our Dragon Ball FighterZ review and our in-depth feature containing gameplay videos, essential news, and everything else you need to know.

That's Not Goku!

Dragon Power (NES, 1988)

The first Dragon Ball game released in North America came out in 1988, though you probably wouldn't know it. Looking at the cover, you'd think Dragon Power is a generic kung fu-inspired game, but it's really a stripped-down version of the Japanese action-adventure game Dragon Ball: Shenron no Nazo. The characters' names as well as the music were changed for the NA release, and certain sexual references--mostly ones about panties, in keeping with the original Dragon Ball style of humor--were censored.

While the original game loosely covered the first few volumes of the manga, in Dragon Power, the levels with the Kung-fu Tournament (the Tenkaichi Budokai) were removed. Unsurprisingly, the game was not very well-received.

Every other Dragon Ball game made in the '80s was Japan-only, though not because of Dragon Power's missteps; it would be another decade before the West really began to care about Dragon Ball.

The Early 1990s Arrive..Decades Later

Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden 2 (SNES, 1993; released in NA on 3DS Virtual Console in 2015)

Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 (PlayStation, 1995; released in NA in 2003) Adobe lightroom 4 free download.

Skipping forward to the early '90s, Dragon Ball still hadn't made its way westward. Only two games from the first half of the decade, both fighting games, were localized in the West--albeit years later. Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden 2 was originally released on the Super Famicom in 1993 and came to the North American 3DS Virtual Console 22 years later, in 2015. Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 released on PlayStation in 1995 and arrived in NA in 2003.

Dragon Ball's Rise In North America

Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout (PlayStation, 1997)

The first 3D Dragon Ball game, Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout, came out in 1997. It was also the last game based on the franchise to be released on the PlayStation. Every other Dragon Ball game from the '90s was either Japan-only or came to France and Spain, but not to the West in English (aside from the late releases mentioned earlier).

In 1997, the Dragon Ball franchise was still relatively new to North America. The original Dragon Ball anime based on the earlier chapters of the manga had a few failed runs--an original 'Lost Dub' in '89 and another dub in '95, both of which were canceled due to low popularity--before Funimation's re-dubbed version began airing in 2001. The first run of Dragon Ball Z, which was more popular and covers the later manga chapters, premiered on American TV in '96, came to Toonami in '98, and was re-dubbed by Funimation in 2005. Strangely, GT, the non-canon series on which Final Bout is based, didn't air in NA until 2003.

After Final Bout, there wouldn't be another Dragon Ball game released on consoles until 2002. Since then, there has been at least one new Dragon Ball game every single year except for 2013.

Budokai Series Part 1

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai (PlayStation 2, 2002; GameCube, 2003)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 (PlayStation 2, 2003; GameCube, 2004)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 (PlayStation 2, 2004)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai HD Collection (PS3 and Xbox 360, 2012)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai released on PS2 in 2002, marking the beginning of an avalanche of Dragon Ball games. The Budokai fighting games are typical 3D fighters and follow the general Dragon Ball Z story. They include the ability to shoot Ki Blasts, and 3 introduced 'Beam Struggles' (clashes of energy, like with a Kamehameha) between two characters. An HD collection including Budokai 1 and 3, but not 2, was released in 2012. The developer, Dimps, later worked on the Dragon Ball Xenoverse series.

The Legacy of Goku Series And More

Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku (Game Boy Advance, 2002)

Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II (Game Boy Advance, 2003)

Dragon Ball Z Evolution Game Txori

Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu (Game Boy Advance, 2003)

Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury (Game Boy Advance, 2004)

Dragon Ball GT: Transformation (Game Boy Advance, 2005)

Around the same time as the debut of the Budokai series, developer Webfoot Technologies came out with Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku on Game Boy Advance. The action-RPG series, which also includes The Legacy of Goku 2 and Buu's Fury, received lukewarm reviews. Webfoot also made the fighting game Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu and beat-'em-up Dragon Ball GT: Transformation, which was later bundled with Buu's Fury on the same cartridge.

Non-Fighting Handheld Games Part 1: GBC and GBA

Dragon Ball Z: Collectible Card Game (Game Boy Advance, 2002)

Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors (Game Boy Color, 2002)

Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure (Game Boy Advance, 2006)

While console was dominated by the Budokai fighter series, the early 2000s saw an assortment of non-fighting Dragon Ball games on handheld. On top of The Legacy of Goku games, there was a version of the Dragon Ball CCG on the Game Boy Advance in 2002 (and of course there was a Dragon Ball CCG in 2002, when Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards were really taking off). There was also the turn-based Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors on Game Boy Color in 2002, which used in-game cards for attacks and items, and Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure, a beat-'em-up, in 2006.

Arc System Works' Supersonic Warriors Series

Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors (Game Boy Advance, 2003)

Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 (DS, 2005)

Arc System Works, best known for BlazBlue and Guilty Gear (and now Dragon Ball FighterZ), first made Dragon Ball fighting games in the early 2000s. Like Arc System Works' other games, the Supersonic Warriors series are 2D fighters, and they were received relatively well when they launched. In the games' story modes, you can play through individual characters' general story arcs from DBZ as well as what-if scenarios.

Like Dragon Ball FighterZ, Supersonic Warriors features team fighting, where you can swap between two or three characters with their own health bars during the course of a fight.

The First American-Made Dragon Ball Game

Dragon Ball Z: Sagas (PS2, Xbox, and GameCube, 2005)

In 2005, Dragon Ball Z: Sagas became the first and only Dragon Ball game to be released on the original Xbox. It was also the first American-made Dragon Ball game. Unfortunately, critics didn't particularly like it; GameSpot's review calls it 'a short, ugly, slightly buggy, and brain-dead beat-'em-up that all but nullifies the good work of the Budokai games.' Oops.

Super Dragon Ball Z

Super Dragon Ball Z (PlayStation 2, 2006)

A year later, Super Dragon Ball Z released on PS2. Not to be confused with Dragon Ball Super, Super Dragon Ball Z is a cel-shaded 2.5D fighter that draws more heavily from the manga in its art direction. It was better received than Sagas and plays more like a '90s Capcom fighter than the Budokai series.

Budokai Tenkaichi Series Part 1

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (PlayStation 2, 2005)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PlayStation 2 and Wii, 2006)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (PlayStation 2 and Wii, 2007)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi released on PS2 in 2005, but the name is a bit misleading. The Budokai Tenkaichi series of fighting games is actually very different from the Budokai series; it uses a completely different engine and an over-the-shoulder camera perspective, and different forms (Super Saiyan versus Super Saiyan 2, for example) are treated as separate characters with distinct stats and movesets. And while the Budokai games were developed by Dimps, the Budokai Tenkaichi games are by Spike Chunsoft.

The name 'Budokai Tenkaichi' is a rearranged version of 'Tenkaichi Budokai,' a martial arts tournament in the Dragon Ball series. For some reason, they switched around 'Tenkaichi Budokai' as if it were a Japanese name, even though it's not a name. It roughly translates to 'Strongest Under the Heavens Martial Arts Tournament.' In Japan, the series is called Dragon Ball Z: Sparking.

The first Budokai Tenkaichi game is now a Greatest Hits title for PlayStation. Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and 3 are two of only three Dragon Ball games released on the Wii in North America.

Budokai Series Part 2

Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai (PSP, 2006)

Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road (PSP, 2007)

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit (PS3 and Xbox 360, 2008)

Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World (PlayStation 2, 2008)

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The Budokai series continued into the late 2000s. It made its way to handheld for the first time with Shin Budokai and Shin Budokai - Another Road. Burst Limit dropped the Beam Struggles mechanic introduced in Budokai 3, and Infinite World included Dragon Ball GT characters, since GT had been fully localized and released in North America for a few years. Infinite World was also the last Dragon Ball game released on the PS2.

Non-Fighting Handheld Games Part 2: DS

Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu (DS, 2007)

Dragon Ball: Origins (DS, 2008)

Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans (DS, 2009)

Dragon Ball: Origins 2 (DS, 2010)

Continuing the trend of the early 2000s, while Dragon Ball fighting games dominated consoles, the Nintendo DS had some genre variety. Harukanaru Densetsu and Attack of the Saiyans are RPGs, while the Origins games are action-adventures. Most notably, the Origins series is based on the early manga chapters and Dragon Ball anime, whereas most Dragon Ball games in the West adhere more closely to Dragon Ball Z.

Dragonball Evolution

Dragonball Evolution (PSP, 2009)

Dragonball Evolution, a 2009 PSP game based on the widely disliked live-action film, is technically part of the Budokai series. Like the movie, the game was universally panned; GameSpot's review calls it 'a cheap cash-in attempt that does a disservice to Dragon Ball fans everywhere.' On the bright side, it's also the first Dragon Ball game to offer Bulma as a playable character.

Budokai Tenkaichi Series Part 2

Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (PS3 and Xbox 360, 2009)

Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 (PS3 and Xbox 360, 2010)

Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team (PSP, 2010)

Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi (PS3 and Xbox 360, 2011)

Spike Chunsoft continued its Budokai Tenkaichi series into the early 2010s, though with different (and probably less confusing) titles. The Raging Blast games, which include Ultimate Tenkaichi (okay, so this is still kind of confusing) were the first on the seventh-generation consoles. It was around this time, however, that the Dragon Ball fighting game fatigue really set in; GameSpot's review of Tenkaichi Tag Team quips, 'This fighting system is almost as tired as references to 'It's over 9000!'

The Only Wii-Exclusive One

Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo (Wii, 2009)

The only Wii-exclusive Dragon Ball game, Revenge of King Piccolo, is an arcade-style beat-'em-up and platformer. It retells the Red Ribbon Army and early Piccolo Daimao story arcs from the kid-Goku era of the manga, and it was considered a kids' game with little to offer outside of an introduction to Dragon Ball and beat-'em-up basics.

RIP Kinect

Dragon Ball Z Devolution Juego

Dragon Ball Z: For Kinect (Xbox 360, 2012)

Just as Dragonball Evolution was a sour note on the Budokai series, Dragon Ball Z: For Kinect was a poor addition to the Budokai Tenkaichi series. Specifically, GameSpot's review notes the 'sheer mind-numbing repetitiveness of the game' and 'erratic motion sensing.' RIP Kinect.

Battle of the Gods Promotion

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z (PS3, Xbox 360, and Vita, 2014)

Action game Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z released in 2014 as a tie-in with the film Battle of the Gods. It marked the first video game appearance of Goku's Super Saiyan God form as well as the characters Beerus and Whis. And, like quite a few Dragon Ball games in the early 2010s, Battle of Z was critically panned. GameSpot's review is particularly negative: 'Every moment in Battle of Z is a struggle--not to overcome challenges, but simply to enjoy the game.'

Dragon Ball..On Mobile!

Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle (Mobile, 2015)

While Japan got quite a few Dragon Ball games on mobile, North America got only one: Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle. It's a free-to-play, card-based puzzle fighter that reached 15 million downloads in three months in Japan alone.

Xenoverse Series

Dragon Ball Xenoverse (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC, 2015)

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (PS4, Xbox One, and PC, 2016; Switch, 2017)

After the Budokai series, developer Dimps worked on the Xenoverse games. While Xenoverse didn't get the highest review scores, GameSpot's review calls it 'the most interesting and involved Dragon Ball game in years.' Maybe that was a low bar in 2015, but it was also a turning point for Dragon Ball games leading into the next few years, and in 2016 our Xenoverse 2 review said it it is 'among the best games to emerge from this beloved franchise.' (It was rated 'good' on GameSpot's scale.)

Arc System Works' Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden

Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden (3DS, 2015)

Arc System Works returned to the Dragon Ball fighting game scene in 2015 with Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden on 3DS. It coincided with the 3DS Virtual Console release of 1993's Super Butoden 2 and otherwise isn't that notable.

Dragon Ball Fusions

Dragon Ball Fusions (3DS, 2016)

Unlike a lot of Dragon Ball games, 2016 RPG Dragon Ball Fusions follows a customizable protagonist. Like many of the games before it, Fusions received mixed-to-average reviews. GameSpot's review says: 'If the progression felt a bit less stilted and fights weren't drawn out, repetitive affairs, this would be one of the strongest Dragon Ball games out there. Alas, just like Hercule in the series, Dragon Ball Fusions postures and promises more than it actually delivers.'

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Dragon Ball FighterZ (PS4, Xbox One, and PC, 2018)

44 games later, the newest Dragon Ball game is also one of the most beloved: Arc System Works' Dragon Ball FighterZ. In GameSpot's review, Managing Editor Peter Brown wrote: 'Where past games attempted to get there through huge character rosters and deliberately predictable trips down memory lane, FighterZ has bottled the essence of what makes the series' characters, animation, and sense of humor so beloved and reconfigured it into something new: a Dragon Ball fighting game that can go toe-to-toe with the best of the genre.'

Dragonball Evolution
Directed byJames Wong
Produced by
Screenplay byBen Ramsey
Based onDragon Ball
by Akira Toriyama
Starring
Music byBrian Tyler
CinematographyRobert McLachlan
Edited byMatthew Friedman
Chris Willingham
  • Star Overseas
  • Big Screen Productions
Distributed by20th Century Fox
  • March 10, 2009 (Japan)
  • April 10, 2009 (United States)
85 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States[2]
Language
  • English
  • Japanese
Budget$30 million
Box office$58.2 million[3]

Dragonball Evolution is a 2009 American science fantasyactionadventure film directed by James Wong, produced by Stephen Chow, and written by Ben Ramsey.

The film is based on the Japanese Dragon Ballmanga created by Akira Toriyama, and stars Justin Chatwin, Emmy Rossum, James Marsters, Jamie Chung, Chow Yun-fat, Joon Park, and Eriko Tamura. In Dragonball: Evolution, the young Goku reveals his past and sets out to fight the evil alien warlord Lord Piccolo who wishes to gain the powerful Dragon Balls and use them to take over Earth. The film began development in 2002, and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the first official live-action adaptation of the Dragon Ball manga.

Dragonball: Evolution was released in Japan and several other Asian countries on March 13, 2009, and in the United States on April 10, 2009. The film received negative reviews by both critics and Dragon Ball fans, particularly for its script, cast, and unfaithfulness to the source material, througth Brian Tyler's score was highly praised. The film was also a box office disappointment, grossing $58.2 million with a production budget of $30 million. The film was meant to be the first of a series, though all subsequent films were cancelled. On August 12, 2018, it was reported that Walt Disney Pictures would acquire the film rights for the Dragon Ball franchise following its acquisition of Fox.

  • 3Production
  • 5Release
  • 6Reception

Plot[edit]

Two thousand years ago, the demon Lord Piccolo came to Earth, wreaking havoc along with his minion Ōzaru. Seven mystics created a powerful enchantment called the Mafuba and used it to seal Piccolo away; however, he breaks free in the present day, and with his ninja henchwoman Mai, begins to search for the seven Dragonballs – each one marked with stars numbering between one and seven – killing anyone in his path.

On his eighteenth birthday, martial artist and high school senior Son Goku is given the four-star Dragonball by his grandfather,[4]Gohan. Returning home from a party hosted by his crush Chi-Chi, Goku finds his home destroyed and his grandfather near death after Piccolo's failed attempt to acquire the Dragonball. Before he dies, Gohan tells Goku to seek out martial arts master Muten Roshi, who holds another one of the Dragonballs.

Goku then meets Bulma of the Capsule Corporation, who was studying the five-star Dragonball until it was stolen by Mai and has invented a locator for the Dragonballs. Goku offers Bulma his protection in exchange for her help in finding Roshi. They ultimately track him down in Paozu City, and he joins them in their search. Under Roshi's wing, Goku begins training his ki, knowing that they must get all the Dragonballs before the next solar eclipse, when Ōzaru will return and join forces with Piccolo. In the midst of the group's search for the six-star Dragonball, they fall into a trap set by the desert bandit Yamcha, but Roshi convinces Yamcha to join by promising a portion of the royalties for Bulma's invention. Together, the group fight off an ambush by Mai and successfully acquire the next Dragonball.

As the group continues their quest, they visit a martial arts tournament where Chi-Chi is competing; she fights Mai in a martial arts match, and Mai uses the match to steal a sample of her blood. Chi-Chi briefly joins the group as they travel to a temple where Roshi consults his former teacher Sifu Norris and begins preparing the Mafuba enchantment so he can reseal Piccolo, while Chi-Chi helps Goku in his training to learn the most powerful of the ki-bending techniques: the Kamehameha. During the night, Mai – having disguised herself as Chi-Chi using her shapeshifting abilities and the blood she stole earlier – steals the team's three Dragonballs, adding them to the ones that Piccolo already acquired. Chi-Chi is knocked unconscious in the fight, while Goku, Bulma, Yamcha and Roshi go in pursuit of Mai and Piccolo.

With the Dragonballs successfully united, Piccolo arrives at the Dragon Temple and begins to summon Shen Long, but is stopped by the timely arrival of Goku's team. During the ensuing battle, Piccolo reveals to Goku that he himself is Ōzaru, having been sent to Earth as an infant to destroy it when he grew older. As the eclipse begins, Goku transforms into Ōzaru while Roshi attempts to use the Mafuba on Piccolo, but he doesn't have enough energy to finish the enchantment and Piccolo breaks free. Ōzaru chokes Roshi to death, but Roshi's dying words snap Goku back to his senses; he reverses his transformation and engages Piccolo in a final battle, seemingly defeating him with the power of the Kamehameha. Goku then uses the Dragonballs to summon Shen Long, and requests that he restore Roshi to life.

As the group celebrates, they realize the Dragonballs have now scattered, and Bulma declares that they must search for them again. Before they head out, Goku meets with Chi-Chi to get to know her better, and they begin a sparring match to see which of them is stronger. In a mid-credits scene, Piccolo is shown to have survived Goku's Kamehameha and is being cared for by an unknown woman.

Cast[edit]

  • Justin Chatwin as Goku
  • Chow Yun-fat as Master Roshi
  • Emmy Rossum as Bulma
  • Jamie Chung as Chi-Chi
  • James Marsters as Lord Piccolo
  • Joon Park as Yamcha
  • Eriko Tamura as Mai
  • Randall Duk Kim as Grandpa Gohan
  • Ian Whyte as Ōzaru
  • Ernie Hudson as Sifu Norris
  • Texas Battle as Carey Fuller
  • Richard Blake as Agundes
  • Jon Valera as Moreno

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

In 2002, 20th Century Fox acquired the feature film rights to the Dragon Ball franchise. In the same year, Stephen Chow was approached to direct the film, and although he said he was deeply interested because he is a fan of Dragon Ball, Chow declined the chance to direct. He, however, accepted a role as executive producer via his company Star Overseas. Robert Rodriguez, Mark A.Z. Dippé and Zack Snyder were offered to direct but passed. 20th Century Fox then went on to send the script to writer/director James Wong who accepted. In 2007, James Wong and RatPac-Dune Entertainment co-founder Brett Ratner were announced as director and producer respectively, and the project was retitled Dragonball. Ben Ramsey's first draft was deemed too expensive to shoot, and in the end he wrote about five different drafts of the script following notes from the studio. James Wong wrote the last draft, again according to notes from the studio, but decided to remain uncredited as the co-screenwriter.[5] Chow was a Dragon Ball fan, citing its 'airy and unstrained story [which] leaves much room for creation', but explained he would only serve as producer because he believes that he should only direct stories he had created.[6]

Differing costs to produce the film have been reported. In January 2008, Marsters spoke to TV Guide that he was told the film had a budget of approximately $100 million.[7] In April 2009, the Spanish television station Telecinco reported that the budget was $50 million.[8]Marsters would later claim that the film in fact was produced for $30 million.[9]

Casting[edit]

Justin Chatwin was selected to play the film's central character Goku.[5]Ron Perlman was originally offered the role of the villain Lord Piccolo, but turned it down to work on Hellboy II: The Golden Army.[10]James Marsters, who accepted the role, noted he was a fan of the original anime series, describing it as 'the coolest television cartoon in the last 50,000 years [because] it's got a Shakespearean sense of good and evil.'[11] Summarizing the original concept of his Piccolo, he said the character was 'thousands of years old and a very long time ago he used to be a force of good, but [he] got into a bad argument and was put into prison for 2000 years. It got him very angry, and he finds a way to escape and then tries to destroy the world.'[11] Originally, Piccolo was going to be depicted as a handsome creature, but Marsters and the make-up artist chose to give him a decrepit complexion to reflect his having been trapped for thousands of years. The first time the make-up was applied, it took seventeen hours and left Marsters with difficulty breathing. In subsequent applications, it generally only took four hours.[12]

Stephen Chow originally wanted to cast Zhang Yuqi, with whom he worked on CJ7, for the part of Chi Chi, but the role eventually went to Jamie Chung.[6][13]

Filming[edit]

Principal photography began on December 3, 2007,[14] in Mexico City, Mexico. Locations included the Universidad Tecnológica de México.[15]

From January 2, 2008,[15] the crew shot at Sierra de Órganos National Park.[16][17][18][19] The crew moved to Estado de México in March of that year for some shots at Nevado de Toluca.[20] Shooting has also been scheduled at Los Angeles, California.[21]In adapting the Dragon Ball manga, the futuristic cities and flying vehicles were kept; however, the anthropomorphic creatures and talking animals (such as Turtle, Oolong and Puar) were dropped.[22]Many of the locations are very Oriental,[23] and there was some Aztec influence too, particularly from their temples.[24]It was thought that Rossum would wear a blue wig to resemble her anime counterpart, but it was ultimately decided that such a look was too unrealistic. Instead she had her natural brown with blue streaks. Chatwin did not wear a wig as the director felt Chatwin's hair resembled Goku's.[23]A large amount of Dragonball Evolution was shot in an abandoned jeans factory, also located in Durango, Mexico.[25]

Dragonball: Evolution special effects were done by Amalgamated Dynamics, while the visual effects were done by Ollin Studios, Zoic Studios, and Imagine Engine.

Music[edit]

On December 9, 2008, it was confirmed that the theme song would be 'Rule' by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. Also featured on the film's soundtrack is American pop artist Brian Anthony, whose remixed song 'Worked Up' was released as a single in English territories,[26] and is included on the home video releases as a bonus feature.[27]

The film's soundtrack, Dragonball Evolution: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, was released in the United States on March 17, 2009 by Varèse Sarabande.

The score was composed by Brian Tyler, who recorded the score with an 82-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox.[28]

Tie-ins[edit]

The July 2008 issue of Jump Square published a manga inspired by the film by Daisuke Kadokuni.[29]

Release[edit]

Though an American film, Dragonball: Evolution was released in Japan and Hong Kong on March 13, 2009, nearly a month before its American release.[30][31][32]

It was released in Australia on April 2 and in the United Kingdom on April 8.[33][34]

Its release in its home country changed dates many times. Initially scheduled to be released in North America on August 15, 2008, it was later moved to April 2009 to allow time for additional filming and post-production work. The specific date then changed back and forth between April 10 and 8, with the final release date being April 10.[35][36]

The marketing of the theatrical release included a viral 'personal expressions' campaign created by digital agency Red Box New Media[37] that ran on the Windows Live Messenger application. Alongside that campaign, Fox hired Picture Production Company to develop a PC/Wii flash game under the name Can you Ka-Me-Ha-Me-Ha?[38]This game was released just prior to the film in conjunction with another viral campaign that encouraged fans to send in their renditions of the fighting move.[39]

Home media[edit]

The film was released on Region 1DVD and Blu-ray Disc in North America on July 28[27] and on Region 2 DVD and Blu-ray Disc in the United Kingdom on August 31.[40] The Region 4 DVD and Blu-ray Disc was released in Australia on November 18.[41]

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

On its opening weekend in the United States, the film grossed $4,756,488 ranking 8th at the box office.[42][43]

In its second weekend, it dropped to eleventh place.[44] The film had a gross earning in the United States and Canada of $9,362,785 and a foreign gross of $48,865,675 for a combined box office gross of $58,228,460.[45]

Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a 15% approval rating based on 60 reviews, with an average rating of 3.5/10. The site's consensus states, 'Executed with little panache or invention, Dragonball Evolution lacks the magic that made the books upon which it was based a cult sensation.'[46] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating 'mixed or average reviews'.[47]

Zac Bertschy of Anime News Network, who was initially annoyed at fans of the franchise who criticized the film via leaked set shots and trailers before the film's release, gave the film an overall failing grade and stated 'the fans were right.' He criticized the film's lack of explaining plot elements, its hackneyed storyline and lackluster effort by the actors.[48]Variety's Russell Edwards found the film 'passable', 'pleasing if paint-by-numbers', noting it 'doesn't take itself too seriously, but avoids campiness', that 'the climactic clash between Piccolo and Goku offers a faithful CGI representation of the ethereal powers as drawn in the original manga' and that the climax offers an 'impressive character twist for Goku that will warm the cockles of every young Jungian's heart.'[49] Luke Thompson of E! Online referred to the film as a 'surreal mess' that would only make sense to fans of the original series. He questioned the use of a Caucasian in the main role and felt Chow Yun-Fat was 'overacting like never before', but did consider it 'fun in a train-wreck kind of way' and that while it was never boring it was also never 'logical, coherent [or] rational'.[50]

However, Christopher Monfette of IGN gave the film a positive review, stating that it 'is perhaps the most successful live-action film to date to utilize costume, production and audio design—not to mention some inspired fight choreography—to provide the flavor of anime without becoming overly cartoonish'. He praised the main cast for 'creating characters the audience can actually care about' and felt Chatwin was particularly likeable as Goku.[51]Slant Magazine's Rob Humanick considered the film 'uninspired' and implausible with an 'aimlessly hyperactive construction and complete lack of substance' and 'cobbled-together FX fakery'.[52] Reviewing the film for Australia's ABC Radio National, Jason Di Rosso stated the film was 'lacking the visual panache of recent graphic novel adaptations'. He agreed the film was uninspired and also felt it had dull 'high school movie banter' dialog and was 'cliché-ridden'.[53]The Village Voice's Aaron Hillis called the film a 'loony live-action adaptation', but felt it was 'more entertaining than it deserves to be' and would likely appeal to ten-year-old boys.[54] Alonso Duralde of MSNBC found the film to be 'both entertainingly ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining' and noted that 'kids will have such a blast that you can turn this movie into the gateway kung-fu drug that makes them want to watch the earlier work of Stephen Chow and Chow Yun-Fat, that is if Stephen Chow and Chow Yun-fat had a Caucasian actor in the starring role.'[55] Jeffrey K. Lyles of The Gazette found the film to be 'a fairly entertaining martial arts adventure for the younger audiences' and tolerable to adults. He felt Chatwin was ill-cast as Goku, a white kid raised by his Asian Grandfather Randall Duk Kim and that director Wong failed to capture the 'frenetic sense of the anime' in the action scenes, leaving them an effort to understand.[56]

The film was nominated for a 2009 Spike TVScream Award for 'Best Comic Book Movie,'[57] but lost to Watchmen.

In 2016, writer Ben Ramsey apologized for the film, writing: 'To have something with my name on it as the writer be so globally reviled is gut wrenching. To receive hate mail from all over the world is heartbreaking. [..] I went into the project chasing after a big payday, not as a fan of the franchise but as a businessman taking on an assignment. I have learned that when you go into a creative endeavor without passion you come out with sub-optimal results, and sometimes flat out garbage. So I'm not blaming anyone for Dragonball [Evolution] but myself.'[58]

Creator reactions[edit]

Before the film's release, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama initially felt surprised by Dragonball: Evolution and suggested to his fans to treat it as an alternate universe version of his work.[59] In an interview with the Asahi Shimbun on Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Toriyama revealed that he felt the Hollywood producers did not listen to him and his ideas and suggestions, and that the final version was not on par with the original Dragon Ball series, and felt the result was a movie he couldn't even call 'Dragon Ball'.[60][61] Discussing the film in the 2016 Dragon Ball 30th Anniversary 'Super History Book', Toriyama wrote: 'I had put Dragon Ball behind me, but seeing how much that live-action film ticked me off..'[62]

Accolades[edit]

YearAssociationNominated workCategoryResultRef(s)
2009Golden Schmoes AwardsDragonball EvolutionWorst Movie of the YearNominated[63]

Future[edit]

In an interview to IGN, Justin Chatwin revealed that he signed for three films, though he expressed interest in making seven films.[64] Chatwin also stated that Goku 'only really gets interesting in the second film' and that the next films would feature elements from the Dragon Ball Z part of the franchise, which he felt was 'really exciting. It goes into the whole legend of Dragonball'.[64] A script for a sequel was being written before the film's release.[65] Marsters said that he would have reprised his role in future films, having 'every intention of fulfilling the arc of Piccolo in live-action', which he said it would feature Piccolo's reincarnation and redemption.[65] However, the film's poor critical and financial performance caused every planned sequel to be cancelled.

Disney obtained the international rights for the Dragon Ball franchise after acquiring 20th Century Fox, which reportedly includes the rights for a Dragon Ball live-action film.[66]

Merchandise[edit]

A film novelization, Dragonball Evolution: The Junior Novel, was written by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon. Aimed at children ages 8–15, the novel was released by Viz Media on February 24, 2009.[67][68] The same day, a series of chapter books for readers 7–10 was released.[68]

The three volumes, subtitled The Discovery, The Search, and The Battle were also written by Deutsch and Cohan.[69][70][71]

A 16-paged sticker book, Dragonball: Evolution Sticker Book, followed on March 24, 2009.[72] Released a week later on March 31, 2009 by Viz was a 22-page Dragonball: Evolution Posterzine featuring eleven posters, cast interviews, and merchandise previews.[73]

On January 19, 2009, Namco Bandai Games and Fox announced a tie-in PSPvideo game, which was released in Japan on March 19 and North America on April 7. The game includes all of the major characters from the film and features various playing modes, including a local multi-player battle mode, production stills, and storyboards from the film.[74]

The Hong Kong-based company, Enterbay, produced a 1:6-scaled line for Dragonball Evolution. A 1:6 Goku figure was made along with Lord Piccolo. Bulma was planned to be the third figure of the series in addition to being the first female figure Enterbay has ever released. Prototypes of the Bulma figure were shown at Enterbay's blog but in November 2010, Enterbay confirmed that Bulma was canceled. Bandai America released a mass market toy-line based on the movie in time for the theatrical release. The figures came in 4-inch, and 6-inch versions.[75] Lastly, Japanese toy company MediCom created stylized Goku and Piccolo Be@rbrick toys to coincide with the release of the film.[76]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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  2. ^Goodridge, Mike (March 24, 2009). 'Dragonball Evolution'. Screen Daily. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  3. ^'Dragonball Evolution (2009)'. The Numbers. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
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  7. ^Rudolph, Ileane (January 30, 2008). 'James Marsters on Fame, Family and Life After 40'. TV Guide. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
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  10. ^Coe, Jackee (November 29, 2009). 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army'. Movies.ie. Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
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  17. ^https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1098327/locations
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External links[edit]

  • Official website from 20th Century Fox (in Japanese)
  • Dragonball Evolution on IMDb
  • Dragonball Evolution at Box Office Mojo
  • Dragonball Evolution at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Dragonball Evolution at Metacritic
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