Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Dragonball Evolution Blu-ray Movie Review

Pretty sets and good special effects can't save an otherwise confused picture.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 29, 2009

The first rule is: there are no rules.

When one of a movie's establishing shots looks partway up a character's nose, it's easy to predict trouble on the horizon. Indeed, Dragonball Evolution, the live-action film based on the universe as set forth in the collection of Japanese Manga and, later, Anime films, doesn't surprise in its storytelling futility. With a confused timeline, shoddily-developed characters, poor acting, and an awkward script, the film never gels and delivers plenty of unintentional humor in the form of ridiculous performances and questionable dialogue instead of well-played enchanted martial arts action and serious storytelling properties. As to whether or not Dragonball Evolution does well to immerse audiences in the long-standing tradition of its namesake's roots, that's for someone far better versed in its rich history to decide. As to how well the film introduces newcomers to its universe -- or at least the universe as depicted in this film -- Dragonball Evolution will likely confuse viewers with its initial barrage of people, places, things, and events, but the film fleshes out the details sufficiently enough so most anyone can keep up with the basic plot line.

The poser hero shot.

Centuries ago, Earth was on the brink of total destruction. An evil warlord named Piccolo (James Marsters, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and his disciple Oozaru (Ian White) were defeated only by a conglomeration of individuals that were able to imprison Piccolo deep within the bowels of the Earth. Now, Piccolo is risen and is in search of seven Dragonballs -- small spheres identified by their distinctive red glow and the number of stars within their mass -- that, when together, have the ability to grant their possessor a single perfect wish. Young Goku (Justin Chatwin, The Invisible) is a student of martial arts with a mystical edge learning under the tutelage of his wise old grandfather, Gohan (Randall Duk Kim). Though Goku still has much to learn, Gohan presents him with one of the Dragonballs for safekeeping. Soon thereafter, Piccolo confronts Gohan and demands the Dragonball. Unable to produce it, he is severely beaten and left for dead while Goku is away at a school party where he attempts to woo the attractive Chi Chi (Jamie Chung). Sensing his grandfather to be in mortal danger, Goku rushes back just in time to hear his grandfather's final request: to seek out a master named Roshi (Chow Yun-Fat, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) who possess another Dragonball and will complete his training. Along the way, Goku meets Bulma (Emmy Rossum, The Day After Tomorrow) a gun-toting young woman who is herself on a quest to find the Dragonballs. Together, they must collect all the Dragonballs and prevent Piccolo from once again laying waste to the world.

Aside from its rather confused story line that's certainly not altogether newcomer-friendly past the basics, Dragonball Evolution manages to confuse its audience in other ways. Despite the proclamation that the film takes place "now," it apparently really takes place in the near future based on what looks like advanced weaponry, sleek automobiles, a motorcycle that folds up to the size of a deck of cards, and sophisticated technology integrated into Goku's classroom. The disconnect between "now" and a world at least a decade or more advanced than that of 2009 is sure to confuse audiences attempting to not only absorb the story and keep the characters straight but also reason out the film's true timeframe. Adding more confusion to the process is the slow reveal of the film's true timeline. Dragonball Evolution takes its time in divulging more and more "clues" as to the film's not-so-specific but clearly futuristic timeframe. Beginning with what appears to be, at a glance, advanced weaponry and automobiles, it's not until about 25 minutes into the film when Goku meets Bulma does the movie really "confirm" that it does indeed take place in the future, revealing the folding motorcycle and a clearly futuristic skyline -- of whatever city (it seems to be something out of the East-meets-West "Firefly" universe) serves as the film's setting. But that's a whole other story.

So, audiences know neither exactly when nor where they are. Unfortunately, the problems don't end there. Dragonball Evolution dishes out some truly epic performances on the wrong end of the scale. Completely over-the-top and out-of-place begin to describe the overall feel of the acting, but it's sometimes so bad that it just has to be seen to be believed. Justin Chatwin makes for a rather unconvincing hero, though in his defense he's got very little to work with. Emmy Rossum and Jamie Chung do little more than look good for the camera, and Chow Yun-Fat seems disinterested at best. As if the primary characters weren't bad enough, the secondary characters deliver performances that redefine "unenthusiastic." "Prepare to eat dirt!" Randall Duk Kim says at the beginning of the movie during a training session with Goku, the line delivered with the excitement of a half-asleep eighth grader reading aloud from a botany textbook describing how to plant a sage bush. "Pray that it is enough to contain Piccolo," says Ernie Hudson with less emotion than he would after pulling the only clean tupperware container out of the cupboard, hoping it to be large enough to save all of tonight's leftover casserole. As to the positives, the near-future world the film creates looks pretty good. It's convincing, sleek, and modern, without coming across as improbable. Dragonball Evolution is also likely to appeal to a younger audience that will enjoy the film's flashy visuals, rocking music, light attempts at humor, and, of course, its action, while adults will likely be disappointed with the confused structure, poorly developed characters, and recycled special effects (the "Kame Hame Ha" the characters create between their hands look like the same effect used in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li).

Dragonball Evolution Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dragonball Evolution debuts on Blu-ray with a high quality 1080p transfer framed in the film's theatrical 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The film's opening tightrope training sequence leaves something to be desired. Offering red flesh tones, moderate detail, and a washed out, overly bright, almost glowing image, the sequence just doesn't offer any visual appeal, but fortunately the scene turns out to be the exception to the rule. Generally, Dragonball Evolution looks fantastic, with excellent detail in clothing, sidewalks, desert terrains, varied interiors, and close-up shots; eye-popping yet warm colors; and a solid level of visible depth. Some shots stand out as particularly excellent and representative of the transfer's quality. Several extreme slow-motion shots of broken glass and splashing water allows the viewer to soak in the very minute details of the small objects, each one appearing as a very well-defined individual. Likewise, a close-up shot of small pebbles in chapter six appears positively stunning in texture and absolute definition. The transfer does see some unsightly banding in a few places, and blacks occasionally take on a brighter-than-optimal appearance. Otherwise, Dragonball Evolution represents another upper-tier visual release from 20th Century Fox.

Dragonball Evolution Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dragonball Evolution dishes out an aggressive DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Offering crisp, strong dialogue; bass that tends to reverberate through the gut; and a crystal-clear presentation of music and sound effects, there's not much to be disappointed about with this one. The track features a consistently solid low end that's present in both music and sound effects; it never overextends itself but instead delivers a consistently strong but not incredibly powerful level of bass that's sure to please demanding listeners. The destruction of a structure in chapter six, for instance, throws sounds in a logical directional pattern that accompanies the crumbling wood and the subsequent thud serves up a hefty amount of punch. The track also creates a solid atmosphere; a party scene in chapter five features the sounds of running water, music, and partygoer chatter all around the soundstage, with the rear channels delivering some of the ambience. The action scenes, too, tend to feature plenty of discrete, supportive, and atmospheric effects that flow from the back channels. Dragonball Evolution delivers exactly the kind of sonic experience expected of it: a dynamic yet inviting and clear presentation that makes excellent use of the entire soundstage. This is another fine offering from 20th Century Fox.

Dragonball Evolution Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Dragonball Evolution rounds up a few bonus features. Goku's Quest Game tasks viewers with pressing the red button on their remote controls whenever a Dragonball icon appears on-screen. Next up are eight deleted and extended scenes (1080p, 11:10). Goku's Workout (1080p, 4:50) begins with a "do not try this at home" disclaimer and proceeds to demonstrate some of the moves as seen in the film. Fox Movie Channel Presents: Making a Scene (480p, 9:27) looks at the process of preparing for and shooting one of the film's fight scenes. The piece features plenty of cast and crew interview snippets and behind-the-scenes video clips. Fox Movie Channel Presents: Life After Film School With Justin Chatwin (480p, 24:57) is next, an extended interview piece with the star of Dragonball Evolution. Also included is the Brian Anthony music video "Worked Up" (1080p, 3:21) and a gag reel (1080i, 2:23). Disc two of this set contains a digital copy of Dragonball Evolution. Sampled on a second generation iPod Touch, the video offers solid detail and strong colors but does suffer from some noticeable, but only moderately distracting, banding and blocking in backgrounds and darker scenes. The audio is sufficient if not a bit underwhelming, with good dialogue reproduction, decent directional effects, and a fair presentation of the score.

Dragonball Evolution Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Though not a total loss, Dragonball Evolution comes close. The film offers good production values, nice looking sets, and fair if not recycled special effects, but the awful acting, somewhat hard-to-follow story line, and confused structure make Dragonball Evolution another example of the futility of style over substance while also adding another name to the growing list of disappointing pictures based on otherwise highly-acclaimed series. 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release does do the film justice. Offering the expected high quality 1080p transfer, an aggressive lossless soundtrack, and a few extras, Dragonball Evolution might be worth a rental should the selection at the video store be picked over on a particularly busy weekend.