Genre: Action (Martial Arts)
Starring: Justin Chatwin, Yun-Fat Chow, Emmy Rossum
Release Date: April 10th 2009
Just to be perfectly clear, I did not come into this movie with high expectations. I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of "Dragonball Z" (the anime that was the basis for this movie). I have the highest respect for anime as a whole, and am a devoted fan of a variety of different series. "Dragonball Z", though, has always been, to my mind, a cookie cutter show; cheaply made, mass produced drivel. I don't say this to offend anyone, and there are no accusations being made towards or about the legions of fans both in Japan and Stateside. I simply feel it is important for my readers to know my mindsight upon viewing.
Dragonball: Evolution is the story of Goku, a high school student who sticks out as much as his hair sticks up (read: severely). After a brief narrative filling us in on the history of the movie world, the movie begins on the morning of Goku's 18th birthday, with Goku in the middle of martial arts training with his grandfather, Gohan. From the first scene, we are treated to a brilliantly choreographed and equally well executed fight scene between the two. If you don't know me, understand that nothing grabs my attention like a good fight scene. My interest was piqued.
After the fight ends (with Goku on his hind end in the dirt), Gohan gives him his birthday present. A small, glowing orb, with four stars shining within. This is a Dragonball. Gohan tells Goku the legend of the Dragonballs. Seven in number, collecting them all grants the holder one perfect wish.
The movie keeps a nice steady pace throughout. We see Goku in highschool, the target of bullying, but unable to do anything about it due to an oath to his grandfather that he wouldn't fight. Likewise, we see him pining after the popular girl, and accidentally impressing her, despite a severe case of nerves. If this section sounds rather formulaic, that's because it is, and I will admit that it started to lose my interest, however briefly.
Tragedy strikes for Goku, sending him on a mission to retrieve the Dragonballs to stop world takeover by the alien warlord Piccolo. Through various hardships and trials, and a healthy dose of stylized fight scenes, we see Goku grow steadily in skill and power, but also in character, culminating in a battle of powers and wills with Piccolo. Along the way, he makes a few unlikely allies, such as the sassy and brilliant Bulma Briefs (Rossum) and the aging but immensely skilled Master Roshi. Roshi is played to perfection by the incomparable martial artist and action star, Yun-Fat Chow (Crouching Tiger, Replacement Killers, Curse of the Golden Flower). At times severe, at times the living embodiment of many a over-the-top and mildly perverted anime character, Yun-Fat is perfectly cast for this role, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second he was on screen.
The movie does stick to a formula. Likewise, the twists are, for the most part, pretty predictable. This fact is even more true if you are at all familiar with the anime. Those things didn't bother me, though. Once I realized that the high level of quality action was not a fluke, that the filmmakers were, for better or worse, picking a style and a story, and sticking to it no matter what, and that these were going to be defining and consistent strengths for the film, I was able to let go of any expectations and just get caught up in the movie. Admittedly, it might have helped that I was watching it with my children, who are much more easily pleased than I am.
Was the acting dry in places? Yes. There is no discussion on this point. The pitfall of action movies in general, and martial arts movies in particular, is that the creators are well aware beforehand that the action will likely eclipse any story that may be present. As a result, many often don't give this crucial element the respect and attention it deserves.
It is also true that, aside from Goku, there is VERY little development of the core characters. Dragonball has always, in my experience, been "all about the action", and character development has not only fallen by the wayside, but largely been ignored, and when you are working from that kind of source material, you have to work with what you have. You can't develop a character that has been given no depth to begin with, no chance to take on that life that the truly amazing and awe-inspiring characters do, and this is a failing that I do not blame the film for at all. You can only make so many changes to a story like this, even if they are for the better, before you wake up one day to find legions of Otaku shouting "Blasphemy!" outside your front door.
The thing that made this movie for me was (as I'm sure you can guess) the action. The quality never slips, not even for a second. That's not to say it is the best I have seen, but consistency counts for a lot, and Dragonball: Evolution has it in spades. Additionally, Chatwin handled the fighting with respect and skill, to the point where I honestly couldn't tell for certain what was him and what was a stunt double. I find that impressive in a younger actor, particularly one who (as near as I can tell) has no background in martial arts. Despite my misgivings about having a white guy play Goku, he handled it perfectly, with great comedic timing where appropriate, and tons of honesty throughout, easily making his performance the highlight of the movie.
So, despite my apprehensions, I enjoyed myself quite a lot. I'm not going to be rushing out to buy the collected editions of "Dragonball Z" any time soon, but I will definitely be watching this again (often, if my kids have their way).
I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait for the sequel.
Action: 4.5 out of 5
Story: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.75 out of 5
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