Dragonball Evolution reviews

by Liam Goodwin on March 17, 2009 · 123 comments

dragonball evolution reviewsDragonball Evolution has already been released in some parts of the world such as China and Japan. As a result reviews have been pouring online…and it doesn’t look good (although that was expected).

Anime News Network gave it an F:

In the end, it all boils down to one thing: this movie appeals to nobody. It was made for no one. People who aren’t familiar with the Dragon Ball story at all will be so flabbergasted by what’s happening that they will likely tell everyone they know that it’s one of the worst movies they’ve ever seen. Fans who do know what the general story is will be furious at just how unbelievably badly they screwed this entire thing up. Kids are used to better writing than this in their weekday afternoon cartoons (although you may run into a kid who has never actually seen a movie before, and they might dig it until you show them another movie). It’s a clunky, tiresome, badly executed, horribly written pile of shame that deserves no quarter.

Nuke the Fridge

This film was easy to sit through, but not worth the price of admission. The plot is almost nonexistent and pasted together with visual effects when they needed to fill in gaps where there was nothing to say. The scope of his film is too small and almost feels like it was more for a direct to DVD release. “Dragonball” deserves better and so do you, my advice is to go read the manga.

AICN

Dragon Ball: Evolution is a terrible film for both DB fans and as a standalone film. It’s not unwatchable, but it’s definitely in the same league as Street Fighter circa JCVD which means you’ll want to gather your friends and have a great laugh together.

A Nutshell

This is basically a movie that only children below the age of 5 will enjoy tremendously, despite having to see 6 half-balls, contributed courtesy of the 3 lead female characters, being continuously flashed on screen, thanks to some neck plunging wardrobe (where’s that malfunction when you need one?) Totally bland and really uninteresting, I would suggest sticking to the manga instead.

These are all negative and so far I haven’t been able to find a positive one to counter all of the bad buzz.

Thanks to movieboy1 for the links.

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  • MovieDude

    Seriously, did anyone expect this movie to be near close to average? This thing was doomed from its beginning =)

  • MovieDude

    Seriously, did anyone expect this movie to be near close to average? This thing was doomed from its beginning =)

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/StevooGer StevooGer

    ok…can be sure its gonna get straight to dvd here in germany :)

    • MovieDude

      ja, sone kacke kommt bei uns nicht in die kinos =)

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/StevooGer StevooGer

    ok…can be sure its gonna get straight to dvd here in germany :)

    • MovieDude

      ja, sone kacke kommt bei uns nicht in die kinos =)

  • epic

    It was obvious from the trailers it was going to suck, you need cooler people involved like the Wachowski brothers or Quinto Tarinto. The movie needs to be at least 2hours in length and has to be epic, with good character development and part 1 of 3 of a long trilogy. The script has to be better than the cartoons and really give you a sense of who these characters are and who they may become. It has to be dark when it's time to be dark and light when it's time to be light, Goku getting yelled at and him being a boy growing up/eating like a pig and then kicking ass in martial arts competitions. Perhaps even start from the very beginning and have flashes of his life to the point of where he faces Vegeta/Freeza. I hope they just make a Dragon Ball Z movie, which was the best in the series. With a epic director/budget/screenwriter/actors, this can work. I'm thinking of a cross between superman/matrix/killbill and star wars.

  • epic

    It was obvious from the trailers it was going to suck, you need cooler people involved like the Wachowski brothers or Quinto Tarinto. The movie needs to be at least 2hours in length and has to be epic, with good character development and part 1 of 3 of a long trilogy. The script has to be better than the cartoons and really give you a sense of who these characters are and who they may become. It has to be dark when it's time to be dark and light when it's time to be light, Goku getting yelled at and him being a boy growing up/eating like a pig and then kicking ass in martial arts competitions. Perhaps even start from the very beginning and have flashes of his life to the point of where he faces Vegeta/Freeza. I hope they just make a Dragon Ball Z movie, which was the best in the series. With a epic director/budget/screenwriter/actors, this can work. I'm thinking of a cross between superman/matrix/killbill and star wars.

  • AngryFan

    This movie was a disgrace to the entire DB franchise, and at times watching it was utterly painful.

  • AngryFan

    This movie was a disgrace to the entire DB franchise, and at times watching it was utterly painful.

  • dbz

    Sam Rami save us, use your spiderman director skills and make a better Dragon Ball Z Movie.

  • dbz

    Sam Rami save us, use your spiderman director skills and make a better Dragon Ball Z Movie.

  • HopeForFuture

    What can I say about this movie besides, when the hell did I miss all the episodes where Goku attended High School, Master Roshi was younger than 70, Bulma wanted to be famous, and Yamcha didn't know martial arts…By the way where the hell was Krillin?
    If they decide to do another movie with Vegeta, Freeza, and maybe Cell and the Androids I hope they'll be smarter and stick a little closer to the actual comics and shows for reference, or risk throwing out an equally terrible repeat of DragonBall:Evolution

  • HopeForFuture

    What can I say about this movie besides, when the hell did I miss all the episodes where Goku attended High School, Master Roshi was younger than 70, Bulma wanted to be famous, and Yamcha didn't know martial arts…By the way where the hell was Krillin?
    If they decide to do another movie with Vegeta, Freeza, and maybe Cell and the Androids I hope they'll be smarter and stick a little closer to the actual comics and shows for reference, or risk throwing out an equally terrible repeat of DragonBall:Evolution

  • Jose Polanco

    Holy Crap this movie sucks!, i got received a copy of this movie and boy! this is a real stink-a-roo. Dragonball is the only anime i use to see when i was young. i've seen the complete series and owned all the games, but now at age 19, i prey that this movie would not be seen by public eyes, i recommend to see Watchmen again. SAVE YOURSELF! don't let your childhood be broken into tiny pieces!.

  • Jose Polanco

    Holy Crap this movie sucks!, i got received a copy of this movie and boy! this is a real stink-a-roo. Dragonball is the only anime i use to see when i was young. i've seen the complete series and owned all the games, but now at age 19, i prey that this movie would not be seen by public eyes, i recommend to see Watchmen again. SAVE YOURSELF! don't let your childhood be broken into tiny pieces!.

  • SlashFox14

    Man thats not good. :(

  • SlashFox14

    Man thats not good. :(

  • what?

    Pffwhahahaha!!! too many ppl think this movie sucked! what the hell man, I watched dragonball z growing up, and even tho this movie is not even into the DBZ stage yet till the sequel(saiyan saga), I thought it kicked ass and exceeded my expectations…I liked this movie alot…AWSOME!!! thumbs up guys!!! looking forward to "good piccolo, radditz, vegeta, gohan, krillin & tien" in the next movie…I give DBE a solid 8 out of 10

    • shogun90

      are you retarded ? there wont be a sequel, there is no chance in hell that FOX will green light a sequel after these kind of reviews.

      • Doritos

        Yeah keep saying that to yourself ''there wont be anysequel..there wont be anysequel…'' …lol it might become true.

        The movie was Okay to me, you ALL (most of you) watched a BOOTLEG, bad quality CUTTED version, the USA version will have 100 minutes, you watched the Japanese version, which has 86 minutes, BUT since it was bootleged the guys filming, for some reason, cutted 16 minutes of movie, so there is AT LEAST 25 more minutes missing…yeah nice way to judge the movie!

  • what?

    Pffwhahahaha!!! too many ppl think this movie sucked! what the hell man, I watched dragonball z growing up, and even tho this movie is not even into the DBZ stage yet till the sequel(saiyan saga), I thought it kicked ass and exceeded my expectations…I liked this movie alot…AWSOME!!! thumbs up guys!!! looking forward to "good piccolo, radditz, vegeta, gohan, krillin & tien" in the next movie…I give DBE a solid 8 out of 10

    • shogun90

      are you retarded ? there wont be a sequel, there is no chance in hell that FOX will green light a sequel after these kind of reviews.

      • Doritos

        Yeah keep saying that to yourself ''there wont be anysequel..there wont be anysequel…'' …lol it might become true.

        The movie was Okay to me, you ALL (most of you) watched a BOOTLEG, bad quality CUTTED version, the USA version will have 100 minutes, you watched the Japanese version, which has 86 minutes, BUT since it was bootleged the guys filming, for some reason, cutted 16 minutes of movie, so there is AT LEAST 25 more minutes missing…yeah nice way to judge the movie!

  • hourlyman

    this movie was probably one of the lamest movies i've ever watched. its so horrible to even be consider as dragon ball z. what? are they going to come out with a new dragon ball z movie in a couple of years like how they all did to the movie HULK and PUNISHER too..

  • hourlyman

    this movie was probably one of the lamest movies i've ever watched. its so horrible to even be consider as dragon ball z. what? are they going to come out with a new dragon ball z movie in a couple of years like how they all did to the movie HULK and PUNISHER too..

  • Speedian

    It won't get a sequel…..it will get a revamp guaranteed

  • Speedian

    It won't get a sequel…..it will get a revamp guaranteed

  • Doritos

    The movie was Okay to me, you ALL (most of you) watched a BOOTLEG, bad quality CUTTED version, the USA version will have 100 minutes, you watched the Japanese version, which has 86 minutes, BUT since it was bootleged the guys filming, for some reason, cutted 16 minutes of movie, so there is AT LEAST 25 more minutes missing…yeah nice way to judge the movie!

  • Doritos

    The movie was Okay to me, you ALL (most of you) watched a BOOTLEG, bad quality CUTTED version, the USA version will have 100 minutes, you watched the Japanese version, which has 86 minutes, BUT since it was bootleged the guys filming, for some reason, cutted 16 minutes of movie, so there is AT LEAST 25 more minutes missing…yeah nice way to judge the movie!

  • Suparman

    The BOOTLEG version is 70 minutes because the Intro, Goku & Grandpa Gohan Fight Scene & the Ending Credits were CUT. If you will add those 3 parts the movie will be 100 minutes. But still this movie SUCK BALLS!!!

  • Suparman

    The BOOTLEG version is 70 minutes because the Intro, Goku & Grandpa Gohan Fight Scene & the Ending Credits were CUT. If you will add those 3 parts the movie will be 100 minutes. But still this movie SUCK BALLS!!!

  • Kai

    From what I hear, its not that the movie was too short, or the effects were bad, or not even that the characters were developed that poorly; it's that the writing sucked. It doesn't matter how much was cut out, the parts we saw were written like crap and no amount of extra film time will change that.

  • Kai

    From what I hear, its not that the movie was too short, or the effects were bad, or not even that the characters were developed that poorly; it's that the writing sucked. It doesn't matter how much was cut out, the parts we saw were written like crap and no amount of extra film time will change that.

  • Woofe

    I watch DB:Evolution in the cinema, and sadly to say, I regret it. I am a Dragon Ball Fan since I was a kid. My opinion, this is not Dragon Ball. They should called it something else. And then said, they are just borrowing the characther names. This film is so not Dragon Ball.

    If there's another name for pure kindness, it was Goku. But in the movie, the Goku is f*cked up. For some reason, he wanted to sleep with ChiChi (which btw is kinda a b****). Where is Goku's best friend? Yamcha don't know how to fight? I thought they can fly.

    And mind you, they're planning to make a sequel. At the end of the movie, after the short OST, they showed Picolo, still alive, being tended by a human girl. It's so stupid, you wanted to punch (kill) whoever made this movie.

  • Woofe

    I watch DB:Evolution in the cinema, and sadly to say, I regret it. I am a Dragon Ball Fan since I was a kid. My opinion, this is not Dragon Ball. They should called it something else. And then said, they are just borrowing the characther names. This film is so not Dragon Ball.

    If there's another name for pure kindness, it was Goku. But in the movie, the Goku is f*cked up. For some reason, he wanted to sleep with ChiChi (which btw is kinda a b****). Where is Goku's best friend? Yamcha don't know how to fight? I thought they can fly.

    And mind you, they're planning to make a sequel. At the end of the movie, after the short OST, they showed Picolo, still alive, being tended by a human girl. It's so stupid, you wanted to punch (kill) whoever made this movie.

  • Woofe

    I watched it in the cinema, I still think it's nothing but a pile of crap

  • Woofe

    I watched it in the cinema, I still think it's nothing but a pile of crap

  • woofe

    Oh and I forgot, Grandpa Gohan was killed by Picollo? Yeah, way the go whoever changed that plot. And who the f*ck hell is Oozaru. I peed my pants laughing.

  • woofe

    Oh and I forgot, Grandpa Gohan was killed by Picollo? Yeah, way the go whoever changed that plot. And who the f*ck hell is Oozaru. I peed my pants laughing.

  • keith

    You know if they just made a CG movie i'm sure it would've been pretty decent and they could've kept the same epicness from the dragonball anime, but no they had to find out the hard way…

    • New DB movie sucks

      If they have made a movie anime style (search on youtube , yo! goku and his friends return) it would be totally awesome.

  • keith

    You know if they just made a CG movie i'm sure it would've been pretty decent and they could've kept the same epicness from the dragonball anime, but no they had to find out the hard way…

    • New DB movie sucks

      If they have made a movie anime style (search on youtube , yo! goku and his friends return) it would be totally awesome.

  • david

    this movie pisses me off. goku and chi chi dont meet like that. they dont even go to school. goku and bulma dont meet like although it is somewhat similar. piccolo doesnt kill gohan. its pronounced go-hawn, not go-han and master roshi should know that. and master roshi has a goatee. basically this movie is weak. at least make it somewhat similar to the orginal dragonball. i know its hollywood and they fuck up everything. but shit, they butchered one of my favorite all time tv shows.

  • david

    this movie pisses me off. goku and chi chi dont meet like that. they dont even go to school. goku and bulma dont meet like although it is somewhat similar. piccolo doesnt kill gohan. its pronounced go-hawn, not go-han and master roshi should know that. and master roshi has a goatee. basically this movie is weak. at least make it somewhat similar to the orginal dragonball. i know its hollywood and they fuck up everything. but shit, they butchered one of my favorite all time tv shows.

  • boo

    learn to speak english you tool
    i dont care how many minutes were "cutted out"
    theres no way it can be salvaged

  • boo

    learn to speak english you tool
    i dont care how many minutes were "cutted out"
    theres no way it can be salvaged

  • GRain

    Are you crazy?..The movie sucks! first they say that piccolo was sent to earth along with goku..and he treated goku like its pet..which is not true .. they were sent to earth in different times…Second..Did you see the kamehame ha… :S what a joke…third Yamcha doesn't know martial arts, not even Rogafufuken :S, Fourth Roishi is old, and bald …which make him funny as hell…I think they should have use Patt morita for master Roshi….or other short japanese guy..old enugh to looks like roshi, Goku never went to high school, he was raised by Gohan in the mountains. You cannot male comments that the movie was good if you don't even read the mangas…that's a shame bro..this movie have a 0.

    • Goo

      Pat morita has been dead since 2006 I think, may mr miyagi rest in peace :(

  • GRain

    Are you crazy?..The movie sucks! first they say that piccolo was sent to earth along with goku..and he treated goku like its pet..which is not true .. they were sent to earth in different times…Second..Did you see the kamehame ha… :S what a joke…third Yamcha doesn't know martial arts, not even Rogafufuken :S, Fourth Roishi is old, and bald …which make him funny as hell…I think they should have use Patt morita for master Roshi….or other short japanese guy..old enugh to looks like roshi, Goku never went to high school, he was raised by Gohan in the mountains. You cannot male comments that the movie was good if you don't even read the mangas…that's a shame bro..this movie have a 0.

    • Goo

      Pat morita has been dead since 2006 I think, may mr miyagi rest in peace :(

  • tom

    I was so excited before came into d cinema. Expectin how this movie is gonna b. But man, iwas so freakin dissapointed wid d movie from d beginning! I’m a big dragon ball fan. I really don’t get why d director made d movie like this. Its definitely not an adaptation of the comic series. Not only that, without comparin it wid the real story (japanese comics version), d movie is so bad to stand alone. The story is so weak, bad scripts, bad acting, bad screen play, and bad..everyhtin. I don’t really know what kind of person is goku in dis movie. His character is just so empty n confusing. And The fighting scene? Well, I must say, the only fight that is quite interesting 2 watch is when goku fight his schoolmates at a party. At least there are some moves. but the last fight with picollo? What the hell was that?! Picollo could crushed gohan’s house in one blow. But then, he lost in the fight just like that? Many things are just so bloddy wrong in this movie, so wrong like the dragon (shen long) and d freakin ugly monkey (ozaroo, picollo’s pet?!? Wadda f?!) in this movie, which supported by an awful cg. Please could somebody make another dragon ball movie and put a serious effort on it? The japanese cartoon and comic version is so phenomenal. And it deserves an epic, trilogy movie for it.

  • tom

    I was so excited before came into d cinema. Expectin how this movie is gonna b. But man, iwas so freakin dissapointed wid d movie from d beginning! I’m a big dragon ball fan. I really don’t get why d director made d movie like this. Its definitely not an adaptation of the comic series. Not only that, without comparin it wid the real story (japanese comics version), d movie is so bad to stand alone. The story is so weak, bad scripts, bad acting, bad screen play, and bad..everyhtin. I don’t really know what kind of person is goku in dis movie. His character is just so empty n confusing. And The fighting scene? Well, I must say, the only fight that is quite interesting 2 watch is when goku fight his schoolmates at a party. At least there are some moves. but the last fight with picollo? What the hell was that?! Picollo could crushed gohan’s house in one blow. But then, he lost in the fight just like that? Many things are just so bloddy wrong in this movie, so wrong like the dragon (shen long) and d freakin ugly monkey (ozaroo, picollo’s pet?!? Wadda f?!) in this movie, which supported by an awful cg. Please could somebody make another dragon ball movie and put a serious effort on it? The japanese cartoon and comic version is so phenomenal. And it deserves an epic, trilogy movie for it.

  • Dezzy

    I knew the movie would suck and yet everyone around me was all like, "Give it a chance! it might not be the same but it could still be good!" That was the first time I wanted to slap my friends.

  • Dezzy

    I knew the movie would suck and yet everyone around me was all like, "Give it a chance! it might not be the same but it could still be good!" That was the first time I wanted to slap my friends.

  • arghhh

    what a waste of downloads

  • arghhh

    what a waste of downloads

  • bigdbzfan

    i'am a verry big DBZ fan all the way but and was hoping year's ago they would make a rly movie of it.That was 7 year's ago, back then on the http://www.dragonballz.com they where talking about it with FOX and back then they said FOX was not going too do it and it was manybe beter that they didn't do :( it becuase they well never get the true hart of the story in a rly live movie this proves that 7 year's ago and they where right , the only thing they had too do was stick too the story becuase just the story it self and the humor in it . My self i have thought this many time how this movie sud have turned out.But it would have not started out with goku going to school thats for sure .

  • bigdbzfan

    i'am a verry big DBZ fan all the way but and was hoping year's ago they would make a rly movie of it.That was 7 year's ago, back then on the http://www.dragonballz.com they where talking about it with FOX and back then they said FOX was not going too do it and it was manybe beter that they didn't do :( it becuase they well never get the true hart of the story in a rly live movie this proves that 7 year's ago and they where right , the only thing they had too do was stick too the story becuase just the story it self and the humor in it . My self i have thought this many time how this movie sud have turned out.But it would have not started out with goku going to school thats for sure .

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