Dragonball Evolution Blu-ray delivers stunning video and audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
Goku and a handful of friends battle for the Earth against the deadly forces of the Saiyans, who are sweeping across the universe, leaving a path of destruction. Goku and his friends' best chance for survival rests with the Namekian DragonBalls, which provide them the power to summon a mighty dragon.
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 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 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 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.
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.
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has announced that it will release 'Dragonball Evolution: Z Edition' on Blu-ray on July 28, day-and-date with the DVD. This live-action adaptation of the popular manga and anime franchise will be presented in 1080p 2.35:1 AVC ...
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