Despite the passing of time, Dragon Ball Evolution remains the prime example of a failed attempt at adapting an anime into live-action. A recently resurfaced clip serves as a stark reminder of the film’s numerous shortcomings, from the alterations made to the story, designs, and plot to its inability to capture the essence and appeal of the original series. In terms of every aspect, the 2009 movie is widely acknowledged as a failure.
The Dragon Ball Evolution film is an example of the inconsistent path that live-action anime adaptations have taken, despite some recent positive developments. However, it is undeniable that there has been significant improvement in this area, as demonstrated by the success of the Netflix One Piece live-action series. This series shows that anime can successfully be adapted into a live-action format.
Please note: This article contains spoilers for the series.
Dragon Ball Evolution’s Impact Lives on as Recently Resurfaced Clip Goes Viral
Released in 2009, this live-action movie has gained a reputation as one of the most poorly made films of all time. Many have criticized its blatant disregard for Akira Toriyama’s original work and its failure to capture the beloved series’ essence and appeal. Even after fifteen years, a recent clip has resurfaced, reminding the anime community of the film’s continued disapproval and unpopularity.
“Is he fighting brainiac!!?”a person mentioned.
“i remember seeing this movie in theaters. bruh the anger i felt when i walked out omg.”another person said.
“I always feel bad for the actor that played Goku, because he was prepared to play the role seriously; even reading and watching the original source material. Unfortunately, Hollywood has no interest whatsoever in being faithful to source material. They just use the name.”someone pointed out.
Despite its major deviations from the source material and drastic alterations to the story, the movie received intense backlash for not staying true to its origins and feeling like a completely separate entity. Additionally, as one fan pointed out, it seems that 20th Century Fox Studios prioritized brand recognition over the integrity of the narrative.
“There were multiple people involved that genuinely wanted to make a good DB Movie but ultimately it was going to be impossible to do especially being Hollywood.”someone pointed out.
“It was the worst in more than one way to the point it is now a case study.”someone else said.
The Legacy of This Film and Modern Live-Action Adaptations
The Dragon Ball fan community was greatly let down by this film, which serves as a stark reminder of the disappointing track record of live-action adaptations of anime. While there have been several notable failures, such as the live-action versions of Saint Seiya, Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, and Cowboy Bebop, there have also been successes like Bleach, Rurouni Kenshin, and One Piece, proving that it is indeed possible to faithfully adapt anime to the screen.
“Moments like this really convince me that a chunk of the crew actually cared about this. Like, Goku looks fine here. The effects look fine. The cast are fine. But then he goes all wakanda forever when he charges energy and launches himself into the sky and it just falls apart.”a fan pointed out.
“You want to know the biggest disappointment with this film? They didnt even bother to put krillin in, but yamcha was still in it, despite arguably being far less important.”someone else said.
“Made Toriyama want to make Dragon Ball Super, best lemonade I can make from these lemons lol.”another person said.
Concluding Remarks
This film marked a significant moment for Dragon Ball and live-action anime adaptations, although for all the wrong reasons. It serves as a reminder that these adaptations have improved over the years, but also serves as a cautionary example of what not to do in such situations.
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