Line #23 Film/DragonballEvolution


1	%%Remember, we are not here to trash the film on the work page; take your grievances to the appropriate pages.
2	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/513gfwtexxl_ac.jpg]]
3	[[caption-width-right:350:Left to right: Mai, Bulma, Goku, Master Roshi, and Chi-Chi.]]
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5	''Dragonball Evolution'' is an American LiveActionAdaptation of ''Manga/DragonBall'' produced by Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox and directed by James Wong. It stars Creator/JustinChatwin, Creator/EmmyRossum, Creator/ChowYunFat, Creator/JamesMarsters, Creator/JamieChung, Joon Park and Creator/ErikoTamura.
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7	Goku (Chatwin) is a young high school student who must battle the evil space overlord Piccolo (Marsters) and retrieve the Dragon Balls in order to stop Piccolo's massive ape servant, Oozaru. Along the way, Goku loses his grandfather and meets an inventor named Bulma (Rossum), an aging martial arts master named Roshi (Chow), and a bandit named Yamcha (Park).
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9	Creator/AkiraToriyama, the creator of the original series, reportedly [[DisownedAdaptation hated this movie]] so much that he returned to work on the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise to redeem his creation. This was one of the factors resulting in ''Dragon Ball''[='s=] revival in the mid-2010s, starting with ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods''.
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11	It has a FightingGame adaptation on the Platform/PlayStationPortable. Not to be confused with the two unofficial live-action movies based on ''Dragon Ball'', ''Film/DragonBallTheMagicBegins'' and ''Film/DragonBallFightForVictorySonGoku''.
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13	----
14	!!This movie provides examples of:
15	* AdaptationalBadass: Oddly enough, the Kamehameha Wave itself. In the series the wave was an extremely powerful energy attack limited only by the user's power, but that was it. In the movie the wave can do basically anything. It's shown putting out and lighting fires, as well as somehow healing a character from near death -- though later entries in the franchise give it a similar ability.
16	* AdaptationalMundanity: This is justified, since it would have been very difficult to make this film 100% faithful to the manga and anime, since on Earth from the world of ''Dragon Ball'' is inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, dinosaurs, humans with unusual characteristics, demons and talking monsters. Also, in the manga and anime the ''Dragon Ball'' chronology goes back to the 700s, while in the film it seems to happen in the present 2009. Goku is an average high school teenager rather than a kid raised in the woods and most of the cast, notably the dwarf Krillin, were left out.
17	* AdaptationalVillainy: The Namekians are described as being conquerors from across the stars, when in the source material, they are mostly peaceful, with Demon King Piccolo being an exception (and that was only because he was the physical embodiment of the evil side of the Namekian he and Kami split from).
18	* AdaptationalWimp:
19	** The Oozaru in the manga is a [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever King Kong like beast]]. Here, as an Oozaru, Goku grows around two feet taller than his base form.
20	* AdaptationExpansion: The surprisingly-decent video game of the film takes a few chances to expand upon the film and throw in a few more elements from the actual franchise. [[spoiler: In particular, Piccolo references Goku's Saiyan heritage by name during the battle at the temple and in the secret bonus chapter of the story, Piccolo returns in a very Lord Slug-esque form of "Neo Piccolo", and as he dies for good, he utters another curse at Goku's true identity as a Saiyan. Even as the chapter closes, Chi-Chi mentions a new technique, jokingly stating it would be "a beam from her forehead".]]
21	* AdaptationInducedPlotHole: [[spoiler:At the end, the Dragon Balls are used to bring back Master Roshi, but not Grandpa Gohan. In the original manga and anime, Gohan said he was content with remaining dead, but no such clarification is given here, raising the question of why they didn't at least try to resurrect him.]]
22	* AdaptationTitleChange: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], but the film's title spells "Dragonball" as a single word as opposed to the rest of the franchise. The "Evolution" subtitle also has no prior basis.
23	* AdaptedOut: The movie seems to be mostly an adaptation of the Demon King Piccolo arc of the manga with a little bit of Goku's backstory added in, so they could safely excise any of the bit characters from the other arcs. But still some major players in the DKP arc are still left out, like Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, and perhaps most egregiously, Krillin.
24	* AlternateDVDCommentary: A [[Podcast/RiffTrax riff]] provided by Creator/TeamFourStar of the ''WebVideo/DragonBallAbridged'' series.
25	* AmbiguousTimePeriod: The high-tech classroom implies that this movie takes much later in the future despite the aesthetics and setting being reminiscient of 2009 (when the movie was filmed). Averted in the novelization where Bulma states that it is currently the 22nd Century.
26	* AndTheAdventureContinues: The movie ends with [[spoiler:the main characters heading off to look for the Dragon Balls again.]]
27	* AntiClimax: Piccolo creates several creatures to fight the heroes. [[spoiler:It takes the heroes about 10 seconds to defeat them. Then, Mai shows up. She takes another 3 seconds.]] Also, Goku instantly becomes perfect and then easily defeats the villain.
28	* ArtisticLicensePhysics: At the end of the BeamOWar between Goku and Piccolo, Goku somehow uses the Kamehameha to propel himself towards Piccolo, somehow acting like a reverse tractor beam that draws them towards each other, despite the fact that, if anything, it should push Goku away from Piccolo since it's just a blast of energy and nothing more.
29	* BadassNormal: Yamcha and Bulma, though they do almost nothing of consequence compared to Goku.
30	* BeYourself: Goku must learn to embrace what makes him different in order to save the world. This definitely counts as an AdaptationalAngstUpgrade, since Goku is usually so carefree and wouldn't be so concerned with fitting in.
31	%%* BeamOWar: Sort of.
32	%%* BetaCouple: Yamcha and Bulma.
33	%%* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: Poor Grandpa Gohan.
34	%%* TheChosenOne: Played completely straight.
35	* CompositeCharacter:
36	** As stated above the Namekians are said to be conquerers, which makes them like the Saiyans under Freiza.
37	** Sifu Norris is a mentor to Master Roshi, similar to the animated series Master Mutaito and his costume bears some similarity to the outfit worn by Mr Popo.
38	* ConvectionSchmonvection: Goku ''hops across'' a lava flow by using Mook bodies as stepping stones. Granted Goku is MadeOfIron but his friends, who aren't standing too far from the lava themselves, are not.
39	* ConvenientlyTimedAttackFromBehind: Mai is chasing Bulma and about to deal a killing blow when [[spoiler: Yamcha shoots her from behind]]. A deleted, alternate version of that scene actually has her [[spoiler: impaled by shrapnel, but still taken out by Yamcha]].
40	* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: [[spoiler: Grandpa Gohan dies on Goku's 18th birthday.]]
41	%%* DeadpanSnarker: Bulma
42	* DesignatedGirlFight:
43	** In the only tournament fight shown, Chi-Chi is fighting Mai. These are, most likely, the only two female participants. They later fight again, when Mai has taken Chi-Chi's form.
44	** During the final battle, Bulma must fight Mai alone for the Dragon Ball.
45	* EarthDrift: {{Inverted}}, if the PSP video game is anything to go by: it is stated that unlike the completely FictionalEarth in ''Dragon Ball'', this movie's Earth is in fact our world in the future.
46	* TheEndOrIsIt: The last shot of the film shows us that [[spoiler:[[BigBad Piccolo]] has survived Goku's attack and is now being nursed back to health by a woman whose life he spared earlier in the film.]]
47	* EverybodyWasKungFuFighting: Most of the bullies use the usual assortment of [[GoodOldFisticuffs punches you'd expect from untrained jocks]]. The one Asian in the group, though, adopts a fighting stance and tries to use a flying kick.
48	%%* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Goku is choleric, Yamcha is sanguine, Roshi is melancholic and Bulma is phlegmatic.
49	* HighSchoolAU: In stark contrast to the source material, where Goku is mostly uneducated, Goku's high school life actually plays a fairly significant part in the movie's first act.
50	* HydraProblem: The minions Piccolo creates with his blood will spawn from any piece of them cut off. Goku beats them by throwing them into lava.
51	%%* ISurrenderSuckers: Bulma tries this with Mai.
52	* InNameOnly: The movie has ''some'' elements in common with the original manga, such as the presence of Goku and a girl named Bulma who are in search of the seven [[MacGuffin Dragon Balls]]. But nearly everything else is heavily modified from the original canon. Goku went from a twelve-year old {{Chaste\|Hero}} WildChild to a sixteen-year-old negative High-Schooler who wants to get with a girl. He learns the Kamehameha too late, and is too serious to even be considered the same character. Krillin, a highly important character in the original, was cut out (while [[FunnyAnimal Oolong and Puar]] may be understandable). Bulma and [[AscendedExtra Mai]] go the other way and TookALevelInBadass.
53	* InvisibleToNormals: Ki attacks, which is why the presence of ki masters like Grandpa Gohan and Muten Roshi goes unnoticed by the rest of the world. Again, this is in contrast to the source material where (prior to Dragonball Z's Cell Saga) the world is well aware that ki is a real thing.
54	* KamehameHadoken: Naturally, given the movie is an adaptation of one of the {{Trope Namer}}s. Amusingly, Goku's use of it throughout the film resembles the Hadoken more than the Kamehameha from the anime and manga.
55	* LancerVsDragon: During the climactic battle, Bulma takes on Mai. Mai emerges victorious [[spoiler:but is defeated by Yamcha, the other lancer of the group.]]
56	%%* LargeHam: Master Roshi and Piccolo.
57	* LetsYouAndHimFight: Goku and Bulma have a confrontation when they first meet. Goku thinks she's the one who murdered Grandpa Gohan, while she thinks he stole her "Promethium Orb" (Dragonball).
58	* LoopholeAbuse: When Goku is attacked by bullies at Chi-Chi's party, he gets around his promise that he wouldn't fight by relying on DeadlyDodging so that his attackers basically fight ''each other'' without ever hitting Goku himself.
59	%%* NotWhatItLooksLike: All Goku can say when Roshi catches him in his house.
60	* OpenMouthInsertFoot: When Chi-Chi reveals that she knows of the existence of ki and states that her name doesn't mean she's an idiot, Goku proceeds to embarrass himself this way.
61	* OvershadowedByAwesome: In lieu of Krillin, Yamcha and Bulma get this treatment.
62	* RemakeCameo:
63	** In addition to Creator/MarioCastaneda and Creator/CarlosSegundo returning as the respective voices of Goku and Piccolo, Creator/IrwinDaayan, the original Dende, voices Agundas; Creator/PacoMauri (Gara in ''Dragon Ball'' and Mr. Lao in ''Z'') is instead the voice of Master Roshi; José Arenas (who played various roles in ''Z'' and ''GT'' as well as Jeice in ''Kai'') is the voice of Fuller; Creator/HermanLopez (the original Turtle) voices Mr. Kingery (the teacher who appears at the beginning of the film); and Creator/ArturoMercado, the voice of Karin, Zarbon and Babidi, voices Grandpa Gohan.
64	** In the Japanese dub, Creator/HisaoEgawa, who voices Piroshki and Spopovitch in ''Z'', voices Yamcha and Creator/KenjiUtsumi, the original Shenron, voices Sifu Norris (Roshi's master).
65	* TheReveal: It's no real shocker to those who are DB fans [[spoiler: but Goku and Oozaru are one and the same]].
66	%%* SchizoTech
67	* SequelHook: In a post-credits sequence, [[spoiler:Piccolo is shown to have survived]].
68	* ShoutOut:
69	** The Dragonballs have the added ability to [[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing make Goku see horrible things if he touches them.]] For bonus points, the old master (Roshi) wraps it in cloth to prevent this.
70	** Ki attacks are referred to as "[[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender airbending]]".
71	** Goku has posters for ''Film/ShaolinSoccer'' and ''Johnny Tsunami'' on his wall.
72	* SpotTheImposter: Goku had to do this when Mai disguised as Chi-Chi fights the Real Chi-Chi. He ends up knocking the real Chi-Chi out and only realizes his mistake when he sees the cut on her arm that Mai had inflicted on her during their earlier match.
73	* StockFootage: [[FreezeFrameBonus Paying close attention]] during Goku's "premonitions" whenever he acquires a Dragon Ball reveals that the movie uses a fair amount of stock footage. Examples include ''Film/Armageddon1998'' and ''Film/IndependenceDay''.
74	%%* StockPhrases: Uses a whole bunch of them.
75	* StockScream: Partway through the movie Chi-Chi defeats a Wilhelm during her training.
76	* SwissArmySuperpower: The Kamehameha Wave, for some reason. In the source material it was purely an attack move, but in the movie we see it light and extinguish fires, and even heal a person from near death.
77	%%* TakeOverTheWorld: Piccolo's EvilPlan.
78	* ThatsGottaHurt: When Goku avoids one of Fuller's punches during their battle, the latter punches his car's window and yells in pain, causing Goku to say the trope name verbatim.
79	* ThereAreNoRules: Mentioned a few times by Goku, who got it from his grandpa who said it while they were training at the beginning of the movie.
80	* TotalEclipseOfThePlot: Goku and the gang must acquire all the Dragonballs before an upcoming solar eclipse, when Oozaru will return and join Piccolo. When said eclipse appears, [[spoiler: Goku transforms into Oozaru]].
81	* TournamentArc: Averted; it looks like the World Martial Arts Tournament, but it has a different name, Goku doesn't fight in it, and it's barely shown.
82	* UnknownRematchConclusion: Goku accidentally knocks out Chi-Chi thinking she is [[TheDragon Mai]] in disguise. Chi-Chi and Goku later argue over whether or not this was a lucky punch and decide to settle it with a proper fight that begins as the movie ends.
83	* WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld: The first chunk of the movie is focused on Goku's conflicts with school bullies. If your name was Goku and you lived way the hell outside the rest of the city with some old dude who told you stories about aliens called Nameks and ki powers that no one else can see, you'd get picked on too.
84	* WhiteMaleLead: Goku is the only major character who is Caucasian and just so happens to be the one who saves the day.
85	* WordSaladTitle: ''Dragonball '''Evolution'''''.

Context Film / DragonballEvolution