Summary
Dragonball Evolutiongot a lot of things wrong, but the live-actionDragon Ballmovie’s biggest mistake was to ignore one of the anime’s greatest characters. Before projects likeOne PieceandThe Last of Usshowed that there could be great live-action adaptations of beloved franchises that respect the source material while doing something new, Hollywood had a terrible track with the genre.Dragonball Evolutioncontinues to be regarded as theworst live-action anime adaptationof all time 15 years later, which is unfortunate given how muchDragon Ballmeans to millions of fans around the world.
I understand that a 2009 movie with a not-so-big budget would struggle to cover the fantastical, action-packed world ofDragon Ball. However, after watchingNetflix’sOne Pieceseason 1, I cannot help but wonder what a proper live-actionDragon Ballfilm with a suitable budget and a solid creative vision would have looked like. As awful as the movie is, it can be fun to revisitDragonball Evolutionand look at the strange creative decisions the film made.Turning Goku into a high schooler was odd, but omitting Krillin altogether was somehow even weirder.
The Dragon Ball Live-Action Movie Could Not Even Get This 1 Thing Right About The Anime
Even before its release, the Dragon Ball live-action movie’s flaws were evident because it could not even get one simple thing right about the anime.
Dragonball Evolution Completely Ignored Krillin
Krillin Was Neither Featured Nor Teased In Dragonball Evolution
Dragonball Evolutiontechnically coveredDragon Ball’s first couple of arcs, going from the death of Grandpa Gohan to Goku’s fight against King Piccolo. While Krillin was not very prominent in this portion of the story – he dies at the beginning of the King Piccolo arc – the character became synonymous with the originalDragon Ballmanga. AsDragon Ballgrew intoDragon Ball Zand continued to introduce several powerful characters, Krillin became a nostalgic reminder of when Goku and his best friends were just kids. Therefore,anyDragon Ballstory without Krillin is incomplete.
Dragonball Evolutionwas not trying to be faithful to the source material, meaning there would be no problem bringing in Krillin earlier and having him be part of the team that searched for the Dragon Balls and fought King Piccolo. The fact that the first and so far onlylive-actionDragon Ballmovie did not include one of the anime’s most beloved charactersperfectly encapsulates everything wrong withDragonball Evolution. It also speaks to how the film perceived the characters – most of them served as nothing but plot devices.
Joon Park
Yamcha
For example, most of Master Roshi’s lines inDragonball Evolutionwere purely exposition about the Dragon Balls, Oozaru, and Piccolo. Likewise,the friendship between Goku and Bulma is almost non-existent, with the latter working as a plot device to get the hero from point A to point B in the search for the Dragon Balls. Even Yamcha, who joins the heroes ahead of the third act, is virtually just a comic relief. None of them truly connect to Goku in the way they did in the anime, making it difficult to imagine what Krillin would have been like in the film.
Would Krillin Have Saved Dragonball Evolution?
A Proper Krillin Could Have Helped Dragonball Evolution
On the one hand, having Krillin inDragonball Evolutioncould have helped the film. A well-cast Krillin with enough charisma to portray the fan-favorite character could have brought some much-needed heart to the film and even improvedGoku’s live-action characteras a result. Some of Goku’s best scenes inDragon Ballinvolve Krillin, and their friendship is one of the pillars of the story created by the late Akira Toriyama. Krillin could have been a good comic relief too, but only if written properly. However,nothing inEvolutionsuggests it would have gotten Krillin right.
The film ditches most of the manga’s story and introduces new, original concepts about Piccolo and Goku.
There are arguably no redeemable qualities about the live-actionDragon Ballfilm. None of the characters could live up to their anime counterparts, starting with Goku. From strange casting choices to poor characterization and writing,Dragonball Evolutiondid not come close to doing its characters justice.The decision to adaptDragon Ballinstead ofDragon Ball Zmade sensefor the first movie, but not even the relatively small-scale aspect of the series’ first 196 chapters could helpDragonball Evolution. The film ditches most of the manga’s story and introduces new, original concepts about Piccolo and Goku.
Maybe It’s Good That Krillin Was Not In Dragonball Evolution
Dragonball Evolution Didn’t Get Any Of Its Characters Right
Krillin’s absence fromDragonball Evolutionwas questioned when the movie was announced and the first pieces of promotional material were released. However, in hindsight, I’m relieved that Krillin was not in theDragon Balllive-action movie. Considering that the film failed Goku, Bulma, Piccolo, Master Roshi, and all the story elements from the manga it tackled, it is safe to assume that Krillin would not have been treated well.Krillin has gone through a lot inDragon Ball, but he is always written with a lot of respect and care, even during his many deaths.
Krillin died six times in theDragon Ballfranchise considering all series (includingGT) and alternate universes.
Master Roshi and his dynamic with Goku didn’t work inEvolution. Additionally, it’s hard to believe thatEvolutionwould have gotten the humor and the silliness that comes with Krillin. While translating anime’s humor for an adaptation is difficult no matter what,Dragonball Evolutiondid a particularly poor job in that aspect. The film tried to be a classic 2000s coming-of-age high school film, yet it could not be as funny as the best entries in this genre.Dragonball Evolution’s version of Krillin could have gone terribly, even if the casting was somehow on point.
Krillin Must Be In The Next Dragon Ball Movie (If It Ever Happens)
Krillin Is The Heart Of Dragon Ball
As of now, there are no plans for another live-actionDragon Ballmovie. A few years after theEvolutiondisaster, theDragon Ballfranchise returned with a theatrical movie that led to a brand-new series,Dragon BallSuper. Since then,Dragon Ballhas entered a new successful era of theatrical movies and anime series. Therefore, it seems like a live-action project is not a priority. However, considering how popular the IP is,I would not be surprised if anotherDragon Balllive-action movie happenseventually. If it does, it needs Krillin.
Krillin is often the strongest human at any given point inDragon Ball (…)
AfterDragonball Evolution, I would be interested to see whether a newDragon Ballmovie from Hollywood would try to cover Goku’s initial adventures as a kid, or if it would jump right intoDragon Ball Z. Either way, Krillin would be very important. More than a sidekick to Goku, Krillin is arguably the heart ofDragon Balland helps keep the series grounded despite all the aliens and gods that the heroes encounter. Krillin is often the strongest human at any given point inDragon Ball, and I would love to see his fighting style in live-action.
Dragonball Evolution
Cast
Dragonball Evolution is a live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese manga and anime series Dragon Ball. Directed by James Wong, the film stars Justin Chatwin as Goku, who embarks on a quest to collect the seven Dragon Balls and prevent the evil Lord Piccolo from destroying the world. The movie diverges from its source material, offering a modernized take on the beloved franchise.
