J-Dude the thing is, dragonball is based on a fantasy world, how do you make a fantasy world movie? Usually with cartoons or 3D. If you´re going to make a real movie about 100 episodes of dragonball you must have tons of money to invest, and does not seem the case.
What I feel is what 99% of us feel, its the cartoon that I was almost born waching being completely destroyed by a capitalist guy - its only about geting money without giving some quality to the customers. Besides dragonball is almost unknown to the newest generations, and they are going to say that dragon ball is crappy after they see the movie.
Now if you want a good example of a movie based on cartoons I can point the TMNT "the last one", wich I think its awesome.
When I will see this movie, "if I ever see it" I wont remember dragonball at all
The movie has a hundred million dollar budget. You don't think they have money?
Basically, you hate it because it's live action at all. The last TMNT movie you refer to was CGI, which I'm guessing was why you liked it. I myself think it was crap, but then that's regardless of whether it's 2d, 3d or live action. Mainly because I think the series is ridiculous.
I'm not even going to bother listing how many fantasy worlds have been successfully translated to live action. Why? Because most blockbuster films fit that category.
You see, you're attitude towards this is very purist elitist. I see it all the time, with people who ONLY like the original Japanese for the sake of it being the original. You ONLY want it animated because the original was animated. You don't want to see Dragonball with a spin, you want to see Dragonball, what you're familiar with, exactly the way it was. That's your prerogative, I suppose, but it's pretty closed-minded.
I seem to find people in this forum get a first impression and then create a black and white prejudice. Either it's descending from heaven on a silver chariot to ferry us all to the promised land, or it's eaten your children and deserves to be bashed in every way possible.
I came into this fully expecting and looking forward to ways the series would be interpreted. By default we all rely on the series as a stencil when anticipating it, but everyone's all hot and bothered now because instead it seems to be using it more as a guideline. I expected the more purist people here would cry "bastard" but I hadn't expected such unanimity in that opinion. Maybe it's the fact that I'm really not asking for very much in a Dragonball film. If I hear Justin Chatwin referred to as "Goku", I'll feel giddy just for that. I'll probably release endorphins when I hear the word "Kamehameha" in theaters. It really comes down to only a few necessities for me:
1: Energy attacks are strong, existant and VERY destructive.
2: Battles make use of the large environments they're portrayed in.
3: The majority of main characters are portrayed in some way shape or form.
4: The basic concepts of the series' Universe are properly translated.
I mean, I'm not even expecting there to be a Capsule Corporation. If there is, then great! More points toward the script writers! Y'see, if you come in with few or no expectations, you're not going to get your heart broken when you discover Bulma's hair isn't blue or that there are no talking animal creatures like Oolong or Puar or that Piccolo isn't ****ing green. I'm looking at it thinking, "If I was in charge, would I include this?" "Would I change this? "What are the advantages of having this?" "What is necessary?" "What is merely included for series faithfulness?"
And when I think like that, I can see sorta' where the director is going with this, and thinking that way I can always find a reason for a style choice.
Like, I can understand starting Goku as a regular guy and a teenager. I think having the star be a giddy kid the whole movie would make people take the film less seriously. Getting a child actor to bounce around with an extending stick sounds way too gimmicky when applied to live action.
And making Roshi a more serious character. Goku is starting out with very little combat experience and needs a master. Roshi would fill the position fine, but having an old bearded leacher who is essentially a goofy character in the serious setting of avenging Gohan would be too conflicting. I can however see Chow Yun Fat maybe playing a very mildly perverted side when not training.
I can go on and on explaining this stuff, but when I really analyze it I have to agree with their decisions. When put to live action and turned into a mainly action film, you have to decide on an ultimate tone and tone DOWN the more silly comical stuff.
And even when I look at the tamer fighting, as I said, being the very first film I won't fault them on starting out slower and then extending the characters' powers in the later films. It's good planning since DBZ's repetitive fighting hardly changes pace once characters can destroy planets.
I can understand not wanting to change too much, but I've already seen 13 hour long animated movies, I don't want to see an hour and a half of Budokai Tenkaichi's cinematic intro, and I really think live action is the format for a true "brought to the big screen" feeling.
You can be all butthurt and shout "bastardization" all you want, but I'm looking for something fresh anyway. One man's trash is another man's treasure.
EDIT:
And, this movie doesn't seem designed for new fans anyway, and all us original fans are still alive, so I'm pretty sure it's meant for us.
