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Chi Chi shows off her moves in Dragonball Evolution. |
Dragonball is one for boys to get their kicks from
DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION
Directed by James Wong
Certificate PG
BEFORE I dismiss this film out of hand – and it is painfully bad – it is worth remembering a couple of things.
Firstly, this is aimed at a certain group of boys whose bedroom walls provide the scope of their horizons. And when you consider the demographic, it will make you look more kindly on this ridiculous adventure.
It ticks all the boxes. A teenager shunned and bullied at school, but who holds a marvellous secret: instead of being a wimpy geek, he is a martial arts expert, and one who is destined, as the story unfolds, to not just take on the bullies, but to save the universe too. Throw in some skimpily-clad curvy women, terrific gadgets – my favourite being a motorbike carried about in a little ball which then springs open to reveal the vehicle – and super punch-ups, and you can see what the producers are hoping to do.
The second factor to bear in mind is this film is based on a Manga comic, the stylised graphic novels that the Japanese adore.
There is a certain way of presenting action in Manga. It is graphically paired down, with each box furthering the story.
It means the reader has to fill in the gaps, visually and in terms of the plot. In an attempt to make the film feel as Manga as possible, each scene is set up like a comic, ie, creaky, especially when you throw in the badly worked jokes, which are a vital part of the Manga process. Young twerp Koku lives with his grandfather, who is a Karate Kid-style Kung Fu expert and is mentoring his young charge. It is his 18th birthday and he is given a mysterious orb containing hidden powers. But instead of hearing the full story of what the orb does, our hero goes out to a party at the home of Chi Chi, a girl he has a crush on.
While he is out having fun, his grandfather is visited by a mysterious beast who wants the orb – and demolishes the home, with old pops inside, to find it.
Cue an adventure to make sure this baddie does not get all seven of these orbs which would allow him to reduce the world to some kind of apocalyptic nightmare.
While those who do not already know of Dragonball will find this film beyond terrible, it is a sign of how much the story is enjoyed in Japan that legendary actor Chow Yun-Fat is involved. It is not so incredible that he would waste his time with such a dreary role, such is the popularity of the Dragonball comics. For Asian audiences, who know of the 500-episode Dragonball TV series, comics and computer games, it makes
perfect sense. But we’re not in Asia, and unless you are a young boy with baggage, this is not for you. |
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