The story seems to have been made up as the film went along, and not by anyone talented. The fight scenes and special effects are shamefully pathetic.
Comment
04/17/09
Dragonball: Evolution (2009)
13
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:53
Fresh:7
Rotten:46
Average Rating:3.4/10
Consensus: Executed with little panache or invention, Dragonball Evolution lacks the magic that made the books upon which it was based a cult sensation.
Theatrical Release:08-04-2009
Synopsis: Based on the renowned Japanese manga/anime franchise, the live-action DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION follows the adventures of young Goku (Justin Chatwin of WAR OF THE WORLDS), who is drawn into the legacy... [More]
Starring: Justin Chatwin, Emmy Rossum, Chow Yun Fat, James Marsters
Director: James Wong
Reviews for Dragonball: Evolution
Faced with the choice of watching Dragonball: Evolution again and perishing in a fiery apocalypse, I'd take Judgment Day every time.
04/17/09
A rather tame live-action sci-fi flick.
04/17/09
The producer, Stephen Chow, made the funny and original Kung Fu Hustle, but here he and director James Wong get into a terrible mess.
04/17/09
Having been blandly adapted from a Chinese folklore-inspired Manga, that's about as much of the story that makes sense. Gibberish in the extreme, it has all the narrative cohesion of a trading card game.
04/17/09
Making no effort to be original, exciting, witty or even vaguely plausible, it may pass the time as sparkly fodder for 12-year-old boys with plenty of sugar in their bloodstream.
04/09/09
Top CriticDragonball Evolution is an example of Hollywood at its most calculating and cynical. Utter drivel.
04/09/09
Top CriticDragonball: Evolution is so lazy and cheap in every aspect of its execution that the end result is almost unwatchable.
04/09/09
Tearing through its mystical, who-gives-a-toss storyline like a pissed bat bouncing off cave walls, Dragonball’s cocktail of cheap effects, eye-rolling cliches and dismal direlogue will have fans of the series condemning it as a beyond-lame failure.
04/09/09
Run a mile in any direction from Dragonball Evolution.
04/09/09
It’s just dull, dumb and depressing.
04/09/09
Enjoyable action-adventure enlivened by likeable performances, fast-paced direction and a script that's smart enough to cover a few teen movie bases along the way.
04/09/09
A charmless, somewhat cynical attempt to cash in on one of the most beloved anime franchises of all time.
04/06/09
Puerile childrens' sci-fi of a strictly B-movie standard.
03/26/09
This film offers further proof, as if any were needed, that Western filmmakers cannot do justice to their Easter counterparts when it comes to retooling anime and/or Fant-Asia for Occidental consumption.
09/24/09
As far as 2009 flops will go, [this] could have been much worse to sit through...
04/30/09
A contender for the worst movie of the year was released in April.
04/18/09
I am no expert in the field of Dragon Ball. However... the first live-action, English-language film in the franchise is absolutely insipid.
04/18/09
For anyone writing it off as a kiddie film, Dragonball: Evolution should be considered child abuse. Put everyone involved with this catastrophe on the receiving end of a Kamehameha wave.
04/18/09
this first installment was actually entertaining enough that a sequel could work out the kinks to become a very solid franchise.
04/17/09
Latest News for Dragonball: Evolution
April 10, 2009:
Weekly Ketchup: Dragonball, Hangover sequels announced
This week, Hollywood seemed to actually be listening to our usual complaints, as most of the new projects that were announced could be described as genuinely original concepts,... More...
April 09, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Hannah Montana Hits A Flat Note
This week at the movies, we've got a pop songbird (Hannah Montana the Movie, starring Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus), a mall cop (Observe and Report, starring Seth Rogen and Anna... More...
April 08, 2009:
Jamie Chung Stands Up for Dragonball Evolution 
For months, any bit of news about "Dragonball Evolution" has been greeted with snorts of derision from fans of the anime series -- but Jamie Chung, who plays Chi Chi in the... More...
April 07, 2009:
Five Favourite Films with James Marsters
James Marsters is perhaps best known to audiences as the blonde-haired Sid Vicious-alike Spike on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The vampire who earned his nickname by... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds