Dragonball Evolution wrtiter apologizes to fans

[Soppa Saia People]

Apparently, this is trending on Facebook...

I hate the trending tab.

I like it for my browser, seriously without I wouldn't have knew Chyna died.

[Hellspawn28]

I always wonder how Dragon Ball Evolution would have panned out if the script was left unchanged. Would have it been more successful critically and commercially than it originally was? We'll never know.

I remember hearing that Tedi Sarafian's original script had Piccolo, Pilaf and Mai trying to use the Dragon Balls to restore Piccolo's youth. Fox had the movie went through different writers and re-writes. Toriyama wanted control over the movie and Fox was like "No".

[Lord Beerus]

I always wonder how Dragon Ball Evolution would have panned out if the script was left unchanged. Would have it been more successful critically and commercially than it originally was? We'll never know.

I remember hearing that Tedi Sarafian's original script had Piccolo, Pilaf and Mai trying to use the Dragon Balls to restore Piccolo's youth. Fox had the movie went through different writers and re-writes. Toriyama wanted control over the movie and Fox was like "No".

Dragonball Evolution suffered immensely from executive meddling. Ben Ramsey's original script was a much more faithful adaptation of the original source material from the manga, complete with Pilaf and his gang, Oolong, Pu'ar, the Nimbus and even a cameo from Krillin. Then the executive meddling of 20th Century Fox kicked in. The higher ups didn't want a kids movie, so the concept of the movie being based in the early portions of Dragon Ball was scrapped in favour of having the movie set during Goku's teen years, modernizing the Dragon Ball world and making the story more adult, much more like a coming of age film, so that the casual audience wouldn't feel alienated by Dragon Ball's original premise. Needless to say, the script was changed a lot once it was out of Ben Ramsey's hands. And of course there was Fox infamously telling Toriyama to pretty much fuck off when he wanted to provide input into the movie during its production stage. Fox just didn't care in the slightest.

[IAmTheMilkMan]

Dragonball Evolution was filmed with $30 million, and ours with $10 thousand, but ours is loved by fans, while Hollywood’s is not.

I wouldn't go that far, pal.

people did not like it because it was not reflecting the original enough for them.

People didn't like it because it was a lousy movie.

I expected more from someone like you than such a horrible generalization.

It has a %14 rating on RottenTomatoes from critics who are largely unfamiliar with Dragon Ball. Art is subjective and whatever whatever, but as much as I disapprove of the Tomatometer, when a film is rated that low, the general consensus is that it was a lousy film.

Kind of felt sorry for the guy after reading it. The fact that he initially took on the project for the cash-grab makes me feel less sorry, but still, it must feel horrible being at the end of all that hate. I've never disliked a movie so much that I felt compelled to seek out the writer and tell him he's a dungbag. Seems excessive.

[Hellspawn28]

Eh, this isn't a big deal, I don't think a apology was even needed but it would've made more sense in 09 or 2010.
EDIT: So if Esfír Dedragón is correct this was even more unnecessary.

Joel Schumacher said sorry for Batman & Robin like a decade later. So a apology now is better later than never. It was not really the writer's fault for the movie, I blame James Wong and the people of Fox for giving us a bad movie. Fox just wanted to make a movie because the license was about to expire after owning the rights since 2002 and needed to make something quick. The same thing happen with the F4 movie from last year.

[El Diabeetus]

He doesn't need to apologize. Evolution riled up Toriyama badly enough to want to return to the helm of DB. I'm fine with how things turned out in the end.

[successoroffate]

I...I don't get it. I don't see why he should apologize, I'm not sure if he was "The Guy" Who choose the direction of the script and general feeling of the movie or if there were more people involved in the decision making but cut the man some slack here. He was given the opportunity to do what he thought would attract the American Audience and he thought he had the right idea. He tried, there was a limited budget and you guys are right it's a departure from what we know and love (canon or not) but forcing an apology from the guy is a little too much. Also, I think saying some Youtubers did a better job than Fox making a DB movie is a bit of an overstatement.

Was the movie hideous? Probably. But back then the personal experience I had with the movie was really something. Back then, there was no DB Super or anything to keep us tied with the franchise (Even if some of us remain tied somehow with Video Games, Internet Forums, Cough * AF) and this movie by itself, love it or hate it, was a small piece of content us fans were crying about...Well, not that really type of content, but hey, I've received it with open arms back then...

Hello?

[ABED]

I don't think they need to appologize, but I think it's usually better and more sincere than placing blame. That's one of the reasons I found Joel Schumacher's "apology" refreshing. He acknowledges that the direction the film took was largely the studio's choice, but he was an adult and took the job full well knowing that so he's doesn't pass the buck.

[JulieYBM]

It was his choice to work on the film. I think it's pretty sorry that we even have artistic ondustries where it is possible to take jobs just for the money, though. That is the root of a lot of bad art.

Otherwise, I see no point continuing on about the movie. Everyone has moved on and I think to even bring it back up now shows a desperation for attention. Goodness knows I did not even remember his name before this little quote popped up.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I've been thinking over this one a lot since reading the reply from the writer, and I think I'd definitely have to agree that we weren't really 'owed' an apology. The movie came, it wasn't great, we raged, we laughed, we largely forgot and moved on because newer and better stuff ended up coming, surprisingly actually as a result of Evolution no less. The movie is 'bad', but in a forgettable way, it's not really like say, 'Saving Christmas', or 'Man of Steel', or what have you, where there are actual other issues surrounding it that make it harder to forgive and forget.

That said though, his apology seems pretty sincere. It's a lot wordier than I would have expected a normal response to be, so I can't help but feel he really means it, so for whatever that is worth, I for one kind of appreciate it. If Wikipedia has it right, it looks like he's now doing some writing for the upcoming Luke Cage Netflix series, so hey, he's getting to work in the MCU now - let that wash out the bad taste of previous errors for you, Mr. Ramsey!

[ABED]

I think it's pretty sorry that we even have artistic Industries where it is possible to take jobs just for the money, though.

I don't. What would be the opposite? You have to prove you really love the work in order to get a job? Don't forget that even Shakespeare's living was predicated on getting people to pay to see his work. Toriyama has gone on record that he became a manga artist to make money. He may have even said "primarily for the money".

I'd definitely have to agree that we weren't really 'owed' an apology

That's the best way to put it, no one is owed an apology, especially over something so trivial. And everyone in every walk of life has taken crappy jobs.

[B]

As cynical as it sounds, it would seem he's only apologizing because he's the only person involved in the movie who can't get work, if IMDB is any indication. Chatwin and Rossum are fine, the director has done a lot of TV(and worked on The X-Files, old and new) Stephen Chow is, of course, Stephen Chow... His is the only career that looks to have been negatively affected.

[Kuririn Fan]

Like, who cares, there was no reason for this. It's 1 silly little movie, i only remember that it exists when someone mentions it like this.

[TKA]

As if we needed him to confirm that they only did this for the money

Pretty big of him to apologize though. More power to that guy.

[Soppa Saia People]

Eh, this isn't a big deal, I don't think a apology was even needed but it would've made more sense in 09 or 2010.
EDIT: So if Esfír Dedragón is correct this was even more unnecessary.

Joel Schumacher said sorry for Batman & Robin like a decade later.

But that actually needed an apology, it nearly killed Batman in the eyes of the public. Unless you're a DB fan or an anime fan, you most likely remember DBE.

[ABED]

Eh, this isn't a big deal, I don't think a apology was even needed but it would've made more sense in 09 or 2010.
EDIT: So if Esfír Dedragón is correct this was even more unnecessary.

Joel Schumacher said sorry for Batman & Robin like a decade later.

But that actually needed an apology, it nearly killed Batman in the eyes of the public. Unless you're a DB fan or an anime fan, you most likely remember DBE.

It really didn't. It was a bad movie and you can't kill off these characters. That goes with DB as well. If you deliver a good movie even after a terrible one, you can get the people back.

[MCDaveG]

He should be proud. What they acomplished is that they have made Toriyama to step up in horror and ressurect the series again.

[Soppa Saia People]

Joel Schumacher said sorry for Batman & Robin like a decade later.

But that actually needed an apology, it nearly killed Batman in the eyes of the public. Unless you're a DB fan or an anime fan, you most likely remember DBE.

It really didn't. It was a bad movie and you can't kill off these characters. That goes with DB as well. If you deliver a good movie even after a terrible one, you can get the people back.

Alright fair point but I think it did ruin Comic Book movies for a bit. Not until Spider-Man did they recover (IMO).

[ABED]

Alright fair point but I think it did ruin Comic Book movies for a bit. Not until Spider-Man did they recover (IMO).

I would argue that CBM's didn't really die. In fact they were in their infancy. Throughout the 90s, they didn't make all that many, with the most high profile being the Batman movies. I would also argue that it was Blade that really started the boom and that came out in 98. Even if it's not Blade, certainly X-Men is responsible for it, not Spider-Man.

[Ree]

i dont think he should have had to apologize, all he did was make a bad movie and its not like it killed the series.