Dragonball Movie Update! What is UP with this?

Discussion regarding the entirety of the franchise in a general (meta) sense, including such aspects as: production, trends, merchandise, fan culture, and more.
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SonEric84
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Post by SonEric84 » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:30 pm

SSj Kaboom wrote:Mario failed because, first off, it is something so extraordinarily out there that it shouldn't have even tried to be made into a movie.


That's exactly how I feel about Dragon Ball. The animation, the hair, the over the top fighting scenes, the weird aliens, there's just no way it can translate well to real life.
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Post by Chibi Mystic Gohan » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:35 pm

SonEric84 wrote:
SSj Kaboom wrote:Mario failed because, first off, it is something so extraordinarily out there that it shouldn't have even tried to be made into a movie.


That's exactly how I feel about Dragon Ball. The animation, the hair, the over the top fighting scenes, the weird aliens, there's just no way it can translate well to real life.
Dragon Ball actually has a plot, though. :D

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Post by SonEric84 » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:43 pm

Chibi Mystic Gohan wrote:
SonEric84 wrote:
SSj Kaboom wrote:Mario failed because, first off, it is something so extraordinarily out there that it shouldn't have even tried to be made into a movie.


That's exactly how I feel about Dragon Ball. The animation, the hair, the over the top fighting scenes, the weird aliens, there's just no way it can translate well to real life.
Dragon Ball actually has a plot, though. :D

True, but the all the things that make up big parts of the plot don't work well with real life.
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Post by Kaboom » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:52 pm

Chibi Mystic Gohan wrote:
SonEric84 wrote:
SSj Kaboom wrote:Mario failed because, first off, it is something so extraordinarily out there that it shouldn't have even tried to be made into a movie.
That's exactly how I feel about Dragon Ball. The animation, the hair, the over the top fighting scenes, the weird aliens, there's just no way it can translate well to real life.
Dragon Ball actually has a plot, though. :D
True. But really, with good makeup, and willingness to part with the little unnecessary details that don't work (like, again, animal-people, and things like the exact or proportions of hair, and the like) there's not much in DragonBall that can't translate into live-action. Really, it's just Star Wars with martial arts.
SonEric84 wrote:True, but the all the things that make up big parts of the plot don't work well with real life.
Like what? Are you talking special effects, or things that might not look believable? Or do you mean events or plot points? Off the top of my head...

Shenlong isn't hard to do. Though it sucked as a movie, the recent Dragon Wars featured one skyfaring, big sucker that looked almost exactly like him (and is being used a lot for fake DB posters and trailers), and he looked good enough to make you believe he was right there next to the actors.

Piccolo isn't any harder to create with makeup than Quark or Darth Maul. Nor is Freeza any more unbelievable in appearance than Jar Jar Binks. Super Saiyan hair can be done with CGI effects.

Granted, there might be some slight aesthetic changes, just for it to be taken seriously. For example, I wouldn't be surprised if the pink portions of Piccolo's arms end up removed or a slightly different color, or if Freeza were... well, clothed. But little visual changes don't affect the story, and serve only to make the appearance of the movie more attractive.
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Post by Kid Trunks » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:55 pm

This movie can't succeed for everyone. Its peoples perception thats the problem (my own included).
If the movie is too true to the anime then it'll look silly and lame.
If the movie isn't true to the anime then it'll upset the fans.

I'm not sure which way I want it go :? .

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Post by SonEric84 » Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:02 am

SSj Kaboom wrote:
Chibi Mystic Gohan wrote:
SonEric84 wrote: That's exactly how I feel about Dragon Ball. The animation, the hair, the over the top fighting scenes, the weird aliens, there's just no way it can translate well to real life.
Dragon Ball actually has a plot, though. :D
True. But really, with good makeup, and willingness to part with the little unnecessary details that don't work (like, again, animal-people, and things like the exact or proportions of hair, and the like) there's not much in DragonBall that can't translate into live-action. Really, it's just Star Wars with martial arts.
SonEric84 wrote:True, but the all the things that make up big parts of the plot don't work well with real life.
Like what? Are you talking special effects, or things that might not look believable? Or do you mean events or plot points? Off the top of my head...

Shenlong isn't hard to do. Though it sucked as a movie, the recent Dragon Wars featured one skyfaring, big sucker that looked almost exactly like him (and is being used a lot for fake DB posters and trailers), and he looked good enough to make you believe he was right there next to the actors.

Piccolo isn't any harder to create with makeup than Quark or Darth Maul. Nor is Freeza any more unbelievable in appearance than Jar Jar Binks. Super Saiyan hair can be done with CGI effects.

Granted, there might be some slight aesthetic changes, just for it to be taken seriously. For example, I wouldn't be surprised if the pink portions of Piccolo's arms end up removed or a slightly different color, or if Freeza were... well, clothed. But little visual changes don't affect the story, and serve only to make the appearance of the movie more attractive.

I see your point, but Star Wars was originally live action...so there was nothing else to base it off of. Dragon Ball was and always has been a manga and anime. I just don't see it working as anything else. Ya know? For me, Goku will always be animated Goku and no matter what I just can't picture any real human being playing his part (aside from voice acting of course. :P) That's just how I feel. And personally, I hate most CGI effects, to me most of those super hero movies and such just look retarded.
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Post by Daburcor » Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:18 am

The best part of the Mario movie was Tie Your Mother Down...

Anyway, the more I see of this movie, the more I hate the idea of it's existence.
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Post by JulieYBM » Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:20 am

Well, the problem I have is that they removed the story from the fantasy world and that sort of makes things less special.
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Post by Kaboom » Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:28 am

JulieYBM wrote:Well, the problem I have is that they removed the story from the fantasy world and that sort of makes things less special.
I agree, but I'd like to point again to my "Z Prequel" impressions. As a stand-alone movie, DB would be better off as a fantasy, and I'd love to see it. But DragonBall Z turned into "kung fu in space," and this movie seems to just be setting that up from the get-go.
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Post by Captain Awesome » Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:32 am

SSj Kaboom wrote:But little visual changes don't affect the story, and serve only to make the appearance of the movie more attractive.
In the live action Transformers movie, the Transformers were given a more alien-robotic appearance, which helped sell the fact that these were extra-terrestrial robotic life forms, but they still bared some resemblance to the original designs, Optimus Prime for instance was still recognizable.

In the latest shots of Chatwin, there's nothing that screams "Goku" about him for me, he looks like some regular guy that bought a shirt at his local discount outlet who is perplexed about the glowing crystal ball in his hands.

So far, the changes we've seen are because the art director thinks he knows better.

I'm not saying I want to see everyone's outfits down to the letter, But Dragonball is known for it's striking visual style, and character designs, throwing this all away not only hurts the film visually, but distances fans of the series.

Any art director worth his salt would have realized that one of the reasons the original series was popular was because of it's visuals, and would strive to draw from that, to add some authenticity to the film.

And before anyone says "What would you know" I'm a graphic design student, half my lecturers have worked as Art directors, so I'm no stranger to the process.

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Post by Kaboom » Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:54 am

The t-shirt we've been seeing him in are his civvies, and Goku DID wear regular clothes every now and then. We ARE getting the orange kame gi in this movie, though. Two versions, in fact, but not until whenever he starts actually training under Roshi. One of the recent insider scoops on the movie was a description of the several different outfits Chatwin wears as Goku. Other characters' costumes we've seen shots of so far are certainly very colorful and standout as well.

Typically, action heroes don't smile on posters. They're usually either scowling, or giving some sort of intrigued, perplexed look. We've seen Chatwin doing both. But from what we've heard about him in the movie, his character acts plenty like Goku. Adventurous, strong-willed, socially awkward, and with a will to fight as big as his appetite.
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Post by Victator Supreme » Fri Jun 27, 2008 7:31 am

Both movies, actually, were examples of the "so bad, it's good" genre, for a lot of people. But since optimism and enjoyment don't seem to be your cup o' tea, then no, they failed for completely different and valid reasons. Let me tell you why.
We have people trying to defend the Street Fighter movie? That movie blows. its not so bad its good, its so bad its bad. The thing was there was no excuse for it to be bad. It had Jean Claude Van Damm in it. Van Damm had starred in Bloodsport. A movie about an underground fighting tourney. Add fireballs and thats Street Fighter. But they managed to make an awful movie. That poor Raul Julia had to carry to his grave.
"Bowser, a giant, anthropomorphic turtle-like beast repeatedly kidnaps a princess for undetermined reasons, requiring her rescue by Mario and Mama Luigi, a pair of colorful overall-clad plumbers, who fight by jumping insane heights to stomp on the heads of Bowser's mushroom and turtle minions, eating mushrooms that either give them fire powers or double them in size, and riding around on a green, misproportioned dinosaur with a tongue that would put a Lickylicky to shame."
Bowser was king of the Koopa Kingdom. He was at war with the Mushroom Kingdom. In the war he kidnapped Princess Peach. Its up to two unlikely heroes to save the day. Its not exactly rocket science.
Street Fighter failed because although the source material was very cool, the movie was just plain badly done. The cast was full of B-list actors,
Yeah thats going to be nothing like this movie. With its a list cast. The korean girl from Real orld SanDiego is box office gold.
Says you. Titanic wasn't that great, either. "Hey, we're going to die, but at least we got a good amount of hedonism and adultry in beforehand, eh?"
Titantic blows but you knew that wasnt the point. If this movie makes back its budget during its domestic run it will be a miracle.

Now for the Dragonball movie. Lets go on stuff we know.

They are making Goku an average high school kid. When you fuck up the main character there is nowhere to go but down. Goku being a unsophisticated hick is a central part of his character. Adding elements like him being in high school shows they do not get he series at all. Not to mention the actor looks nothing like him. The poster looks like the adventures of Christopher Walken as a boy.


If I had to bet right hand on whether succedes or fail. I'm betting on it failing. There is no way you can look at that poster and not think this thing is not going to fail on every leval.

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Post by Jerseymilk » Fri Jun 27, 2008 8:10 am

Victator Supreme wrote:Just like Street Fighter and Super Mario Brothers. This thing going to bomb so bad, Howard the Duck will look like Titantic.
Wow what a mean insult to Howard the Duck. >>
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Post by Kaboom » Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:44 am

Victator Supreme wrote: They are making Goku an average high school kid. When you fuck up the main character there is nowhere to go but down. Goku being a unsophisticated hick is a central part of his character.
No, they're just putting Goku in high school (there's a difference), and from what we know, he does very badly in all aspects of it. "You can take Goku out of the mountains, but you can't take the mountains out of Goku." I admit it's a weird choice, but it's not a fatal one.
Not to mention the actor looks nothing like him. The poster looks like the adventures of Christopher Walken as a boy.
He looks about as close to a real-world version of Goku as you could fairly expect anyone too. Big forehead. Spiky, unruly, large hair. Innocent but determined eyes.
There is no way you can look at that poster and not think this thing is not going to fail on every level.
I beg to differ.
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Post by Victator Supreme » Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:57 am

No, they're just putting Goku in high school (there's a difference), and from what we know, he does very badly in all aspects of it. "You can take Goku out of the mountains, but you can't take the mountains out of Goku." I admit it's a weird choice, but it's not a fatal one.
Goku in high school is not Goku. Once he goes into school with other regular people that changes the character.
He looks about as close to a real-world version of Goku as you could fairly expect anyone too. Big forehead. Spiky, unruly, large hair. Innocent but determined eyes.
He looks nothing like a real life Goku would. The extra in the kame gi looked more like Goku than kid Walken.

Luckily I can't care too much. There are already close to twenty animated movies, a bootleg chinese movie and 500 tv episodes. So its not like Dragonball is not well represented.

Its not like with a beloved comic like X-Men or FF. Or yeah Howard the Duck. They only have one or two real shots at a movie or tv show. But some idiot decides to burn them and salt the earth.

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Post by djkalteraphine » Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:05 am

SSj Kaboom wrote:The t-shirt we've been seeing him in are his civvies, and Goku DID wear regular clothes every now and then.
He wore blue gi his grandpa gave him, then turtle gi, then a tuxedo, then Shuu's gi, then animal hide, then his turtle gi again, then those Chinese-looking clothes after training with Kami, then his turtle gi again, then Yardrat garbs, and finally, when he was in his thirties, he put on that checkered shirt Chichi made him wear to get his driver's license. Let me remind you, Piccolo wore "normal" clothes in that episode, too. . . and yet, I doubt Piccolo's going to sport a backwards ball-cap for the first half of the flick. Then he had the jacket getup when he was waiting for the Cell games, which I think is anime-only too, but I don't really know, since I've never read past the early Android stuff until the later Buu saga in the manga.

My point is, no he didn't. You and FOX can stop insulting my intelligence now.
SSj Kaboom wrote:Typically, action heroes don't smile on posters. They're usually either scowling, or giving some sort of intrigued, perplexed look. We've seen Chatwin doing both.
He doesn't look like he has any emotion, frankly.

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Post by Victator Supreme » Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:10 am

[quote]Then he had the jacket getup when he was waiting for the Cell games, which I think is anime-only too, but I don't really know, since I've never read past the early Android stuff until the later Buu saga in the manga. [/quote Nope that was in the manga.

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Post by djkalteraphine » Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:22 am

I didn't know this topic existed, but here's a better list of Son Goku's clothes by Herms, third post down. And it remains that Goku in "normal" clothes is very few and far between.

But, as has been said, you take Goku out of the mountains and around people besides his deceased grandpa, and you don't have the character anymore. Instead, you've got a crappy Superman.

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Post by Rocketman » Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:26 am

djkalteraphine wrote:But, as has been said, you take Goku out of the mountains and around people besides his deceased grandpa...
Didn't that happen in the first chapter of the manga?

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Post by djkalteraphine » Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:42 am

Rocketman wrote:
djkalteraphine wrote:But, as has been said, you take Goku out of the mountains and around people besides his deceased grandpa...
Didn't that happen in the first chapter of the manga?
Yeah, and that's the point, isn't it? He never met anyone, besides Gohan, until he met Bulma. That's why Goku is who Goku is. :D

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