SSj Kaboom wrote:You're right, it's not "faithful" to or the same as the manga. But it's been been evident from the very beginning, since those very first character blurbs months ago, that it was never meant to be. So why continue to judge and critique it as if it were?
For me, blame "The Dark Knight."
A story that, for all intents and purposes, deviated massively from the original source material. Sure, much like DragonBall Evolution, there were things you could discern as being taken from and inspired by the original, but it was an authentically new work. You couldn't really say "Well, I've read the comics so ____ is going to happen any second now."
And as it stands, it's the 2nd grossing movie of all time in the United States. Critically and commercial acclaimed. Taking a story and putting your own spin on it isn't always disastrous. It's
how you apply that spin. In their case, it was original while not making fans feel alienated.
Now, while The Dark Knight made me run out yesterday and pick up the Blu-ray, I view the trailers and pictures for DragonBall Evolution and kind of...well, yawn. Much like DC's announcement that they're going with a "Darker Superman" is met with a lot of people raising an eyebrow, so does Fox's treatment of Goku for me. Goku being all disinterested and monotonal is about as faithful to the original as it would be having The Joker rescue a kitten from a tree in The Dark Knight. His cheerfulness in most situations is one of his defining attributes.
Then you have Roshi, who is surprisingly wise and...well, playing the straight man. Unless they are hiding a great deal of his character, it seems way off.
Bulma is...well, generic action woman. Don't get that at all.
I could go on, but the only character I see really hitting the mark from what we can tell is James Marsters. I love the guy, and I'm glad to see his minuscule time in the trailer being my favorite. If nothing else works in this film, I hope his Piccolo blows me away.
And is it just me, or is the whole tone of this film seemingly derived from The WB's lineup in the early 2000's? Buffy, Angel, Smallville...I see them all reflected. Roshi is an Asian Rupert Giles, Goku is a mix of all the protagonists, Piccolo looks and sounds like The Master a bit, the prophecy bullshit (Goku is Buffy?)...
I dunno. I reserve judgment. Aside from James' performance though (and the fact that Emmy and Jamie are cute chicks), I don't see much positive stuff drawing me in. This looks like a "wait for the DVD/Blu-ray" for me.
-Corey
