Dragonball Z live action movie

[TAS]

Everybody's discussing how the characters will look, but how about the fight scenes? I mean, it would be quite difficult to get a midair battle at extremely high scenes to look realistic.

That's true because of the wires.

I wasn't even thinking about that, but it is a good point as it's hard to do any sort of big movements while on wires, and generaly the set ups are designed for specific movements, flying, jumping, fliping, etc, however I don't know of any that I can think of that would allow a highly corigraphed fight to work, while it looks like the people are actually flying.

I mean even when you look at stuff like Crouching Tiger, Matrix, etc, none of the stuff that involves wires or what the wires are specficly need for (flight, jump, flip) have ever been used in conjunction with a variety of being preformed at the sametime, like how would sometone be able to do a roundhouse, or any kind of spin move without the wire getting tangled?

[Anonymous Friend]

You mentioned The Matrix, in Reloaded during the Burly Brawl at one point they stopped using actors and used CG. At some point in the fight scene, when things start getting ludicrous they could swap them out too.

[Brad Redfield]

...how would sometone be able to do a roundhouse, or any kind of spin move without the wire getting tangled?

Use what John Gaeta and company did for the Super Burly Brawl in the Matrix Revolutions:

Blue screen and huge flying harnesses that work like a camera crane/gib. You can twist and flip all you want without getting tangled. All that's left is to composite the filmed elements together with the background plates.

EDIT: Oh and standard wuxia wire harnesses do have versions where you can spin. They demonstrated those during the many fights of the Matrix sequels.

*End Matrix-geek mode*

[Maker777]

If they got the Square-Enix team that did Advent Children and made it CG, It may have a chance of being good.

[Sebastian (SB)]

How about this.......We forget about it.......am I right?......guess I'm alone.

I can't imagine a DBZ movie done by Americans. Just thinking about it gives me nightmares...OMFGROTF!!! SUPER SAYIANZ 3ZZZZ BIG EXPLOSIONZZZ33 Coming to the theatherzzz this sunday........Oh dear lord no.

[TAS]

You mentioned The Matrix, in Reloaded during the Burly Brawl at one point they stopped using actors and used CG. At some point in the fight scene, when things start getting ludicrous they could swap them out too.

Yeah but when you do swap outs like that it's often very noticable or bad.

Note Blade 2.

Use what John Gaeta and company did for the Super Burly Brawl in the Matrix Revolutions:

Blue screen and huge flying harnesses that work like a camera crane/gib. You can twist and flip all you want without getting tangled. All that's left is to composite the filmed elements together with the background plates.

EDIT: Oh and standard wuxia wire harnesses do have versions where you can spin. They demonstrated those during the many fights of the Matrix sequels.

Okay, but now I'm wondering can DBZ style fights be recreated in them?

If they got the Square-Enix team that did Advent Children and made it CG, It may have a chance of being good.

Thats not a bad idea though I've always wondered whats the maximum level of visuals cel-shading can achieve, because we always see it done so half assed in games and whatever else.

For instance go check out anything cel-shaded done prior to 2004, and it most likely only has a single layer of (real-time) shading (Fear Effect, Jet Grind Radio, etc) and it really wasn't until Budokai 3 and Crimson Tears that we started seeing stuff using multiple layers of shading, but still both of those games were developed by small teams on PS2 tech, so I've always wondered what its maximum potential is or if anyone has ever even tried really with it. Like I'd imagine realistic type CG graphics are as far along as the the FF movies, then in terms of cel-shading we could almost get something that almost replicates the best 2D animation, or maybe even better.

[Brad Redfield]

Okay, but now I'm wondering can DBZ style fights be recreated in them?

Uh....yes, that's what kind of fights the flying rigs were made for. The flying battle (Super Burly Brawl) at the end of Revolutions was basically DBZ meets Superman. It can be done. Ki blasts on the other hand...

[BrollysKin]

If they used real actors what would would they do for the super saiayn hair? Would there be an actor with a green screen hair-cut?

[Steven Perry]

For pete's sake, did I ever claim to be psychic or anything?

No. But I am.

*Looks into crystal ball*



The film isn't going to be an exact replica of the anime series. The makers will keep the concept of Earth having the 'secret to immortality', and the crazy sci-fi technology. Beyond that, it's going to be a highly altered film- the story will be made for the purpose of pure entertainment, not for pleasing the old fans. People of all interests will enjoy watching this martial-arts/sci-fi flick, and it'll be a hit!

EDIT: If you want psychic powers like me, join the R29 army. It is your destiny.

[Kaboom]

EDIT: If you want psychic powers like me, join the R29 army. It is your destiny.

Meh. I'll pass, thanks. Nice points on the movie idea, though.

Oh, and sorry, TAS. I really was just trying to give some ideas, clichéd or not, but I was also kinda in a bad mood last night. Sorry if I ended up ranting at you over it, or if I came across as a bit high-and-mighty at first.

*extends hand*

We cool?

[Mr.Piccolo]

We cool?

The only thing certain is that I am. As for Maker's delightful comment on Square-Enix's movie, read up on Square Soft's "attempt" on a movie ;p.
-Rick

[Last Son of Krypton]

I've heard about this lots of times, and I was at one point, psyched. But a year later, and a year wiser, I see that it's not gonna happen.

Sure, there are some truths to it. Fox may have been thinking about doing a movie 5 years ago, but that was when Dragon Ball Z was at its high in the U.S. On one hand, those DVD box sets may spark a revival. But other than that, it's dead.

As seen in Conan's clip, today's technology certainly can handle DbZ-level special effects if they can do that for a weekly TV show, and that was the only real barrier. Also, you've gotta realize that: If they can do it, they eventually will do it. DragonBall (Z) is too big and well-known a series to not get an eventual live-action movie.

Eh..no. Like TAS said, there was supposed to be live-action movie remakes of Akira, Evangelion, and such. None of em are coming (Although there ARE some Evangelion movies coming out soon - so that's ok)
True, the things done in Dragon Ball can easily be created with today's technology. But the thing is - nobody will want to see it. Other than the Goku vs Superman fanboys and the dubbies. =P

Why would Goku vs Superman fanboys want to see this movie? They're too busy battling in that endless debate . I should know...I used to do it, hehe.

I wouldn't mind see this movie if it came to be, but I'd rather it didn't. Like someone already said in the topic, the movie would have to adapted and I think that would change the story too much for it to be enjoyable. That's my opinion anyway.

[Conan the SSJ]

Ki blasts on the other hand...

Have you not seen a television show called Charmed? For a weekly televised budget, that show had "Ki blasts" all over the place, though in the form of "energy balls". One in particular that comes to mind is a season 4 episode when Cole's about to destroy the Source, he makes one that friggin' resembles a Spirit Ball or Death Ball. Trust me, if a televised budget of a WB show can pull it off, then a mega-movie franchise budget can.

Regarding flight battles, well...I guess we can look at Superman Returns for that, they'd probably computer generate the actors down to the pores on their tongues for such incidents. Bryan Singer once commented their CG Superman was so lifelike they could've had him speak a couple lines of dialogue up close. The advantage a DBZ live-action movie would have now-a days is it's near 2010, as opposed to 1999 or something where the CG would be hit or miss.

[Mr.Piccolo]

I hope you guys remember the live-action Street Fighter movie.. This thread should lock right now.
-Rick

[Menardi]

2 - Japanese (or at least Asian) actors. I don't know why, but seeing Matt Damon as Piccolo or Ben Affleck as Goku just wouldn't be Dragonball Z to me...

That's true, they can't use well-known actors for that movie, or at least no well-known actors for the main characters. I mean, who could actually play Goku?

[mAcChaos]

Let's not forget non human characters. Piccolo will be hard enough to do; what about Freeza? If he's all CG it'll look obviously fake, but if it's a person in a costume it'll be hilarious.

[landoku]

2 - Japanese (or at least Asian) actors. I don't know why, but seeing Matt Damon as Piccolo or Ben Affleck as Goku just wouldn't be Dragonball Z to me...

That's true, they can't use well-known actors for that movie, or at least no well-known actors for the main characters. I mean, who could actually play Goku?

WHY! Why, do you guys always insist on saying "Well if they do make a movie they need to be ASIAN actors."
Nothing in the entire dragonball z series shows that the characters are asian! For all we know Toriyama could have made the entire saiyajin race look exactly like Americans!*lol* We dont know, so the whole "Asian actor" thing is stupid. When they make the movie they'll use well known (most likely) American actors. (I think Tom Welling would be GREAT as a young, strong Goku.)

[Mr.Piccolo]

[landoku]

1978 Spiderman movie=Sucked.

2002 Spiderman movie=Awesome!

So that doesn't prove anything.

[Mr.Piccolo]

So that doesn't prove anything.

I guess you're right.. see you in 24 years then. But seriously, thinking they are gonna get it right the first time around is being ignorant. It's an early fanboy dream much like life after GT or a lost movie. Don't get me wrong, I wanted this so bad.. when I first got into the series. Then, looking at it closer, I saw that it could be the worst thing that happened to the series since superstar.
-Rick