Let me color my review for you a little. Until this week, I knew nothing about the "Dragonball" series. I didn't know Bulma from Yamcha (I had to look that up). After a little research, I know next to nothing. That being said, I am judging "Dragonball Evolution" purely on its merits as a film. Or its lack of merits.
Goku is an average teenager, except that he's an incredible martial artist. Goku's grandfather gives him an orange orb for his birthday, a Dragon Ball, and explains there are six more just like it. Whoever has all seven balls can have any wish granted to them. Goku soon learns that an angry green man by the name of Piccolo wants all the balls to destroy the earth (or rule over it, he never clarifies). He then teams up with an eccentric (read: perverted) martial arts master, a technologically-advanced girl and a Chinese surfer dude to stop Piccolo before he can destroy/enslave the world.
There's not a lot to like about this movie. The story moves along at an almost manic pace, jumping from location to location before you can come to grips with what's going on. This was likely employed to distract from the glaring plot holes. The writers often use Piccolo's undefined powers as a crutch to push the story forward. Can he create monster-like henchmen from his blood? Sure! Can he destroy entire villages with fire and move entire bodies of water? You bet! Does he use any of this power in the final confrontation with Goku? No, because it's not convenient anymore. I appreciate them not relying entirely upon special effects during the action sequences, but fight scenes were often too short and too poorly edited to enjoy.
The cast provides an uneven performance, from "making an effort" to "collecting a paycheck." Goku and the perverted martial arts master, Roshi, do their best with the ridiculous script they've been given. Bulma, the aforementioned technophile, and Yamcha, the beach bum, take different approaches at grating on your nerves, but both are successful in the end. Piccolo and his nameless sidekick may as well be props for all the moments they get.
The movie does have one thing going for it. As it's rated PG, this is the perfect opportunity for younger audiences, notoriously more forgiving of bad movies, to experience some martial arts moments. Those looking for an interesting story or strong performances will have to look elsewhere.
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