Summary
A live-action adaptation ofDragon Ball,Dragonball Evolutionwas a massive disaster, but the 2009 movie still brought one good thing to the franchise. Directed by James Wong (The X-Files),Dragonball Evolutionis loosely —extremelyloosely — based on Akira Toriyama’s beloved manga-turned-anime of the same name. The movie, whichinexplicably stars Justin Chatwin (Shameless) as Goku, follows its teenage Saiyan protagonist as he learns more about his past and takes a stand against a ruthless alien warlord, Piccolo (James Marsters). As in the manga, uniting the wish-granting Dragon Balls is a key plot.
The movie opens with Lord Piccolo breaking free from a powerful enchantment that’s held him captive for thousands of years. Aided by his ninja henchperson Mai (Eriko Tamura),Piccolo searches the world for the seven Dragon Balls, destroying anything — and anyone — in his path. Meanwhile, on Goku’s 18th birthday, his grandpa, Gohan (Randall Duk Kim), gifts him the four-star Dragon Ball. While Goku is out, Piccolo destroys his home. Prompted by Gohan’s dying words, Goku sets out to find Master Roshi (Chow Yun-fat), an adept martial artist withknowledge of the Dragon Balls, and stop Piccolo.
James Marsters Voiced Zamasu In Dragon Ball Super After Playing Piccolo In Evolution
The Buffy The Vampire Slayer Actor Has Appeared In Two Dragon Ball Projects
The best thing to come ofDragonball Evolutionmight just be James Marsters' casting as Lord Piccolo. Best known for playing Spike inBuffy the Vampire Slayer, Marsters is an experienced genre actor — but it isn’t his portrayal of Piccolo that makes him an asset to theDragon Ballfranchise. Even thoughDragonball Evolutionwas a total commercial and critical failure, that, thankfully, didn’t stop Marsters from agreeing to another franchise role. Seven years after thedisastrousDragonball Evolutionhit theaters,Marsters voiced Zamasu, an apprentice Supreme Kai who serves as a key antagonist inDragon Ball Super.
Luckily, Marsters found a much betterDragon Ballproject.
Marsters called the anime series “the coolest television cartoon” thanks in large part to its “Shakespearean sense of good and evil” (viaTV Guide). The actor, who’s no stranger to playing morally ambiguous characters who change allegiances, seemed like a decent fit for Piccolo — a character who has been on both sides of the fight. Unfortunately, there was no salvaging the live-actionDragon Ballmovie. A bland trainwreck that completely whitewashes and devalues its source material,Dragonball Evolutionhas been dubbed one of the worst movies of all time. Luckily, Marsters found a much betterDragon Ballproject.
How Dragon Ball’s Live-Action Movie Made the Franchise Bigger Than Ever
The live-action film Dragonball Evolution is a notoriously poor adaptation of a beloved series, but Dragon Ball fans owe a lot to the Hollywood bomb.
James Marsters’ Piccolo Casting Story Makes Dragonball Evolution Even Worse
The Actor Was Told A Very Different Story About The Live-Action Adaptation
WhileDragonball Evolution’s whitewashing of several main characters is the movie’s most egregious casting decision, those helming the project also received backlash from Marsters, who admittedhe was lied to about the scale of the film’s production. Initially, the actor was told that the live-action adaptation was a massive Hollywood project with a budget of approximately $100 million. However,James Marsters was “fooled” into joiningDragonball Evolution, which, in the end, boasted a comparatively small budget of $30 million. With correspondingly cheesy production value, cheap makeup and costumes, and terrible effects, the movie made just $56.5 million worldwide.
I Thought Nothing Could Be Worse Than Dragonball Evolution Until This 2023 Live-Action Movie Proved Me Wrong
Dragonball Evolution was the worst live-action anime adaptation of all time for over a decade, but a 2023 film was sadly just as bad, if not worse.
Zamasu Is The Dragon Ball Role Marsters Deserved After Dragonball Evolution’s Disaster
James Marsters Voices The Methodical Supreme Kai In Dragon Ball Super
Dragonball Evolution’s Lord Piccolo bears almost no resemblance to the fan-favorite Namekian of Toriyama’sDragon Ballfranchise. Several years after the disastrous live-action adaptation, James Marsters landed the role of Zamasu inDragon Ball Super’s English dub. With a dimension-hopping storyline that complicatesDragon Ball’s timelinein intriguing ways, Zamasu is one of the best villains in the entire franchise.The self-righteous and ruthless Zamasu is akin to a villain like Thanos.By his calculations, balance can be achieved through violence — and that makes him a truly terrifying threat toDragon Ball Super’s heroes.
Dragonball Evolution(2009)is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and other VOD platforms.
Dragonball Evolution
Dragonball Evolution is a live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese manga and anime series Dragon Ball. Directed by James Wong, the film stars Justin Chatwin as Goku, who embarks on a quest to collect the seven Dragon Balls and prevent the evil Lord Piccolo from destroying the world. The movie diverges from its source material, offering a modernized take on the beloved franchise.
