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Dragonball: Evolution

Play trailer Poster for Dragonball: Evolution PG Released Apr 10, 2009 1h 26m Action Adventure Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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14% Tomatometer 63 Reviews 19% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
On his 18th birthday, Goku (Justin Chatwin) receives a mystical Dragonball as a gift from his grandfather. There are only six others like it in the whole world, and legend has it that whomever possesses all seven will be granted one perfect wish. When the arrival of a dark force triggers a tragedy, Goku and his companions (Chow Yun-Fat, Emmy Rossum) are propelled into an epic quest to collect the seven Dragonballs and save the Earth from destruction.
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Dragonball: Evolution

Dragonball: Evolution

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Critics Consensus

Executed with little panache or invention, Dragonball Evolution lacks the magic that made the books upon which it was based a cult sensation.

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Critics Reviews

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Chris Stuckmann ChrisStuckmann.com Dragonball: Evolution is my least-favorite film of all time. I hate it with every fiber of my being. If you were ever curious about the show Dragon Ball or the manga... please, avoid this cinematic disaster at all costs. Feb 3, 2016 Full Review Drew Toal Time Out Rated: 1/5 Nov 16, 2011 Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) A rather tame live-action sci-fi flick. Rated: 1/5 Apr 17, 2009 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review It’s a hyperactive, eye-rolling affair. Rated: 1/4 Dec 1, 2023 Full Review Justin Brown Medium Popcorn They clearly didn't know what they were doing, terrible. But hey, they made their money back? ... and I do like the movies, this was just really really dumb... Rated: 1/5 Dec 12, 2020 Full Review Charlie Jane Anders io9.com There are balls of lint smarter than Dragonball Evolution. May 21, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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poopy b This movie changed my life for the better, this movie inspired me, it changed my life, it made me a better person. And i like that goku is white and goes to high school, just like me in a year. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/29/25 Full Review Rio A This movie was good if you accept it for what it was, but the Director openly admitted he didn’t really put any passion into this film and I think it would’ve did a much better job if it had a better Director Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 12/29/24 Full Review Max T Dragonball Evolution is a shameful remake of the popular manga series “Dragon Ball”. It didn’t get anything right, the plot was completely messed up and major events that happened in the manga were switched around. The special effects were mediocre at best which makes sense for the time of this movie’s release. This film was confusing, enraging, boring, and more. As a long time Dragon Ball fan, I can tell you that it is not worth a watch. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 12/28/24 Full Review Jay W One of the worst adaptations of a beloved franchise. One of the worst live action versions of an animated property. More concisely said, just one of the worst movies of all time. It is fascinating the changes they decide to make to the story. They do everything in their power to make this story more generic and less interesting. I want to be in the meeting where they thought having Goku go to high school dealing with bullies was a good idea. The effects are awful, the acting is awful, the story will take mindless detours that wastes the audience and character's time. Not being faithful to the source material is one thing but being this bad is something else entirely. It really is something that has to be seen to be believed. It is the car crash that you can't help but stop and stare. It is a disaster so bad, no amount of Shenron wishes would be able to save it. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 12/01/24 Full Review Osvaldo Adolfo R One of the Best movies of dragon ball Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/30/24 Full Review Liam D As an Action movie it’s boring and unintentionally hilarious and as a adaptation it’s downright insulting Rated 1 out of 5 stars 11/07/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis On his 18th birthday, Goku (Justin Chatwin) receives a mystical Dragonball as a gift from his grandfather. There are only six others like it in the whole world, and legend has it that whomever possesses all seven will be granted one perfect wish. When the arrival of a dark force triggers a tragedy, Goku and his companions (Chow Yun-Fat, Emmy Rossum) are propelled into an epic quest to collect the seven Dragonballs and save the Earth from destruction.
Director
James Wong
Producer
Stephen Chow
Screenwriter
Ben Ramsey
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Star Overseas
Rating
PG (Intense Sequences of Action|Brief Mild Language|Intense Sequences of Violence)
Genre
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 10, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 12, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.4M
Runtime
1h 26m
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