Posted on: August 8, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Dragonball Z was one of the biggest anime shows to cross over to the American markets in the nineties, and it is frankly surprising that they took so long to make a film adaptation of it. For example, it only took the span of a few years to make movies based on two popular video games – Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, while only a few extra years passed between the time that Super Mario Brothers was brought to the NES and when it hit silver screens.

The film itself surrounds Goku’s (Justin Chatwin) struggle against the evil Namekian Piccolo (James Marsters), a mastermind that wishes to cull together the force of the Dragonballs, a set of magical items that give the holder the ability to request one wish from Shen Long. To help Goku along eir way, a cast of characters such as Muten Roshi (Chow Yun-Fat), Sifu Norris (Ernie Hudson), and Chi-Chi (Jamie Chung) gradually come into focus as the film rolls on. Dragonball Evolution (reviewing here the Z Edition) brings the sharpest transfer of the movie yet along with a boatload of additional features.

This 2-Disc set also provides viewers with a digital copy of the film, for any digital media player they may have. Regardless of whether this feature is used, the numerous bonus segments here are stellar. Of course, the deleted scenes are integral for full enjoyment of the film, going into tremendous detail for what would not have been seen normally, while the gag reel provides a little bit of lightness for what is largely an action-packed film. The game – Goku’s Quest – is little more than a reflex exercise, while the music video for Brian Anthony’s “Worked Up” provides a little more focus to the musical side of things. The “Making A Scene” featurette will be loved by anyone into fight choreography, as the nearly ten-minute mini-film goes into incredible detail.

Rating: 7.7/10

Dragonball: Evolution (Blu-Ray) / 2009 Fox / 85 Minutes / http://www.foxbluray.com / http://www.foxhome.com

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