Dragonball: Evolution
User Score
3.6 out of 10

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 160 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 160
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 160
  3. Negative: 95 out of 160

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  1. Ericmbuta
    Apr 10, 2009
    9
    Good, I also though it would be worse. I'm a HUGE fan of the anime, the movie doesn't totally do it justice but it does bring an interesting twist to the story, I hope it will continue through to the final saga!
  2. DJR
    Apr 12, 2009
    10
    I thought the movie was awesome! I used to watch dragonball all the time when I was a younger kid, and I've always dreamed of it one day coming to life on the big screen. And it turned out better than I thought! I expected more action and for it to be longer though. But there's always sequels!
  3. JaredG
    Apr 10, 2009
    10
    I give this movie a perfect ten. And to all those haters out there did you really expect a perfect adaptation? That would be completely unrealistic. This movie brings a sense of realism that really made me love it. I am gladly going to see it again and again. Props to Chow and Justin! Great job guys!
  4. RickH
    Apr 10, 2009
    9
    I was pleasantly surprised that the movie was as god as it was. While there were a few minor details I (as a fan) would have changed; character appearance, characters included; etc. the movie was still worth seeing and greatly exceeded my expectations. I expected a poo fest and received pure gold that kept my adrenaline peeked the whole time.
  5. ThomasP
    Aug 17, 2009
    10
    You know what, I watched this movie because I thought it was going to be terrible and I wanted a good laugh I got two things, a good movie, and an AMAZING time. This movie is FANTASTIC! Yes, it's Dragonball NOT Dragonball Z; glad we got past that bit. This movie was ridiculous, and over the top ALL the time, which is exactly why I enjoyed it. Goku was not some little emo kid like some people claim, just a teenager who hasn't been given the chance to show that he can kick some butt. Chi Chi is the only one I had a problem with, just because I chose to. Bulma was freakin hott. Yamcha was just as scam filled as ever. Master Roshi was VERY master Roshi. Piccalo was a hoot with how he looked, but come on, how much makeup would it take to make someone look like piccalo?? I really hope they are able to make the second and third ones; I expected to be disappointed, but I guess I'm glad I wasn't!… Expand
  6. MikeH
    Aug 29, 2009
    10
    I must say... i liked it. not so much because the movie itself was good (in any way), but because it evoked memories of the original dragon ball (and dbz), which i LOVED. 10 for the memories, 0 for the movie... averages out to 10.
  7. DakotaG
    Apr 18, 2009
    10
    I don't know why everyone seemed to hate this movie. This was an amazing movie! Everybody doesn't seem to get that this is an adaptation of the anime series. And also, for those of you who really wanted Vegeta, you must not be true dragonball fans because if you knew dragonball well enough, you would know that this was dragonball, not dragonball z and vegeta doesnt come in until dragonball z. I really liked pretty much everything about this movie. I liked the new story and how they changed it up a bit. I really liked the special effects and all the casting (except for yamcha) was great. My one big issue with the movie was that it was so short that i didnt feel really connected to any of these characters, other than Goku. If they would have made it at least another half an hour it wouldve been a perfect movie. I wish they wouldve showed more Picolo. I can't wait for the sequel!!!… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
45 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 10
  3. Negative: 2 out of 10
  1. Variety
    Reviewed by: Russell Edwards
    50
    A popular Japanese manga series gets a pleasing if paint-by-numbers live-action makeover in Dragonball Evolution, which half-heartedly tries to keep the faith for its pubescent male fanbase.
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  2. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Tasha Robinson
    42
    The film is crammed with treats for old-school "Dragonball" fans, from the inclusion of all these characters (who don't actually do much) to the moment when spiky-haired Goku dons his orange gi. For everyone else, this amounts to another seen-it-before, probably-willing-to-see-it-again distraction.
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  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    20
    Completely lacking in visual, narrative or stylistic coherence, the film also suffers from cheap-looking visual effects and poorly staged and edited action sequences that will not exactly please the fanboys.
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