By | Published October 15, 2008

Here it is folks. The first official look at DRAGONBALL, the live-action movie by producer Stephen Chow (KUNG FU HUSTLE) and director James Wong (THE ONE). Justin Chatwin, who was last seen in THE INVISIBLE stars as Goku in this adaptation of the hugely popular DRAGONBALL and DRAGONBALL Z manga and anime series.

Tasked by his dying father, Goku sets out on a quest to find Master Roshi (Chow Yun-fat) and collect all seven of the “Dragon Balls” in order to stop Lord Piccolo (James Marsters) from taking over the world.

I have nothing good to say about this preview. It looks like your typical Hollywood bastardization of an Asian entertainment property. I’ll leave it to others to praise or pick apart.

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  • Peter

    I`ve been trying to post this for a week…and there are 2 by the way.

  • muke

    dude : your a little late. this has been out for 13 days already

  • Gay

    this looks incredibly dumb

  • Akim

    This look like crap.

  • WEJ

    Oh god, they’ve ruined DB, thats all there is to it. At best, Goku kinda looks like Goku while everyone else looks bizarre. And why in the name of holy f**k is Piccolo albino white?

  • Alexsource

    This trailer was only meant for a licensing expo. The teathrical one is suppossed to come out around december 12th.
    I tought FOX had taken this leaked trailer down already…

    And yes, everything looks like utter crap xP

  • Albert Valentin

    OMG! What did I just see??? I never thought Chow Yun-Fat would subjectate to this! This does look pretty bad. They should have just made the film Japanese and be really faithful. I gotta agree with Mark on this one.

  • No name

    This movie sucks ass, even the idea from anime to movie screen sucks ass

  • JPV

    “I never thought Chow Yun-Fat would subjectate to this!”

    Haha…remember Bulletproof Monk?

    I’m more worried that Stephen Chow’s name is attached to this one. He’s not as established here in America yet. His involvement shelters my one hope that this movie may be decent. We’ll see…

  • no name222

    people listen it is a adaptation movie they wanted to look anime but plus reality…..if they did all in anime live it will look fake. the yjust want to do reality………. I can’t judge the film without seeing the storyline, the role of the character and the aspect of the film.

  • Anonymous

    Why is Goku white but Gohan is Asian…..i sense a Forbidden Kingdom reject in the near future.

  • dragon

    are u crazy goku is a saiyan and his grandpa find him……….it mean they are related and mean why goku is white and his grandpa is Asian

  • Blackrose

    Why does Hollywood have to ruin everything from Asia? Seriously the only saving grace is James Marsters is Piccolo and he is a good actor(for those of you who don’t know, he played Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel)

  • Zach

    Im sad

  • dragon

    i have a feeling that Hollywood would ruin a lot of amine

  • nickstradamus

    A-fuccccking-bonmination

  • Medryn

    Wow, seems no one is a Dragonball fan around this site… cause if any of you were you would at least show a pinch of excitement they are even considering a full feature film. But no, your all being Aholes about it and whining like little kids who are busy hugging their anime comics while naked in their bad with a flashlight. Learn to STFU and say something positive even if you are a skeptic….

    Being a DBZ fan I hope the movie is better than this trailer makes it look, but at least they are taking a shot at it, time will tell if its worthwhile or ruined but it’ll be fun either way.

  • Alexsource

    All the excitement I had started to fade, real fast, when the first production photos starting poping up.
    Really, I don’t understand people who is still so positive about this movie, but then again, I’ve never told then what to do with their postiveness.
    And for the record, I also think James Masters is a good idea as piccollo (even though I’d like someone beefier), but look at the make up jobby…

  • http://JeffYam.com Jeff

    1. I’m not watching this.
    2. I even hated the dubbed American version of Dragon Ball Z. Not hating. It’s just how it is – people tend to be purists and stick to original. But this translation is just impossible.
    3. There was just no way they could have pulled this off – that alone makes this movie neither worse or better.
    4. I’m appalled that Stephen Chow signed off on this. He is a great DB fan. I lost some respect for him. He should have directed this.
    5. Dragon Ball still is the best Anime ever. No other anime has had its effect in the global market the way DV did.

  • ShockedATThis

    This looks HORRIBLE. Dragon ball is one of the best anime’s ever to be created and to have these no-named and not-so-great-performing actors play dragon ball character roles will destroy all the love for this anime. please do not publish this movie – looks DISASTROUS!

  • CalmDown

    Listen here ,man. If you plan on watching this movie in hopes that it will exactly be like the anime, forget it. Simply watch it because it is an ADAPTATION OF THE STORY. They can make Vegta a pig like oolong and I’d still watch it and say to myself, “this is just a movie,using ideas from the anime and not being a damn copy of the anime itself.” Wow…you know what never mind, I just wasting my energy typing this.

  • http://N/A Bruce Darren Acosta

    NINJA SCROLL THE MOVIE.

    Forget Dragonball,there could be some news about the live action Ninja Scroll in development,some people thought that Ninja Assassin is based on ninja Scroll well they’re wrong,Mortal Kombat
    producer Lawrence Kasanoff and Threshold Entertainment has the rights to the Ninja Scroll series from Madhouse back in 2002.
    Screenwriter Sean Catherine Derek has competed the script for the film and there will be some news on the cast that are Asian Americans or other Asian actors and some Hollywood actors plus the special effects will be done by Hollywood visual effects companies and stunts will be done by John Medlen and other stunt performers.
    Thank you.
    BRUCE ACOSTA
    AUSTRALIA.

  • ChehTinKang

    i’m a db/z/gt fan just to clear that up. i think chow and wong picked the wrong protect to work on. anyone remember a movie call dragon ball: the magic begins? a real live dragon ball movie with japanese actors. from the look of the teaser, the japanese movie is looking better. they have chow yun fat as master roshi, and goku is some white guy. everyone else don’t look like any of the db characters. now the japanese movie, they tried their best to pick actors who look closest to the characters. for example, like master roshi, the man who played him, resembled the character very much, i wouldn’t pick anyone else.

    this movie is gonna do as bad as van damme’s streetfighter. if you fans are gonna support it, go ahead, but i’m sure it will just fade away. a film people wouldn’t remember, and a movie that won’t be consider a classic. i am still excited though, that they’re releasing a dragonball live movie, but after one view when the film comes out, i’ll probably won’t watch it again.

  • Alexsource

    Making Bulma a hacker instead of a scientist is what I would consider an adaptation. Turning her into a futuristic under-age Lara Croft wannabe is something else… Oh, whatever I’ve cared and bitched enough about this ‘film’, I’m shutting up now.

  • Benz

    AHH!!! Live action movies ruin everything!!
    with the exception to the 2 recent batman movies =)… They should have made it look all
    fake and futureistic..cause thats how dragonball is! Humans living in the future with crazy technology and animals from the past ex. t-rexs roaming around. ERrRRrrR assholes.. THE END

  • Jon

    Holy crap this looks like the power rangers all over again!

  • Tim Parsons

    Wow that looks good i was expecting crap, but i’m impressed.

    As for the rest of you I think your all insane i mean seriously wtf were you expecting an exact replica of it?

    @Benz the 2 new Batman movies suck balls

  • Anthony Brown

    Oh My Dear Lord, When was this made… Before the first Mortal Combat movie, there actually going to loose money by showing the trailer, because I not watching that BIG BOWL OF SHIT! Its like theve gone back in time does anybody remember a similar looking film called Srteet Fighter…All the actors in this Should fire the agents because they have been stitched up.

    Is this truly the Trailer or has Ahston Kutcher Pulled off the biggest Punk’d Sketch ever.

    Do-Not-Put-Your-Hand in your pocket for this movie unless your pulling out your middle figure to the director…Nuff Said!

    I going for a drink of water. x

  • Anthony Brown

    sorry for spelling mistakes just couldnt wait to voice my opinion x

    P.S the water was refreshing

  • Anthony Brown

    To Medryn

    I have just read your comment its not even about being a Fan of this movie which i am, I have a Tatoo of Gohan on my left fore arm. This is a poorley made movie, nothing positive can be said. The fans have been done an injustice “whats wrong with you” if you have never had a blow job and then your hired Angelalina Golie to suck you off and she bit your cock off Would you be plesed that her cock was around your cock in the first place…hmmm actually let me think about that….anyway your an idiot!

    I need another glass of water.

  • John Wright

    P>O>S>
    why not make the movie like the fantastic 4 ,ghost rider along with x-men fx and power this will be a peace of shit

  • Billy da kid

    WOW…y’all really like to bitch about something CURRENTLY UNRELEASED>>NONE OF U HAVE SEEN THIS FILM YET..Such optimism is fascinating.. you fools need to grow up. If you’re that fucking talented as filmmakers, maybe you should do it yourself, instead of just talking trash on the web….Fucking idiots

  • http://toriyamaworld.com Mark

    That looks horrible.

  • endrit

    this isnt dragon ball
    this character are diferent of the character of the dragon ball
    and piccolo is white is this a joke
    its better to destroy that film
    fuck this idea of db make a real film

  • Anonymous

    this looks like a piece of crap and why the fuck does piccolo look like a fucking monster off of gosebumps