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“on the set
DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION
Will Sheng Long’s power be able to save the world?”
“I have to admit that I didn’t know Dragonball at the time it was born in Japan (1984, magazine Shonen Jump), but I did five years before the rest of America, thanks to a japanese friend which offered me playcards and “tankobon” (manga compilations) with Son Goku’s adventures. I don’t know if it was the main character’s charisma or its innocent similarities with Superman, the unbelievable vehicles and robots’ drawings, the scenarios, or the awesome form in which its creator, Akira Toriyama, converted age-old oriental legends in a story suitable for the cultures and the places of the world. Actually I was trapped in this phenomenon, to the point that I was collecting figurines, the Editorial Vid compilations, more than 15 video games and, of course, recording tens of episodes on VHS.
That’s why the travel to Durango in February 2008 to present DragonBall Evolution’s filming was a dream becoming reality to me, even if I had reservations due to, at least, two factors : 1) Akira Toriyama missing in the project and 2) the awful previous unofficial taiwanese movie based on the franchise. With a few months left before the release of the movie in theatres, and with the recents pictures, trailers and rumours that provoked the anger of thousands of “otakus” (anime and manga fans) around the world, I see myself in the obligation to raise my hand to defend Evolution. And here are my reasons.
CHATTING WITH A FAN
This is just known by a few people, but James Marsters is one of the most fervents Dragonball fans in America. So much that he fought for months to obtain a document for the set where the english dubbing is made, and he handled Piccolo Daimaku precisely (played in Mexico by the actor Carlos Segundo).
In an exclusive talk, Marsters told us : “I have a private stipulation with the director which consists in, if I feel that the movie is losing the original essence of the franchise, I quit right away. My son is a fan like me and he calls me every day to tell me : “Dad, don’t let this movie suck! It’s Dragonball!” Do you think that I would deceive my son and myself?””
“The other reason for why I have to enumerate my hopes for Evolution to be successful is the fact that the production and the cast chose the beautiful state of Durango for the location of 90% of the scenes. It’s fair that this magic place was reborn as a cineland, after the peak that it had during so much years and that knew a decline because of political matters.
As a stronger argument I have to say that, even if James Wong assured that Akira Toriyama wasn’t in the production, he admitted that he was keeping constant communication with him, and even if he was nervous, he was very excited with the results that had the movie. We have to remember that Toriyama-san is an industrial engineer and all the machines and vehicles designs in the movie are in theory, functional. In the art department I saw tens of designs that only him could have conceived. So, is he really missing at 100% of the project? Even if this article is done, I look at the sky from my window and, talking to a fictional Sheng Long with my collector Dragonballs in my hand, I wish that Evolution won’t break my “otaku”’s heart.”
Picture’s legends :
“James Marsters aka Piccolo”
“The director James Wong”
“Outside Durango : on location in Santa Fe, on the D.F”
The big sentence : “Akira Toriyama wasn’t in the production, but he maintained communication with the director.”
The yellow frame at the bottom of the page :
“Dragonball’s Who’s who (according to the original scenario)
SON GOKU : Humanoid of the Saiyajin race (Vegeta planet), sent to Earth to conquer it. When he lands down, he meets Gohan the warrior, who adopts him and trains him to be good. Goku is noble, naive, and is a tireless warrior. He’s searching for the balls to have the opportunity to see his grand-father again.
BULMA : Daughter of one of the most clever scientist of the planet, she’s not only pretty, but charismatic and bright. She invented the Dragonballs’s Radar and Trunks’s Time Machine, among other things. She’s searching for the balls to… ask them a boyfriend!
YAMCHA : Thief and mercenary, it’s well said that he’s evil. Powerful in the martial arts, but not gifted with ladies, he’s searching for the balls with the aim to end with that awful defect and to get a girlfriend who will spoil him.
CHICHI : OgSatan’s daughter, powerful warrior. Since childhood she has a strong character and she gives in to Goku in authority, however none of them was able to win over the other during a fight. She becomes Goku’s fiancée and later his wife, however he never knew with precision how was the thing. She has with him two sons : Son Gohan and Son Goten.
PICCOLO : Evil side of Kamisama (who was supposed to be God, but later we know that he’s from the Namek planet). His first form was evil and merciless, but when he was destroyed by Goku, Goku threw an egg which reincarnated him in a less evil form. Since then he’s been a powerful ally and mentor of Gohan, Goku’s son”
“Another thing that appealed to me during the visit of the set was the detail that the director James Wong (The One, Final Destination 1 and 3) put in the production. For example, we visited the Dragon Temple’s exterior, a structure built entirely with a melting of latex and resin which was handmade to give it the look of rocks curved a long time ago. The makeup team (mexican, of course) is the same that did the zombies and other abominations in the 3 Resident Evil movies. We have to acknowledge it : their work is very great.
And like if that wasn’t enough, we talked with Mayes Castillero de Rubeo, a talented woman proud to be mexican who took care also of the costumes in “Avatar” y “Apocalypto”. We can notice that herself is a Dragonball fan, I asked what was her contribution to make the movie the most faithful to the series. “I’m surprised and glad that you ask me this. I confess that I use a pallet of colours identical to the one in the anime – the manga doesn’t have colors – not only to make everybody see that Goku has the same fighting costume that in the anime, but in order to prevent any confusion with the Vegito costume – fusion between Vegeta and Goku, which is slightly bright orange than his-”
From the volcano to the hospital
I can’t violate the secret that I have to keep on various details of the script until the film is released, but I have to say that it was a pleasure to experience the fact to be from a few meters of a scene’s filming in which Justin Chatwin (Goku) was fighting against three aliens inside a volcano as a part of the training with Chow Yun-Fat. In fact, in this scene, Chatwin hurt himself, but in a tremendous demonstration of professionalism, this didn’t stop him the day he returned from the hospital to talk with us.
“Actually, I never was a huge Dragonball fan, but I like it enough to feel very happy to incarnate this great character. It’s like incarnate Superman! I have to say that one of my favorite moments during this filming is having met Ernie Hudson (Master Mutaito), I am a Ghostbusters fan!””
“Hope shines for DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION
Despite the hardcore fans’ scepticism and the low expectations, this “otaku” keeps the illusion alive that the movie won’t be a disappointment. We went to the set to confirm that”” |
