Dragonball Evolution, arguably the worst live-action anime adaptation to come out of Hollywood, premiered 15 years ago, but I believe that Dragon Ball can still work in live-action. With a 40-year-old legacy, Dragon Ball is one of the most influential anime properties of all time. As such, it was not surprising that Hollywood eventually tried to bring Goku to the big screen for a live-action film. Unfortunately, not only was Dragonball Evolution a bad movie on its own, but it was also a terrible adaptation of the world created by the late Akira Toriyama.

Dragonball Evolution can be considered a product of its time, as anime adaptations have improved quite a lot recently. I believe that, if an American Dragon Ball movie were to be made today, many of the mistakes made by Dragonball Evolution would be avoided. Between One Piece turning out to be the best Netflix live-action anime adaptation and a Naruto movie in the works from Destin Daniel Cretton, Hollywood appears to have learned important lessons since Dragonball Evolution was released. Given how popular Dragon Ball is, Dragonball Evolution shouldn’t be its only live-action movie.

Dragonball Evolution Remains The Worst Live-Action Anime Movie 15 Years Later

Dragonball Evolution had no redeemable qualities

There were plenty of disappointing live-action anime adaptations after Dragonball Evolution, but the first and so far only Hollywood rendition of Dragon Ball remains the worst of them. Whereas some poorly-received live-action anime like Death Note or Cowboy Bebop at least got a couple of things right about the source material, be it a good performance or the visuals, Dragonball Evolution has no redeemable quality. James Wong had directed several interesting films going into Dragonball Evolution, but the project was doomed from the start. From the premise to the casting choices, Dragonball Evolution made too many mistakes.

While Dragonball Evolution’ cast included promising young stars, the fact that Goku was not played by a Japanese actor was the first major problem with the film. In terms of the story, there was virtually no resemblance between Dragon Ball and whatever Dragonball Evolution was trying to do. The movie was supposed to be an adaptation of the original Dragon Ball series, during which Goku was a child and there were no aliens. Still, Dragonball Evolution followed a teenage Goku who happened to attend a regular high school. This Goku was not even concerned about training or going to high school.

Dragonball Evolution was made in an era where not even superhero movies, let alone anime adaptations, could truly embrace the source material. The X-Men films from FOX, for example, had turned the colorful heroes from the comic books into Matrix-inspired figures. Likewise, Dragonball Evolution was more of a classic high school film than a Dragon Ball story. Goku is written like Peter Parker – a nerdy kid who wants to have a “normal” life but has to use his powers to help others. Although this is a classic hero story, this was never what defined Goku in the source material.

Dragon Ball Deserves A Worthy Live-Action Adaptation After 40 Years Of Success

Millions of fans around the globe love Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball and its sequels have been one of the most popular fictional franchises in the world for decades. The story created by Akira Toriyama charmed audiences from several countries and can be considered a game-changing property when it comes to anime that became global and not just in Japan. The cultural impact of Dragon Ball, particularly Dragon Ball Z, cannot be easily measured. With fans from all ages and backgrounds, I believe Dragon Ball could easily be the next major Hollywood live-action anime adaptation if done right and treated with the respect it deserves.

A successful anime property does not necessarily need a live-action adaptation. However, when looking at successful blockbuster sagas like the Marvel Cinematic Universe or even the Transformers franchise, it’s difficult not to imagine what a theatrical Dragon Ball Z universe would look like. Additionally, we are now in a time where even One Piece, which takes place in a fantastical and non-realistic world, can get a proper live-action adaptation that respects the source material. Netflix’s One Piece proved that there is no such thing as an anime that cannot be adapted.

Dragon Ball Z Could Make For A Massive Blockbuster Movie Franchise

Dragon Ball Z has incredible action, colorful heroes, and amazing villains

Although Dragon Ball starts with 11-year-old Goku and his friends searching for the Dragon Balls, Dragon Ball Z takes the story to the next level by introducing aliens and aging up the main character. There is no distinction between Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z in the manga, but they do feel like very different properties in the anime. I believe the best way of bringing live-action Dragon Ball back to theaters would be with an adaptation of the Saiyan Saga, which marks the beginning of Dragon Ball Z.

The original adventures of Goku, Krillin, and Bulma are entertaining and charming, but Dragon Ball Z could give Hollywood its next blockbuster franchise. Superhero movies have shown that battles of massive scale can be done right in live-action with the proper budget and artistic vision, meaning that all the great fights that define Dragon Ball Z can be brought to the big screen. Films like Man of Steel and Avengers: Infinity War captured the kinetic energy and the visuals that I, as an anime fan, was used to and made me imagine what a good live-action Dragon Ball would look like.

How To Make A Good Live-Action Dragon Ball Movie

A Dragon Ball adaptation must embrace the source material

Dragonball Evolution shows exactly how not to adapt a beloved story into a different media. A proper Dragon Ball movie should not be afraid of the source material but instead embrace all the “weirdness” that defines Goku’s journey. Dragon Ball takes place in a timeless world where robots coexist with dinosaurs. In other words, it’s impossible to have a realistic or grounded Dragon Ball movie. The casting must also be on point for a Dragon Ball adaptation to work. Arguably the most iconic anime main character of all time, Goku would be a tricky character to cast.

One of my favorite things about Dragon Ball Z is how it combines the comedy of Dragon Ball with non-stop action, which is also something a live-action movie should get right. A Dragon Ball movie cannot take itself too seriously and forget the humor, yet it must also have incredible action sequences that make the anime justice. Bringing Dragon Ball back to the big screen for a Hollywood adaptation after Dragonball Evolution would be very difficult, but I believe that it can be done.