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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION" (2009) (Justin Chatwin, Chow Yun-Fat) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons None Mild Extreme *Mild Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Minor Moderate None Minor Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate None Moderate Mild Heavy QUICK TAKE: Action/Fantasy: A young man and others race against time to collect a set of seven magical orbs -- that collectively will give their possessor one perfect wish -- before an evil warlord gets his hands on them and destroys Earth. PLOT: Thousands of years ago, an evil warlord, Piccolo (JAMES MARSTERS), and his monstrous disciple, Oozaru, attempted to destroy Earth during a solar eclipse but were thwarted by monks who defeated them and imprisoned Piccolo. Now in the present and with another eclipse approaching, Piccolo has escaped. Along with his new accomplice, the shape-shifting Mai (ERIKO TAMURA), he wants to collect seven mystical "dragon balls" that, when combined together, will grant their possessor a powerful wish. His, once again, is to destroy Earth. One of the dragon balls is now in the hands of 18-year-old high school student Goku (JUSTIN CHATWIN), given to him by his grandfather, Gohan (RANDALL DUK KIM), who's raised the boy and trained him in the ways of the martial and mystical arts. Taught by him not to use his powers to fight bullies such as Carey Fuller (TEXAS BATTLE), Goku would much rather use them to help fellow student and martial arts follower, Chi Chi (JAMIE CHUNG). But while he's at her party, Piccolo and Mai come looking for the dragon ball and attack his grandfather, whose dying words are for him to find martial arts master Roshi (CHOW YUN-FAT). With scientist and gadget expert Bulma (EMMY ROSSUM) and later thief Yamcha (JOON PARK) joining their quest, Goku and his new companions set out to find the remaining dragon balls before Piccolo collects them and unleashes Oozaru on the world. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of the anime series on which it's based, they probably will. Otherwise, those into fantasy-based action pics might also be enticed. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For intense sequences of action/violence and brief mild language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JUSTIN CHATWIN plays an 18-year-old high school student who's a fledgling martial and mystical arts master, but refrains from using those skills on bullies. While sweet on Chi Chi, he must contend with the efforts of Piccolo to collect the dragon balls and destroy Earth. CHOW YUN-FAT plays a martial arts master, but also a little bit of a geek who Goku seeks out for help in finding the dragon balls and defeating Piccolo. JAMIE CHUNG plays Goku's classmate, prone to showing varying amounts of cleavage, who's also into martial arts and ends up caught up in the situation. EMMY ROSSUM plays a scientist and gadget expert who's also looking for the dragon balls, but wants them to create unlimited power for the world. She battles others and is handy with her futuristic gun. JOON PARK plays a thief who first captures Goku and the others but then joins them on their quest. RANDALL DUK KIM plays Goku's wise grandfather who's raised and taught him the ways of the mystical martial arts. JAMES MARSTERS plays the evil warlord who wants to destroy Earth. ERIKO TAMURA plays his new accomplice, a shape-shifting martial arts warrior. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this action/fantasy film that's been rated PG. Profanity consists of at least 1 incomplete "s" word, while a few minor expletives and some colorful phrases are also uttered. Varying amounts of cleavage (sometimes a lot) are present, there's some brief kissing, and other fooling around is implied, but then immediately shown not to have occurred, while a man's bikini magazine (featuring a model on the cover) is briefly noted. Violence consists of all sorts of highly-stylized/non-realistic martial arts fighting, futuristic weapons fired at others, and masses of energy used to battle or attack others. A few deaths are seen (with no blood or gore, although some monsters bubble/foam when dismembered or killed, and a few other scenes do feature blood), while many deaths are implied in flashback views of long-distance scenes of mass destruction. Some of that as well as moments of potential peril and the appearances of some monstrous creatures might be unsettling, suspenseful and/or scary to younger viewers, but probably no one else. The action, stunts, and other behavior might be enticing for some kids to imitate, while various bad attitudes are present, as is some tense family material. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE None. BLOOD/GORE When Goku complains about Fuller having just run over his parked motorbike, Fuller responds by asking if someone farted, saying he swore he heard something (referring to Goku's voice). We see severed chicken feet and charred (small) swans as part of the meal Gohan has prepared. We see some of Piccolo's blood filling a few vials while hooked up to some sort of machine. We then see some sort of gooey monster that's being formed and/or boosted by that blood. A monster attacks Goku in a cave and he fights that off, while his companions battle more such monsters. Although it's hard to see exactly what's occurring, some part of one appears to be severed and then starts to grow into another monster, prompting Roshi to tell Goku they need to throw the monsters into a nearby lava flaw to kill them. They do that, with the monsters burning up but still floating on the surface of that lava. Goku then hacks up one to use its pieces and the bodies of the others as stepping stones across the lava. Chi Chi battles (punches, kicks) Mai in a martial arts competition (Chi Chi doesn't know who she is yet), with Mai then walking away having collected some of her blood. We then see that Chi Chi has a slender bloody slice on her arm. At a market, we see the head of some sort of fowl chopped off, and we briefly see the stump. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Piccolo's goal is to obtain all of the dragon balls and then destroy Earth, and Mai works for him with the same goal. Fuller and his friends are jerks toward Goku, and they try to belittle, intimidate and attack him. For those opposed to magic and/or paranormal powers, various characters here possess and use that. Goku and Bulma enter Roshi's place without permission. Yamcha has created a large deep hole to trap people, and then blackmails them for money in exchange for a way out (he does this to Bulma and her companions). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Piccolo and Oozaru's appearances (monstrous to varying degrees) might be unsettling or even scary to younger viewers, but probably no one else. Mai searches for a dragon ball and hears a kid hiding below her. She then holds her gun on that kid, but a woman then pops up to save the kid, with Mai aiming her gun at her. She makes that woman kneel and we hear the weapon charged up, but the scene ends so we don't know what or if any happens to her. There's talk that the next eclipse (in a few days) will be the beginning of the apocalypse. We briefly see a monstrous-looking dragon, but it's present just to save someone as part of a wish. GUNS/WEAPONS Futuristic Handguns/Throwing Stars/: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: An incomplete "Oh sh*t," "Prepare to eat dirt," "Did you just fart, cuz I swear I heard something," "Trouble found you, punk," "Later, loser," "Listen idiot," "You are getting your clock cleaned," "What a crock," "Bro," what sounded like "I just fried my nuts," "The plan sucks," "Who the hell are you?" "That was my hell," "Scared the crap out of you" and "Ladies" (said to men by a man). The action, stunts, and other behavior might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Yamcha has created a large deep hole to trap people, and then blackmails them for money in exchange for a way out (he does this to Bulma and her companions). JUMP SCENES Bulma suddenly has her gun on Goku. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of suspenseful, action-oriented and heavily dramatic music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 incomplete "s" word, 2 hells, 1 damn, 1 crap, and 1 use of "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY Mai shows cleavage (due to a designed hole in her outfit at just that location on her body), while Chi Chi and Bulma show varying amounts (Chi Chi sometimes a lot) in various outfits. Not really knowing her yet, Goku briefly imagines a view of Chi Chi somewhat sensually eating a piece of fruit (nothing explicit, but a little charged). Bulma holds up a magazine she says is "Bikini Quarterly" that belongs to Roshi and shows a bikini clad women on the cover. Roshi sits behind Bulma on her futuristic motorbike, and holds on with his hands down on her clothed hips/side of her butt. She then warns him -- with the pointing of her gun - that he'll lose his hands if he does that again. Accordingly, when he later catches her after falling into a deep hole, he immediately drops her. Some steam from a nearby lava flow blasts up and hits Yamcha on his clothed crotch, with him exclaiming what sounded like, "I just fried my nuts!" Bulma and Yamcha nearly kiss, but are interrupted. Goku and Chi Chi make out while standing and the scene ends. We then see Chi Chi coming out of Goku's room, implying something else happened between them, but we then learn that it was really Mai who had shape-shifted to look like Chi Chi, and that Goku wasn't in the room with her. Goku and Chi Chi passionately kiss while clothed and standing. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Fuller tells Chi Chi that he doesn't know what happened to his parents and was raised by Gohan. Goku must deal with the death of his grandfather, and we then see him putting the final touches on his gravesite. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The comment to have faith in who you are. Goku being raised by his grandfather. For those opposed to magic and/or paranormal powers, various characters here possess and use that. VIOLENCE In the prologue, there are brief images of mass destruction (seen from a long distance) caused by Piccolo and Oozaru (many deaths implied, none seen). Goku and Gohan spar while standing on suspended, parallel ropes, with Goku trying to avoid Gohan hitting him with a pole. Goku is successful, and knocks a fly into Gohan's mouth, but the latter then forms and throws an energy ball at Goku, knocking him to the ground where he hits his head on a large gourd. After Goku parks his motorbike at school, Fuller pulls up and runs over that bike while also knocking Goku back over another car. Piccolo fires an energy ball down toward a village that we then see has been destroyed, with burning huts and people wandering about. Some of Fuller's bully friends pick on Goku outside Chi Chi's party, with one pushing him back. Goku won't fight them, and thus defeats them by avoiding their punches and kicks that end up hitting each other rather than Goku (with one's fist going through Fuller's car window). Fuller then comes out, picks up a metal rod and repeatedly tries to strike Goku, but ends up smashing his own car when Goku avoids the blows. One of the other punks then comes up behind Goku, but he avoids being hit by that or Fuller's metal rod, with those hitting the other men. Mai throws several throwing stars at Gohan but he avoids them. Piccolo then enters, uses telekinesis to cause Gohan pain, and then uses the same to cause part of Gohan's house to fall down onto Gohan. Goku later finds his grandfather who's alive, but mortally wounded and he dies soon thereafter. We see a flashback image of a massive explosion. Bulma fires her weapon several times at Goku, they briefly struggle, and then she holds her gun on him again. We see a flashback to some dead guards on the floor, with Bulma firing at Mai as the latter flees after stealing the dragon ball belonging to Bulma's father. Roshi blasts Goku back against a wall, and then sends him through the air and down onto a table that breaks below him. Goku then forms and fires an energy ball toward Roshi who avoids that, with it then hitting Bulma and knocking her back. We see another flashback view of a distant, massive explosion. Chi Chi does martial arts sparing with another person who punches her in the face when she's distracted. In response, she kicks that person quite hard. Bulma, Goku and Roshi ride on her futuristic motorbike that then suddenly falls into a large, deep hole, with Goku and Roshi landing hard. The latter catches Bulma, but then drops her to the ground (based on her earlier threat of him having his hands on her). Later, Goku tries to climb up the sheer wall, but then falls and lands hard. A monster attacks Goku in a cave and he fights that off, while his companions battle more such monsters. Although it's hard to see exactly what's occurring, some part of one appears to be severed and then starts to grow into another monster, prompting Roshi to tell Goku they need to throw the monsters into a nearby lava flaw to kill them. They do that, with the monsters burning up but still floating on the surface of that lava. Goku then hacks up one to use its pieces and the bodies of the others as stepping stones across the lava. We see another flashback view of massive explosions, with one destroying a city (all from a long distance). Mai hits Goku and they battle with punches and kicks, etc. Chi Chi battles (punches, kicks) Mai in a martial arts competition (Chi Chi doesn't know who she is yet), with Mai then walking away having collected some of her blood. We then see that Chi Chi has a slender bloody slice on her arm. Mai (appearing as Chi Chi) fires her weapon at others, causing a fiery explosion, followed by fighting the real Chi Chi. Goku, who can't tell them apart, punches one, but picks the wrong one, having hit the real Chi Chi. Mai then fires a shot that hits Goku and blasts him back, with Bulma firing at Mai as she escapes. Roshi then has to use his powers to bring Goku back from the edge of death. Roshi and Piccolo fire energy blasts at each other, with one knocking down Piccolo and Mai, and the other hitting a flying jeep containing Goku, Bulma and Yamcha. It goes out of control and crash-lands, resulting in a hard landing for those inside it. Goku morphs into a large monster, with Bulma and Yamcha fleeing into a cave. The monster then smashes through a wall and attacks Yamcha. Roshi and Piccolo fire energy blasts at each other, with both hit, followed by the monster pinning Roshi to the ground and choking him to death. Mai fires her gun at Bulma, while Piccolo fires energy blasts at Goku. Mai and Bulma then have a gun battle in a cave, while Piccolo and Goku battle up in the air, with Goku being blasted back against a rocky wall and then down to the ground. Back in the cave, Bulma sends her transformer type car at Mai who ducks, followed by the two battling. Mai then has her gun on Bulma and is about to shoot her when Yamcha shoots Mai in the back, presumably killing her. Outside, Goku and Piccolo fire energy at each other, with Goku winning and Piccolo ending up on the ground, unconscious or dead. Reviewed April 10, 2009 / Posted April 10, 2009

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