Dragonball Evolution couldn't even understand the simplest things about Goku and the world of Dragon ball right, including the main character's origin story. Arguably the worst live-action anime adaptation ever made, Dragonball Evolution it didn't even come close to doing justice to Akira Toriyama's iconic manga. From whitewashing most of the main characters to placing Goku in high school, it's hard to find any redeemable qualities in the 2009 film.
As one of the most popular manga and anime series of all time, any Dragon ball the property needs to meet certain expectations. Given how iconic the series is around the world, even those who have never read or watched it Dragon ball You may be familiar with characters like Goku and Vegeta. As a result, Dragonball EvolutionGoku's failure was especially catastrophic, with the film failing to portray even some of the smallest, simplest details of Goku's character. This includes Goku's history and where his powers come from.
Dragonball Evolution never confirms whether Goku is a Saiyan in this universe
Dragonball Evolution comes with an original story for Piccolo and Oozaru
The word “Saiyan” is never used in Dragonball Evolutionmeaning the film never addresses whether Goku is an alien in this universe. Guaranteed, Goku being one of the last survivors of an alien race of warriors was a retcon Toriyama did when he introduced Raditz in what would become the beginning of Dragon Ball Z. Still, the fact that Dragon ballThe main character of is a Saiyan, and has since become an essential part of its story. However, Dragonball Evolution makes no effort to confirm or even tease Goku's heritage.
At the beginning of Dragonball EvolutionGoku is a teenager who lives with his grandfather, Gohan, which matches the beginning of Dragon ball. However, the film barely addresses Goku's childhood, only establishing that Oozaru "travelled by meteorite" and hid among humans until Goku's 18th birthday. To complicate things, Dragonball Evolution includes Goku's Oozaru form, but never mentions things like "Saiyan" or "Planet Vegeta"
Oozaru was not a transformation in Dragonball's evolution, but rather an ancient god
Oozaru is not the name of a Saiyan form in Dragon Ball Evolution
In Dragon ballGoku becoming a giant ape was eventually retconned as something that happens to every Saiyan when they look at the full moon, as long as they still have their tail. In Dragonball Evolutionhowever, “Oozaru” is not a term used to describe Goku's appearance after transforming, but rather the name of an ancient god who once served Piccolo. Thousands of years ago, Piccolo and Oozaru attacked Earth, but were unable to conquer the planet. Piccolo was captured, while Oozaru disappeared.
Dragonball Evolution implies that Goku is the reincarnation of Oozaru, with the giant ape about to be reborn on the day of the eclipse. It doesn't look like this version of Goku ever had a tail as a childwhich is also a significant difference from the source material. Lastly, instead of Goku accidentally killing his grandfather after transforming into Oozaru for the first time, Gohan is killed after Piccolo attacks his house.
Needless to say, practically nothing about Dragonball EvolutionGoku's Oozaru corresponds to Goku's great ape transformation from the source material. In truth, Dragonball EvolutionOozaru's story strongly implies that Saiyans do not exist in this universe. Instead of, Oozaru is his own entity who ended up reincarnated as a boy, Goku. For a film that was already making so many mistakes Dragon ball, Dragonball EvolutionThe decision to completely ignore Goku's Saiyan heritage was another big mistake.
Dragonball Evolution complicated what should have been a fairly simple origin story
Goku's origin story isn't that complicated
Dragonball EvolutionThe opening sequence is packed with exposition as a voiceover tells the story of Piccolo and Oozaru's first attack on Earth. The film also quickly establishes the importance of the eclipse and how Goku is destined to confront Oozaru to find his true self. Instead of spending so much time building a somewhat generic story that could have been found in any other fantasy film, Dragonball Evolution It could have easily incorporated more elements from Goku's real story.
Of course, Dragonball Evolution saying Goku once had a tail or naming Planet Vegeta in the opening sequence wouldn't have saved the film. Still, it would have made the 2009 film feel a little more like a Dragon ball adaptation rather than something that barely resembled the source material. Although it is a sequence of Dragonball Evolution luckily it never happened, it's interesting to imagine what characters like Raditz and Vegeta would be like in this universe, given that a lot of things in Goku's history have changed.