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I believe in constructive criticism. As much as I wish I could just say Dragonball Evolution sucks and leave it at that, I’m going to do some analysis. I was introduced to Dragonball Z by my sister’s boyfriend (now husband) over 15 years ago so I do know a bit about the property, though not as much as he does.
The writing, acting, casting, and characterizations were bad. Admittedly, it’s difficult to adapt the manga directly since Dragonball starts with Goku as a kid and there is a lot of storyline that happens before he gets to an adult but the filmmakers didn’t get several of the things that made Dragonball popular. The fighting. Aimed mainly at adolescent boys, the inhumanly wild fighting was a huge factor in Dragonball’s success and they didn’t come close to replicating it. The characterization. Goku wasn’t the smartest guy but he was good-natured and optimistic as hell. In the film, they tried to protray him as a geeky underdog who needed to overcome his lack of confidence. Totally out of character. There’s been a good deal of discussion on whether the lead should have been cast as Asian (as well as on the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender film). Since I’ve only seen the anime in Japanese or Cantonese, I’ve always assumed that he was Asian.
A couple special notes about the writing. No good can come from a film that uses the words, “There are no rules.” Also, at one point, Goku mistakenly knocks out Chichi and the next time they meet, they kiss. As a result some impressionable kids may feel that it’s okay for guys to hit girls and if they do, there’s a chance you might get a kiss. Moral fail.
When I watch movies, especially ones based on properties that I like, I always see ways to improve it and what I would do differently. While I was watching it today, I sketched out an idea of how I might have gone about it. I would have gone a bit steampunk. Oh, and they didn’t have any cloud surfing. WTF!?
I haven’t seen X-Men Origins: Wolverine yet but with the reviews I’ve been reading, I’m not sure if I’m interested in doing so. The online mockery may be more entertaining.
Here are promos for the new shows that were picked up for the new season:
Parenthood – Based on the movies (which I never saw), looks like a show that could catch on and do really well but not really my cup of tea.
Trauma – One of the possible medical dramas poised to replace ER. Looks like something Peter Berg would put together. Promo looks very loud and manly. Seems action packed but whether they can maintain that momentum from episode to episode is where it will succeed. Glad to see Cliff Curtis playing a role that looks interesting.
Mercy – The other medical drama that is poised to replace ER from the nurse’s POV. Might scare the guys away and will need to pull in the Grey’s Anatomy/Desperate Housewives crowd.
Day One – Been following this one but haven’t seen much footage. Whether this might go into “The Stand” territory or is purely an urban survival story is to be seen. Hope it will be more like Lost than Heroes.
100 Questions – One of the few sitcoms picked up. Really similar to Friends which isn’t surprising since it’s produced by James Burrows. Looks good but will ride on the shoulders of Charlotte Payne coming off as endearing.
Community – Chevy Chase is on TV again. Not sure whether I like the lead but the supporting cast has some potential. I think this show will succeed on whether people will give the show a chance to find its footing and whether it will ever find its footing.
On a side note, I’m not liking Parks and Recreation too much so far. Amy Poehler deserves better than to ape Steve Carrell’s role in The Office.
- Applied to the ABC Entertainment Group Production Associates Program but wasn’t among the finalists.
- Since I’ve had time, I’m trying to write a feature script based on the following sketch (circa 2001) which is an updated look at an existing character. Making headway but writing this is daunting since it’s something that I know would be difficult to get made. Probably going to mine my sketchbooks for a less ambitious idea.
- Finished a 30 Rock spec script. Still needs a little polish but it was easier than I thought it would be. I even came up with a crazy awesome idea for another episode that I might have to write, though I do want to see if I could write a dramatic hour long piece. Needed to write a spec to submit to programs for NBC, CBS, and Warner Bros. Looks like I missed the CBS deadline though.
- Writing something that could essentially be a Twilight Zone/The Outer Limits episode or fodder for a sci-fi mag. More on this in my next post.
Self-Death-pricating
May 4, 2009 in Commentary, Film, Psychology | Leave a comment
Suicide. It’s a somewhat taboo word. People try to avoid it if they can but it’s been popping up on my radar lately since I’ve been hearing it discussed from various sources. With the recent anniversary of Cobain’s death, the multiple suicides in the Korean entertainment industry including the most recent one, suicides because of economic difficulties, the local Freddie Mac executive, and a film that recently played at SXSW, suicide can be sensationalized in the media. I even saw a character attempt suicide when watching the Naruto Shippuden: Bonds movie recently.
When a person has reached a point where he/she is unable to cope with real or perceived extreme stress/pain, suicide enters into the equation as a way out. Technically, that seems to be what usually occurs but emotionally, it can be difficult to understand. I have wanted to write an opus on the subject of teen suicide, but have never found the right way to go about it, so I’m curious to see the film that played at SXSW.