Apr 13 2009 Either Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus Win Box Office
I know what you were watching at the theaters this weekend!
1. Hannah Montana The Movie - $34 million. I'm sort of proud I have such a vague understanding of the multiple personas of Miley Cyrus, but at the same time, it's so enormously popular that I also feel really out of touch. This is Tamagatchis all over again.
2. Fast and Furious - $28.8 million. Vin Diesel fans are legion.
3. Monsters Vs. Aliens - $22.6 million. Not every kid wanted to see Hannah Montana. That shit's for girls, dude.
4. Observe and Report - $11 million--now the second highest grossing mall security guard movie in America!
5. Knowing - $6.7 million, meaning, even in its fourth week, Nicolas Cage interpreting worrying numbers beat:
8. Dragonball Evolution - $4.7 million. Yikes!
Weekend Box Office Results [Box Office Mojo]
Feb 17 2009 'Dragonball' Has Stopped Putting Effort Into Anything
Stacking various, similarly-tinted panels of arbitrarily mismatched heights is going to be a very popular technique in poster design soon. These guys are ahead of the curve on this one. Next week Watchmen will probably catch up with a poster with a banner-ad size strip of Rorschach that's tinted green, then below that a sliver of Dr. Manhattan that's tinted a slightly different shade of green, then a wide red panel of Nite Owl, and so on, until it too forms a crappy rainbow spectrum of characters under a meaningless tagline. The floating heads style of poster design has been made redundant.
Master Your Destiny Poster [DBtheMovie]
Feb 5 2009 Another 'Dragonball: Evolution' Trailer--Now with More Fireballs
Seriously, everyone is constantly shooting fireballs. This thing is a big fireball party. Everyone is loving fireballs. Except maybe the girl--it appears she doesn't have the ability to shoot fireballs, so she shoots guns: science's fireballs. And there's an SUV version of the Back to the Future car, because that's something:
Continue Reading " Another 'Dragonball: Evolution' Trailer--Now with More Fireballs "
Feb 3 2009 See Actual Dragon of 'Dragonball: Evolution'
In Japan, where Dragonball: Evolution is considered pertinent news, a news program aired some brand new footage from the movie. There's an actual dragon! And you thought the name was figurative.
Judging by the music, the Japanese seem to be viewing the film as equivalent to a tropical getaway awarded at the end of a game show:
Continue Reading " See Actual Dragon of 'Dragonball: Evolution' "
Dec 11 2008 'Dragonball' Poster: Goku Says "Ewwww!"
First I thought, OK, not that bad--or at least certainly not the worst thing to come from the Dragonball camp. But then I tried an experiment in readjusting the horizon, and, well...
Continue Reading " 'Dragonball' Poster: Goku Says "Ewwww!" "
Dec 10 2008 Man Oh Man, This 'Dragonball' Trailer
In terms of production value, I'd place this somewhere between Xena: Warrior Princess and a Power Rangers movie. In terms of everything else, I'd place it somewhere it could never touch human eyes or ears--particularly the voice of Piccolo. That generic, digitally-distorted, kidnapper-on-the-phone voice should not come out of someone's actual mouth.
Dec 5 2008 Is 'Dragonball' EVOLVING!?
In response to fan outcry that the film looks only marginally like the anime series, and everyone else's outcry that it generally looks terrible, 20th Century Fox has fixed Dragonball. Rumor is, the title has been changed to Dragonball Evolution--an idea supported by Fox's registration of DragonballEvolutionMovie.com. I think everyone agrees that the biggest issue with Dragonball was that its title was not offensive enough to creationists, so that's fixed. Next.
Nov 6 2008 First Look at Monster Thing from 'Dragonball'
Over at DBtheMovie.com, they've posted what they claim is an early look at the protagonist, Goku, in monster form. If you know as little about Dragonball as me (I basically only know that the series involves a lot of screaming), you're probably thinking, wait, besides all the flying around on clouds, someone turns into a monster? Apparently:
Oozaru (大猿 Ōzaru, lit. Great Monkey) is a fictional transformation in the Dragon Ball manga series and anime adaptation, written by Akira Toriyama. Originally in the series, the Oozaru was a transformation for the main character named Son Goku, being a parody of a monkey king character named Sun Wukong from the novel The Journey to the West. In the series, the Oozaru is a giant ape that Goku turns into when he looks at a full moon, similar to that of a werewolf.
I have the feeling fans are not going to be pleased with this:
Continue Reading " First Look at Monster Thing from 'Dragonball' "
Oct 21 2008 'Dragonball' Reshoots: Messing with Perfection?
Whuh-oh, Dragonball! DBtheMovie (via io9, via "Dave") is reporting that the film has put out a call for actors to shoot additional scenes and/or retakes. Are there serious problems or are they just picking up some shots? Either way, guys, sometimes it's best to just dive out of your car before it goes hurtling off a cliff. Stop trying the brakes!
Oct 3 2008 'Dragonball' Teaser Leaked on My Face, in My Eyes
Well, while it lasts, here's the teaser to Dragonball. Like everything else we've seen of this movie, it's not very good. And apparently they're just using the cars from Transfomers? Oi.
Continue Reading " 'Dragonball' Teaser Leaked on My Face, in My Eyes "
Oct 1 2008 'Dragonball' STILL Looks Really Good
I couldn't tell you why I keep clicking on links that say they will show me portions of a Dragonball movie, then watching those portions of Dragonball (I think it's either a sense of duty or masochism), but I do, and that's just how it is. Today I did it again, and was treated with just what I was promised: a short teaser for the Dragonball movie as recorded from someone's wobbly fist, accompanied by the usual ennui. It's really sad when the best parts of a trailer are the disjointed explosions.
Sep 3 2008 Well, 'Dragonball' is Still Looking Really Good
Some screen captures from the fumbled attempt at bringing Dragonball to screens have turned up on internet. In case you couldn't tell, this pale, velvet swathed fellow is meant to be the main villain, Piccolo, who traditionally looks like this. Yikes.
Just remember, The Dark Knight's Joker didn't look exactly like the comics either. Of course, he also didn't look like a jaundiced, goth character from Alien Nation (you definitely remember Alien Nation), so yeah, this will probably be really bad.
Six more under the cut.
Continue Reading " Well, 'Dragonball' is Still Looking Really Good "
Aug 15 2008 'Dragonball' is Looking Good (If You Use a Loose Definition of Good)
I admit was a naysayer for a while, but these latest shots from Dragonball have really got me reconsidering this live-action adaptation. Mostly because I consider palpable desperation and pleading, vacant eyes that will forever haunt you, waking you from your nightly slumber with their anguished cry of "what have I done?" to be a positive in a film.
Aug 1 2008 This is Apparently 'Mai' from 'Dragonball'
God, this is great. Not that these new shots from Dragonball are anything to get excited over, but that for once I'm so completely unfamiliar and apathetic towards the source material that none of it matters. Cleavage is just cleavage, without worries of if that space between breasts accurately recreates the boob gorge of the cartoon. Cleavage is just cleavage! Cleavage is cleavage!
Go here if you can't accept the cleavage is cleavage theorem, and want two more photos.
Jul 21 2008 Japan's 'Dragonball' Poster Looks Accurate
I forgot that the Dragonball cartoon takes place largely in an arid wasteland most famous for being the reflection in chrome WordArt. That makes this even less appealing.
Goku in Orange Gi [DB the Movie]
Jun 24 2008 'Dragonball' Banner is Dull, Full of Red Light Swirls
I had my apprehensions about Dragonball, but this banner makes it look like the actors have really captured the vacant, soulless eyes of the original cartoon characters. Full banner behind the cut, because it's stupidly long.
Continue Reading " 'Dragonball' Banner is Dull, Full of Red Light Swirls "
May 22 2008 'Dragonball' First Look: Chow Yun Fat as Master Roshi
Even as someone who cares absolutely nothing about Dragonball, I'm pretty astounded by how far this movie is deviating from the source material, when I'm pretty sure only the most devoted fans who will even bother with this. Did they have Chow Yun-Fat make the costume himself out of whatever he could find in his closet in five minutes?
"Well, I got the Hawaiian shirt, but that's about it. I coulda sworn I had some sunglasses in there somew--"
"That's fine. Let's shoot."
"But shouldn't I have a bald cap, at least a goatee?"
"No, this great. Just a Hawaiian shirt pulled over a sweatshirt. You look fantastic--just like the Moshi man. This will be a great movie."
2nd Dragonball Look [Jo Blo]
May 12 2008 First Official, Tinted Look at Goku from 'Dragonball'
When a live-action adaptation of the fight-centric anime Dragonball was announced, there were some concerns. Was there enough hair product on real, non-anime Earth to support Goku's ridiculous coiffure? Would fans get too upset if the character's orange gi were replaced with a t-shirt with some Japanese characters on it, showing an Abercrombie-level understanding of Asian culture? Could computers still render simple glowing orbs? Make your own judgments.
Justin Chatwin as Goku [DBthemovie.com]
Apr 28 2008 'Dragonball' Teaser Poster--and the Lightning Bolt CRASHES!
It's hard to make orange balls covered in stars look cool for a demographic unfamiliar with their resounding cultural significance (that is to say, they're somehow relevant to the Dragon Ball anime show). Luckily, the graphic designers at Fox know exactly how to cool things up: lightning bolts! From Doritos, to military robots-turned-comic heroes, to a swarm of hovering Chevy Impalas, everything is made cooler with the addition of lightning.
Dragonball Teaser Poster [/Film]
Apr 8 2008 First Look at 'Dragonball' Piccolo Costume
It's a good thing I'm some sort of Dragonball purist, having dismissed the series after one episode of constant screaming (both on and off screen). Otherwise I might be upset to see this film version of Piccolo's costume, which has replaced the sinewy alien-meets-Lawrence of Arabia look of the anime with this dark, Chronicles of Riddick-inspired muscle robe. I imagine this is what Batman's costume would have looked like had Bruce Wayne been raised wearing only Dockers pleated khakis.
P.S.: Make-up effects artist Edward French, stop using Word Art on your webpage.