 ``Dragonball: Evolution,'' based on the popular Japanese comic strip and cartoon series, made its world premiere in South Korea Thursday and is currently topping the box office. / Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Korea |
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
``Dragonball: Evolution,'' the Hollywood adaptation of the internationally loved comic, topped the South Korean box office during its opening weekend after its world premiere here March 12, according to 20th Century Fox Korea.
Real-time tallies of nationwide ticket reservations by the Korean Film Council showed Sunday that the action flick held an iron grip on the number one spot over ``More Than Blue'' ― despite the tendency of romantic films to dominate on White Day weekends.
The Stephen Chow production, directed by James Wong, catered particularly to young males in their teens and 20s, who, like millions of fans worldwide, grew up consuming the comic and/or cartoons. But the film's classic teen romance-meets-martial arts superhero theme appeals to ``children'' of all ages, which naturally includes adults. Also inviting is its weighty cast of fresh newcomers and veteran stars, including Hong Kong action hero Chow Yun-fat, former K-pop star Joon Park (Park Joon-hyung) and esteemed Korean-American actor Randall Duk Kim.
In this fantasy adventure, there are no radioactive spiders. But like Peter Parker, Goku (Justin Chatwin, ``Invisible'') is a rather odd teenager agonizing over the prettiest girl in high school, Chi Chi (Korean-American actress Jamie Chung), and his naturally spiky hairdo that even an entire bottle of gel cannot tame. Unlike Spider-Man, however, he already has powerful martial arts skills including the power to manipulate ``gi'' (``qi,'' or life energy), which he inherited from his adoptive grandfather (Randall Duk Kim).
Our lonely boy begins to show his cool and tough side, hitherto controlled and hidden, while defending himself against mean jocks, naturally impressing Chi Chi, who also happens to have a secret passion for high kicks. However, the evil and all-powerful Lord Piccolo (James Marsters) awakens, killing his grandfather and endangering the rest of humanity.
Goku realizes that he is the only one who can stop him, and must retrieve all seven magical orbs, called dragon balls, scattered across the world before Lord Piccolo claims them for D-day, which falls on the fast approaching day of the solar eclipse.
But Goku is not so lonely anymore. He meets Bulma (screen beauty Emmy Rossum), a feisty young scientist who happens to have invented a machine that can track down the dragon balls. Following his grandfather's last words, our young hero seeks the wisdom of a highly respected master. But Master Roshi turns out to be none other than a goofy middle-aged guy with an obsession for Hawaiian shirts and bikini models. Chow Yun-fat, the charismatic lead of noir action films, completes his makeover with pearl gray contact lenses. (Indeed, he personifies the original cartoon character to a rather different affect than the mysterious gray-eyed Zhang Ziyi in ``Memoirs of a Geisha.'')
As the trio proceeds to save the planet, they cross paths with a talkative bandit, Yamcha (Joon Park), who joins in the superheroism after being promised a share of the profits from Bulma's inventions. In his second Hollywood film, the former G.O.D. rapper blends in and provides much of the comedy, along with Chow.
Running an hour and a half, ``Dragonball'' features everything one might expect in a Hollywood hero movie, including scores of computer graphic action, earth-wind-fire magic a la ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,'' ``Transformers''-style gadgets and even ``D-War'' dragons. Despite the Eastern thematic elements and a cast that is heavily dominated by Asians and Asian-Americans, the film is succeeds in having mainstream appeal ― without starring Jackie Chan or having Tom Cruise play a samurai.
The costume and makeup, however, are rather regrettable, as Lord Piccolo looks more like one of Sponge Bob's alien friends rather than a scary villain. One might also wonder if the movie hired Edna from ``The Incredibles,'' as Goku's martial arts outfit, one of his grandfather's legacies, seems to stretch miles without ripping. But then again, the film is based on a cartoon.
hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr
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