Dragon Ball American Live-Action Movie Adaptation.

[Blockinlick]

I think part of the issue with an American DBZ adaptation is that starting at Z is a bad idea. It's not like LotR where The Hobbit isn't needed for it to make sense AND stay faithful to the source material.

It's kind of like making Avengers movies without at least making Iron Man and Captain America first. It doesn't work and ruins the connection to the source material.

That said, the DBCU would have to be set up with two Dragon Ball movies first.

My personal idea

-Goku is 9 year old boy. He's 11 in the original, however, to capture his youthful look, a 9 year old is probably best.

-He keeps the name Goku, because his adopted grandfather is a Japanese-American immigrant.

-Krillin is Ken Kurrin

-Tien is Tim Shinhan

Tien doesn't have an actual third-eye. However, when he uses his power to fight, a spectral third eye appears.

I decided it's best not to include Chiaotzu, as he's too problematic.

-Yamcha is Jon Yamucha

He is nicknamed Yamcha

-Bulma is Brie Bulma

-Chi Chi is Chelsea Chee

She is nicknamed Chi Chi

-Master Roshi is a Japanese man that lives on an isolated island near Hawaii.

Story would focus on 5 things in movie 1

-Goku & Brie adventuring for Dragon Balls

-General Tao briefly

-Goku training under Master Roshi

-Tim Shinhan briefly

-Martial Arts Tournaments

-Goku vs Red Ribbon Army as the great conclusion

I imagine this last part as more of an Americanized Die Hard, Commando, or Rambo type of style.

A specific scene I imagined was Goku wandering into a secret lab and discovers an inactive Terminator-esque android with Roman numerals VIII and It wakes up to attack him.

When it wakes it, a digital console voice says
"Wake up android eight-er er er er er"
And it destroys it.

And movie 2 would be all about the King Piccolo Arc.

I think that would set up nicely for a really good live-action DBZ.

 

[Beerus]

I don't know if they would go back that far but it sounds good from what you said here.

The problem is, they would likely rush it. Only focus on Goku being a kid for 20 minutes and hop shop to DBZ where he is an adult. It would make more sense to make it a several movie series.

I just have my doubts though for something like this. It will be hard to make the characters look authentic.

 

[Blockinlick]

I just have my doubts though for something like this. It will be hard to make the characters look authentic.

My view on that is that they shouldn't be too concerned with the authenticity in certain areas.

Goku's hair, for one. What thry did in Evolution to mimic his anime hair was dumb and cringey.

I'd be happy with short brown messy hair. That's. No need to try to mimic it any more than that.

 

[Beerus]

My view on that is that they shouldn't be too concerned with the authenticity in certain areas.

Goku's hair, for one. What thry did in Evolution to mimic his anime hair was dumb and cringey.

I'd be happy with short brown messy hair. That's. No need to try to mimic it any more than that.

Something like this would be fine:

Just keep the sides longer. So you get the idea of there being thick hair that is messy but it still has a touch of "I'll be ignoring physics now" that Saiyan hair is known for. lol

Vegeta's can be similar when/if the time comes for it, but just spike it up and give him a receding hairline. It doesn't have to look corny or unrealistic, it can still work.

Something like this but on a real dude:

 

[Blockinlick]

Something like this would be fine:

View attachment 598

Just keep the sides longer. So you get the idea of there being thick hair that is messy but it still has a touch of "I'll be ignoring physics now" that Saiyan hair is known for. lol

Vegeta's can be similar when/if the time comes for it, but just spike it up and give him a receding hairline. It doesn't have to look corny or unrealistic, it can still work.

Something like this but on a real dude:
View attachment 599

I'd pass.
"I'll be ignoring physics" is exactly what an American adaptation should not be doing.

If these movies were to intend to attract a full audience, not just fanatics like us, they have to approach it in a more realistic and serious manner.

You want people who don't watch much DB to walk out saying good things about it.

That's part of why the MCU has been such a hit. They looked at all of the corny thing, especially character appearance, and they made it more realistic and serious.

 

[Beerus]

I'd pass.
"I'll be ignoring physics" is exactly what an American adaptation should not be doing.

If these movies were to intend to attract a full audience, not just fanatics like us, they have to approach it in a more realistic and serious manner.

You want people who don't watch much DB to walk out saying good things about it.

That's part of why the MCU has been such a hit. They looked at all of the corny thing, especially character appearance, and they made it more realistic and serious.

I said a touch of it. You don't want the characters to be unrecognizable. Part of a the Saiyan look is thick, dark hair that is messy and spiked.

 

[Blockinlick]

I said a touch of it. You don't want the characters to be unrecognizable. Part of a the Saiyan look is thick, dark hair that is messy and spiked.

The way I see it, you cannot have a successful Dragon Ball live-action movie without sacrficing some aspects, even if they seem important.

The way non-DB fans will react to it is important and trying too hard to mimic unrealistic hair would be offputting.

 

[Blockinlick]

I'll also put it this way. Could be movies be amazing with completely normal looking hair?

Of course, as long as it gets the things that matter most right.

 

[Beerus]

I am still on the boat of this never working out right. They will either force too much and make it cringy or lack too much and make it feel nothing like the original.

Not everything can have a live-adaptation and this to me is a prime example. I don't think it is needed either.

 

[Blockinlick]

I am still on the boat of this never working out right. They will either force too much and make it cringy or lack too much and make it feel nothing like the original.

Not everything can have a live-adaptation and this to me is a prime example. I don't think it is needed either.

I just think the core story and concept could make an amazing movie franchise, if only DB fans would accept it for what it is.

It's sort of like the Matthew Broderick Godzilla movie. Most of the stuffy Kaiju fanboys will rail on that movie like it's one of the worst movies of all time, as if it's the DB: Evolution of the franchise.

When really, if you accept that movie for what it is, it's at least a decent movie. But it doesn't matter to Kaiju purists, because it deviates from Godzilla's iconic look and story.

They refuse to see it for what it is, because they don't understand that the movie wasn't just made for them.

 

[LividJay]

DB Evolution was garbage for these reasons (but not limited to):

• They didn't tell Goku's story
• Piccolo didn't look like Piccolo
• They tried to modernize it and put Goku in school
• Roshi wasn't a pervert
• They actually tried to Americanize it

There is probably so much more, but it was so bad I don't remember much from it.

I'm not sure starting off from Dragon Ball would be wise. I think there is just too much hype for seeing the action of Z, though I would love some movies to cover each season of the original. They would need to stick close to the source material and remove all filler from the anime. It's important for them to do character development. Why are these people all friends with Goku? How did he meet them? I dunno, it's hard when it's such an established story - new people won't be able to follow unless you give them good background stories.

 

[Beerus]

They actually tried to Americanize it

That was one of the big ones. You can't Americanize something like this. It won't make any sense.