Dragonball Evolution wasn't just a bad movie - sure, there had been plenty of terrible CG effects and even worse makeup, along with a boring cast of characters and god-awful acting throughout - but that's not what makes it so terrible.
No, Dragonball Evolution is terrible because it takes everything that was great about the original work (and one of the most influential anime of all time) and stomps it into the ground. So much of the original material was changed that it was unrecognizable to fans - what's worse is that these changes were made for seemingly no reason, except to make the film 'more approachable' for a wider audience.
As a result, Dragonball Evolution is a film that no one can enjoy: newcomers are treated to a terrible film with a terrible script, while fans get to watch one of their favorite properties get butchered. Thankfully, over the past seven years, the film has faded into obscurity, and most simply try to forget it ever existed.
Apparently, the film's screenwriter feels the same way: following a request from a Dragon Ball fan, screenwriter Ben Ramsey finally released a statement on Dragonball Evolution. According to Ramsey, the film isn't just bad, but it represents one of the darkest creative moments of his career:
From the Dao of Dragon Ball:
"I knew that it would eventually come down to this one day. Dragonball Evolution marked a very painful creative point in my life. To have something with my name on it as the writer be so globally reviled is gut-wrenching. To receive hate mail from all over the world is heartbreaking.
"I spent so many years trying to deflect the blame, but at the end of the day it all comes down to the written word on page and I take full responsibility for what was such a disappointment to so many fans. I did the best I could, but at the end of the day, I 'dropped the dragon ball.'"
Ramsey goes on to apologize for not doing the series justice, as well as approaching the project as a business deal instead of an actual artistic endeavor. While it doesn't necessarily change how the movie came out, it does help ease the pain knowing that the people behind the film regret how it was made.
Maybe now, the healing can finally begin.
