'Dragonball: Evolution' review

Justin Chatwin (Credit: 20th Century Fox)

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18-year-old martial arts wiz Goku (Justin Chatwin) knows he's destined for something big. Turns out that destiny involves defeating Piccolo (James Marsters), an evil warlord from "beyond the stars," by locating and uniting seven shiny little orbs called dragonballs before a pending solar eclipse. Goku's allies in his quest include spunky Bulma (Emmy Rossum), wise Master Roshi (Chow Yun Fat), tough Yamcha (Korean pop star Joon Park) and adorable love interest Chi Chi (Jamie Chung, of "The Real World: San Diego").

The buzz: Based on a highly influential Japanese manga series that spawned multiple anime films and series, this live action adaptation has been in development since 1992. But even after such a long gestation period the movie already seems like a non-event, with a perfunctory release that feels more like "Hannah Montana" counterprogramming for young boys than anything else.

The verdict: Pretty freakin' sweet, if you're 10 (and if you are, get your butt off this website right now, seriously). It's not really advisible that grown-ups endure this decidedly unevolved movie, but the good news is that "Dragonball" is harmless enough that parents can feel safe dropping their kids off at the theater for 90 minutes. Anyone old enough to drive might find some solace in the brisk pacing of director James Wong ("Final Destination") and the humble B-movie vibe. There's none of the pretentious self-indulgence found in last summer's anime adaptation "Speed Racer"—but there's not a whole lot else either.

Did you know? MTV reality addicts will also recognize Chung from "Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno II" where she was on a winning team alongside current professional wrestler Mike "The Miz" Mizanin.

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