Dragonball Evolution Was Crappy

I knew it when I first heard they were making it into a movie.
I knew it when they cast Justin Chatwin for the role.
I knew it when Emmy Rossum was cast as Bulma.
I knew it when I saw the poster and saw mostly women and no muscles.
I knew it when they made Piccolo the antagonist.
I knew it when I saw or heard no sign of Kririn and the other Dragon Ball heroes.
I knew it when Chi-Chi and Goku were portrayed as the geek-and-popular-girl love tandem.
I knew it when the plot just didn't make any sense at all!

I just knew that Dragonball Evolution would end up crappy.

In the first place, the very idea of adapting the Dragon Ball series into a live action movie never really appealed to me. Why? Because it was unimaginable to take it into live action. The Dragon Ball series is one of those animations that just wouldn't fit right into the live movies for the very reason that live action can't seem to give it justice.

Think about it. Hardcore muscle men, the Super Saiyan mode (not that this was included in the movie), Piccolo's appearance (James Marsters made me hate Piccolo when I really like Piccolo in the anime), the so-far-out-to-the-future technology by Bulma and her father, and even Shen Long the great dragon (who turns out puny in the movie)... I cannot imagine these things in live action.

Of all anime, why did they choose Dragon Ball anyway? The series isn't like Marvel or DC Comics where we human beings can really relate to the superheroes because they are human, too. The characters in the Dragon Ball series are made up of different species, and while we can connect with their emotions and storylines, it's a different thing altogether when the entire feel of the whole vast universe concept is part of the story's charm. Dragon Ball isn't just about good versus evil and the "who's stronger?" question. Part of what made the anime a beloved series is because of its universal concept and the unimaginable and unfathomable powers that can only occur in our wildest dreams.

After watching Dragonball Evolution, I felt skeptic over the other live action adaptations that'll be out in the future. The Last Airbender is in the works (with Dev Patel as my fave Zuko?) and I am hoping they won't trash the Avatar series like they did Dragon Ball.