Dragon Ball Gets Spiked

Of all of the anime/manga series out there, the one that I truly don’t get is Dragon Ball (and its various incarnations). My brother is a huge fan, but I’ve just never seen the appeal of characters who spend three to five episodes smack talking their opponents, and then another three to five episodes powering up before actually getting around to fighting. (Yes, I kid, but come on… even you fans have to admit it gets a little preposterous.)

Not surprisingly, I didn’t really care all that much for the impending movie adaptation that’s being directed by James Wong (The X-Files, Final Destination, The One). But suddenly, that’s changed a fair bit.

I just found out that Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle) is producing the film and that James Marsters (aka Spike aka the best character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has been cast as the film’s chief villain.

That’s a crazy mixture of talent right there, plain and simple. No offense to Wong, but Chow would be a better choice for director: if anyone should make a live-action anime, it should be the man behind Shaolin Soccer. But hopefully Chow as the producer will mean that some of his madcap lunacy will carry over into the finished film.

And Spike, on the big screen, as the big bad?!? Come on, people. That’s just awesome. If anyone can pull this off, it’s Marsters, who affected the perfect mix of cartoonish buffoonery, menace, and empathy in Spike.

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