Namekian conqueror Piccolo (Michael Amariah) engages Saiyan
warrior Raditz (Zack Nizato) in battle.
Raditz is ultimately defeated by Piccolo’s powerful Makanosappo
technique. As he lay dying, the Saiyan
warrior sends a final transmission to his scouter, thus summoning his comrades Vegeta
(Aaron Ly) and Nappa (Ryan Oliva). When
the Saiyans finally arrive, they are met by organized resistance in form of Tien Shinan (David Cheung), Chiaotzu (Oliver
Faber), Yamcha (Isky Fay), Krillin (Lee Edward Jones), Piccolo, and Kid Gohan
(Brandon Ly). Alas, even their combined
efforts are no match for the destructive duo.
In a moment of desperation, Krillin calls on Raditz’ Goku (Peter
Perelta), who arrives ready for battle.
Will he be able to save the day?
DragonBall Z - Saiyan
Saga (DBZ Live Action Trailer) is a fan made “trailer” from K&K
productions. It mostly functions as a
greatest hits compilation, recreating key moments from the fabled “Saiyan Saga”
portion of Dragonball Z and organizing
them into a highlight reel. It pays tribute
to the object of its affections, while offering much needed clarity to a cluttered narrative in a very
short period of time.
The translation is about as literal as one could hope for. The film’s remarkably literal rendition of
Piccolo somehow manages not to come off as laughable. The makeup and prosthetics department are
painstakingly faithful to the original character design, and Michael Amariah
commits to the role (Though his part mostly consists of menacing scowls).
Most of the action takes place beneath an overcast sky, and looks
as though it was filmed through a translucent, aqua-hued filter. This creates a “snow globe” effect which is
further enhanced by the instances of slow motion during the fight scenes. Immediately upon facing off with each other,
the characters exhibit superhuman capabilities.
The way such feats are rendered recalls the Star Wars films, particularly the prequels. The instances of superhuman speed feel appropriately
cartoonish.
Ironically, the most visually effective moment is also the most
simplistic. While fighting Goku, Nappa
throws a flurry of punches directly at the camera. It’s filmed in close-up and
aided by speed ramping, as well as the appropriate sound effects. It perfectly conveys the concepts of
superhuman strength and speed as rendered in the Dragonball universe.
The trailer lays out the central concept of the series in
very clear and coherent terms. Though based on the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West, Dragonball has never been the model of
narrative coherence. While that has
always been a huge part of its charm, such qualities don’t lend themselves to
successful feature film adaptations.
K&K productions deals with this by packaging the saga as a cross
between a Wuxia film and an alien invasion flick.
Once again, a group of dedicated yet capable fans manage to
upstage Hollywood. With DragonBall Z - Saiyan Saga (DBZ Live Action
Trailer) K&K productions shows that the gonzo energy of the property
isn’t so difficult to harness. One only
has to strip it down to its bare essentials, and have faith that audience can
suspend disblief. I don’t know if that
energy can be sustained for 82 minutes or more, but this trailer certainly
gives me hope.
Click here to watch the video on YouTube.
Click here to watch the video on YouTube.
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