An evil alien army is in search of the seven magic 'Dragon Pearls' (which are used to summon a dragon that grants wishes). However a group of unlikely heroes, Monkeyboy, Ceeto, Piggy, Westwood, and the Turtleman, team up to fight against these foes to return Monkeyboy's grandfather to safety. Can these wacky protagonists thwart off evil in time before the villains summon the dragon?
Simply put, it's so terrible that it's fun. Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins is humorous in its poor development. The acting is unrealistic and over dramatic, the script is odd and somewhat random, while the special effects are low budgeted. The strengths of this film are from the scenes that reenact the highlights of early Dragon Ball. Such as when the smart and beautiful Bulma-like girl Ceeto almost runs over the naiive, Gokuu-like Monkeyboy. Or when Monkeyboy and Ceeto come across the Yamucha-like, desert bandit Westwood who has a distinct fear of women. However there is a considerable lack of creativity and thought for the film's unique content. It is clear from the start that the villains are in search of the Dragon Pearls to grant a dishonorable wish, but the purpose is unknown. As well as the background history on the protagonists and villains (other than what is implied from Dragon Ball).
Video Quality: 4/10
The opening sequence is a dirty, blurry, and hard to read animation that somewhat imitates the opening of Dragon Ball. The rest of the film is completely live action but the film quality is also dark, hazy, and dated. In some scenes the light is blindingly bright.
Audio Quality: 4/10 Mono
The sound track is scratchy, loud, and harsh to hear and can be distracting. Although it is bearable and one can come accustomed to it.
Music Score: 6/10
The orchestral accompaniment did in fact improve the value of the movie and fit the scenes well. However the non orchestral music is bizarre and slightly annoying to western culture.
English Dub: 3/10
Horrible! The dubbing company may have chosen this film for mocking pleasure or was just as poor as the producers of the movie. There was no obvious attempt in rescuing the film. Lip syncing is off at times.
Overall: 5/10
Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins was either a failed attempt at a live action Dragon Ball movie or was a successful spoof. Nevertheless it is very poor quality and doesn't show much for its unique content. It would be fun to rent but not to buy.