Dragonball: interview with Justin Chatwin

We present a long and interesting interview with Justin Chatwin: the actor talks about Dragonball Evolution and his character, the protagonist Goku ...

We followed a long and thorough interview with the star of Dragonball Evolution; Justin Chatwin, in which the actor talks about the film, the potential franchise, what was challenging to turn the film adaptation of the soul and of his loyalty to 'original.

"When we meet Goku, he is an insecure boy, who seems quiet, isolated and not very pretentious. In short, it seems like a decidedly unlikely hero. But he's a boy with an extraordinary destiny and is destined to become a powerful warrior. Board in a fantastic journey and its mission is to protect the Earth from a series of bad that they want to dominate the world for their evil purposes."

"It was great to get this role," says Chatwin. "I love the manga and it was great fun coming to work every day, be a warrior and back again. It's like having six years and stay in the courtyard of the house to fight the battles with the bad. The action was great: I had to hit, kick and fly in the air."

Goku must find the seven mystical dragon balls. He must collect them all, because anyone who possesses them all has their desire fulfilled, anything at all.

The power of the Dragon Balls is unreliable. Goku begins with one that was entrusted to him by his grandfather on his eighteenth birthday and in his journey, must master a powerful force called Ki. So, this young little boy becomes a hero. "Justin embodies the innocence of Goku, as well as being a hero very convincing," says the film director James Wong.

The film is full of the rich mythology of the manga and its characters are fascinating. Chatwin is flanked by an impressive cast of actors, including Chow Yun-Fat in the shoes of Muten Roshi (the teacher who leads Goku in his journey), Emmy Rossum embodies Bulma, a brilliant scientist and James Marsters the evil Piccolo. Also participating in the film are Jamie Chung, Joon Park and Eriko Tamura.

Dragonball was shot in the arid desert between the mountains of Durango, in northern Mexico, where John Wayne has achieved several of its western. The film was produced by Stephen Chow and is based on the manga created by Akira Toriyama, whose work has been adapted in various video games, graphic novels and a popular television series. In short, is one of the most succesful Japanese entertainment products in the world.

Justin Chatwin, 26, was born and raised in Canada. It was pointed out in the U.S. thanks to the television miniseries Traffic. His films include The Chumscrubber, Invisible, Identity violated and War of the Worlds by Steven Spielberg with Tom Cruise. He also appeared in the popular TV series Lost. His next film is Middle of Nowhere with Susan Sarandon and her daughter, actress Eva Amurri. Chatwin lives in Los Angeles.

Q: This is the first time that you are the star of a film. How exciting was this role for you?
Justin Chatwin: It's really exciting to be part of a fun movie for the whole family. I think we did justice to the original manga and I hope that a film is really good and charming, full of action and great effects that everyone can appreciate."

Q: What type of guy is Goku?
Justin Chatwin: He is different from the original character of the manga, because in the manga he debuted as the greatest warrior in the world, with fabulous powers, but our film is more a story of training a young man who finds his purpose in life. He discovers himself. Goku has a great narrative arc, from a high school student to savior of the planet. A moment is a school student who can not integrate, then immediately after being involved in this research incredible. Goku is a symbol of moral good and honest. He fights for the good and hope, with the aim of creating a better and more peaceful to live.

Q: How is it when we meet Goku?
Justin Chatwin: When we see Goku for the first time, people will think he is somewhat strange. He's full of inner doubt and does not know how to talk to girls, but only knows how to fight. He lives with his grandfather and knows nothing of his past. Then, one day his grandfather dies and Goku decides to make a journey of revenge for the perpetrators. The last thing that his grandfather told him was to find the seven dragon balls, which are special and legendary.

Q: He understands that important task before it and impact it has on the world?
Justin Chatwin: He does not understand it at all. He begins as a sort of anti-social person who is rather confused, but eventually becomes a hero who embraces his destiny, becoming the character that fans are familiar with in the manga.

Q: Do you think teenagers will identify with Goku, considering that so many students are unable to feel integrated?
Justin Chatwin: I think so. School is a strange place, because the teenagers come from all parts of the city and often do not know them, but you are told you should become friends with them, which is often difficult. For me, it's been hard, so I think that kids will identify a lot with this character as I have done. Personally, I felt excluded at school. I was one block and I thought to my facts, I was not cool and did not want to pretend to be to integrate with the group of popular kids. So the school was a little hard for me. It was a struggle to find a balance between integration and at the same time remain the same person. It's always a big challenge for adolescents.

Q: It was a great responsibility to interpret this popular and beloved character in manga?
Justin Chatwin: It's great responsibility, because so many fans love the character and therefore I hope that will appreciate my interpretation of Goku. Also, I think there will be a new audience that never read the manga.

Q: Can you describe the look of the character?
Justin Chatwin: The fans will appreciate my appearance, because I had the goal to make sure Goku seemed just like the manga character, without it being completely ridiculous. He begins as a regular guy, but in the end, when Goku is in fact, he has an incredible hair with the tips. I have gone through 30 cans of hairspray. I did not feel very at ease, because I am no great fan of lacquer.

Q: There's a lot of action in this film. How much work was needed?
Justin Chatwin: The action was a great challenge for me and I felt a strong stress on this. I thought that I would have ruined everything, because I would not have seemed a credible fighter, and so all the fans of the manga would have thought that is terrible. I was really worried because I am decidedly skin and bones, while Goku is the greatest warrior of the planet. Then I said to myself that I had to be a great fighter and I realized that as an actor I had to show the emotions and the courage on my face, loved to be expressed as the warrior. I found a way to relate to Goku as a warrior through my passions such as sports. Then, I channeled that enthusiasm and energy in combat.

Q: What are your passions in sport?
Justin Chatwin: I was doing snowboarding when I lived in Vancouver, Canada. I love the snowboarding and kiteboarding, which are two great passions of mine.

Q: The physical appearance must have been fun, once overcome these concerns, whereas in reality you are a sports type ...
Justin Chatwin: Yes, it was fantastic. One can say that I am an adrenaline junkie when it comes to extreme sports. I love the feeling that you try to make a tough sport, because you have to be fully concentrated. Often, there is a moment of rupture when they are about to do something really dangerous and something bad happens. At that moment, facing the danger, I feel truly alive, my heart and and pulse increase which is great. I love it. To do a sport that forces you to intensive care is a little like meditation. If you do not concentrate, you can hurt yourself pretty bad. I discovered that the fighting in this film is similar and so it became some sort of meditation, because I was really concentrated.

Q: Can you describe your specific training?
Justin Chatwin: We have trained with the stunt company 87Eleven. They have trained the actors for films such as The Bourne Supremacy, 300 and Matrix. I have done a rigorous training camp and they were wonderful. So, I trained hard and I really changed my body. The work on the martial arts was made especially for my character. Every day I worked for 45 minutes, I rested and then began training for combat. They began to teach the basic punches and kicks and then different styles such as karate, the kapaweta and kung fu. Moreover, this was also the Capoeira Brazilian, who is definitely smooth, like a dance and elegant. Then we went to work on the cables, which was a real challenge for me. We worked with cables, which are then removed from the frames in post and so it seems that we are flying. It was difficult for me, because I had to wear a protection which wasn't very comfortable.

Q: Did you follow a special diet?
Justin Chatwin: I had a strict food plan. I had to start doing six or seven meals a day. I eliminated sugar and alcohol, I could not eat bread and pasta, but only meat, avocado, fruit and vegetables, as well as many protein shakes. It's been a healthy diet, but also difficult to remain on it.

Q: What were the scene of action in the most challenging movie?
Justin Chatwin: When I fought with James Marsters (Piccolo), I had difficulties. We both had taken a punch in the mouth and one knee in the groin area. It became a 'little' confused and painful, so we have suffered injuries. But the training has helped us a lot.

Q: What kind of injuries you have suffered during the shooting?
Justin Chatwin: I have broken my toe by making a 'sweep'. Most of the set was full of bumps. We were on the set of a volcano and I had to do a difficult move, which included lower and turn the foot. Was how to make the wheel on the ground. My toe was stuck in one of these cracks in the cement of the volcano, but my foot continued to go. My toe turned and gave me a strong pain. But I have often suffer small injuries during the shooting of a film and there is no problem.

Q: Will you speak of the relationship of your character with Chichi, the love interest of Goku, played by Jamie Chung?
Justin Chatwin: Jamie is magnificent. Her character, Chichi, appears also in the manga. Goku is fascinated and obsessed by her. A magnifique and very charming girl who hangs out with the best athletes and most kids at school. Goku doesn't have any hope of being with her. But then Goku and Chichi meet in the corridors, when you see me do something strange and interesting that I put on display of impressive special powers and then she invites me to party. Thus, Goku abandons his grandfather to go to find the party and then his grandfather dies, killed by an evil force.

Q: How was working with the legendary Chow Yun Fat? Were you an admirer of his work?
Justin Chatwin: I learned a lot working with Chow. It was really fascinating and a wonderful person. Taught me all the Tai Chi. He has a great sense of humor and jokes constantly, but it is definitely work, because he works hard and never abandons the set. He has a great physical talent and the way he uses his body is fabulous. I assume that all comes from movies made by director John Woo. I am a great admirer of the work of Chow Yun-Fat and the period film from which it emerged.

Q: And how it was working with James Wong?
Justin Chatwin: James was remarkable. In some ways it reminds me of Steven Spielberg, with whom I worked on War of the Worlds. James and Steven are really sweet, quiet, reserved and highly talented. Both are like kids. Steven talks about how much playing trains a child, making them clash and filming everything. James loved to play with small action figure ninja's, adding sound effects. He also has a great imagination in just like a child.

Q: Can you sum up what, in your opinion, is the appeal of the film?
Justin Chatwin: I think the story is fascinating, because it shows the duality in humanity, the good against evil, the opposites that exist in life and that these forces collide. But in essence I think it is a fun popcorn movie with great characters that everyone can appreciate.

Q: Were you a fan of the manga before this film?
Justin Chatwin: I know about Dragonball, but I was really interested in the series when I got the part. I saw it on television when I was younger with the younger brother of my friend, who was a big fan. I think it has become really popular for the generation now coming after me, but I always thought it was magnificent. Obviously, I would never have dreamed of being involved with a film of DRAGONBALL but when I started working I have seen every episode of the television series. Now, I am fascinated and obsessed by this phenomenon.

Q: As you said yourself, you've worked with Steven Spielberg and other directors so far. How are you inspired? Have these experiences given you a sense of confidence in your abilities?
Justin Chatwin: I do not think that an artist is always confident and, to be honest, I probably am the most insecure person I know, although probably most of us are. I think that being an actor makes you insecure, because there is nothing stable in this life. I always think that this could be the last film that I do (laughs). It could really happen, because in DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION I'm going around in an orange ninja outfit, so I do not know what will happen or what people think. I do not feel confident, but I love working with great directors. I love acting in films like this and interpret interesting roles.

Q: Observers in the film industry will describe how a star is on the rise and keep an eye out. Is it exciting? And what are your goals?
Justin Chatwin: My career is very exciting and I love what I do. As for goals, I think a story is a really important part of our culture. In the past, people sat around the fire and the shamans of the tribe told stories that were an essential part of everyday life. I think that now the film is one of the last things that unite us and keep us away from the technology represented by our cell phones and such. With a film, we fled into a dark cave for a couple of hours, while we see images and hear sounds coming from the screen. These are our stories, so if I will succeed in receiving more proposals after this wonderful film, I'd like to read and maybe create my own personal stories. People have given me wonderful opportunities and I want to give something back.

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Dragonball: interview with Justin Chatwin