Anime Vice News

A Bakugan Movie by the Director of the Karate Kid?

Believe it or not, this might beat Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh to the big screen.

 This summer... the balls will rol..
 This summer... the balls will rol..

Whatever reactions this news incurs will provide some insight into the tastes of the Anime Vice community. I know we’ve got some youngin’s here…  how many of you are actually fans of BAKUGAN? I’m not even going to pretend I’m anywhere near the age that show's intended for. I caught part of one episode while I was at the barbershop  a month or two ago and it was the first time I saw a cartoon that was unmistakably an ad for toys and a game. They all but slowed the show down to feature a card and explain its specs like it was an item in an infomercial.

However, I’ll readily concede that many of the rebranded Japanese kids programming I grew up on like POWER RANGERS and, to a lesser extent, TRANSFORMERS were made with the same intention. They, at least, seemed less blatant about, though.

Either way, I would’ve expected POKEMON or YU-GI-OH! to make it theaters before this, but maybe somebody made a hell of a pitch somewhere. The Wrap says that Harald Zwart (who must recently directed the better-than-I-expected KARATE KID remake) has just been attached to helm a live action version of this for Universal.  Oddly enough, the producer of this was also behind SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, my favorite flick of the year, so gee... I don't know... if this were to go through, I might even be interested despite my usual inclinations.

Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of  HYBRID BASTARDS!   &  UNIMAGINABLE . Order them on Amazon   here  &   here .  Follow him on Twitter:  @tompinchuk
Kelleth moderator on Dec. 21, 2010 at 11:46 a.m.
Wow that movie really comes out of another field all together lol
 
Nope not interested in this AT ALL. To me this would be a very boring and painful thing to sit through.
 
I would rather watch a Beyblade live-action movie and I previously promised to kill myself if it ever came to that xP
sora_thekey moderator on Dec. 21, 2010 at 12:15 p.m.
Well I know I'm going to watch that movie... 
My 6 year old cousin is going to want to see it, and I am the only one who takes him to the movies...
damswedonon Dec. 21, 2010 at 2:31 p.m.
I caught an episode of Bakugan a while back and I agree with Tom, the show seems like it is aggressively trying to sell stuff to me. Pokemon tried to sell to me but at least it felt like there was some resemblance of class to it. Pokemon and Digimonat least used the shows to build the worlds to a point where we went, "I want to be in this world Via a Game Boy game/ Stupid Tamagotchi thing." Bakugan just feels shameless.
Agent9149on Dec. 21, 2010 at 2:48 p.m.
did they learn nothing from the yu-gi-oh movie
Destinyheroknighton Dec. 21, 2010 at 3:33 p.m.
Bakugan making a movie?   
Morita_Shunsukeon Dec. 21, 2010 at 3:47 p.m.
Dude, Pokemon had a movie in the big screen and so did yugioh..
dscythe911on Dec. 21, 2010 at 4:07 p.m.
Cartoon Network killed the anime with it's dubbed voice actors.
Kelleth moderator on Dec. 21, 2010 at 4:42 p.m.
@rfeyxtruhytuh:  OWNED
Tom_Pinchuk staff on Dec. 21, 2010 at 4:49 p.m.
@Morita_Shunsuke said:
" Dude, Pokemon had a movie in the big screen and so did yugioh.. "
By Hollywood directors with live actors?
Nightwolfon Dec. 21, 2010 at 8:22 p.m.
@Tom_Pinchuk said:
" @Morita_Shunsuke said:
" Dude, Pokemon had a movie in the big screen and so did yugioh.. "
By Hollywood directors with live actors? "
Only Japan should be allowed too do that.
Morita_Shunsukeon Dec. 21, 2010 at 9:55 p.m.
@Tom_Pinchuk:  Ooooookay you beat me there xD
Lurkeroon Dec. 22, 2010 at 6:38 p.m.
@Morita_Shunsuke said:
" Dude, Pokemon had a movie in the big screen and so did yugioh.. "
There's a reason why Pokemon movies stopped airing in theaters, and Yugioh only had one.
Dreamon Dec. 26, 2010 at 9:02 a.m.
Just what we need: a live-action adaptation of an anime that's essentially promotional material for a children's card game.

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