Chow Yun-Fat revels in the silliness of "Dragonball Evolution"

We've had to wait decades, enduring first subtitled Hong Kong films and later sputtering Hollywood attempts at turning him into a conventional Chinese character actor, for our first chance to see the great Chow Yun-Fat cut up the way he does in "Dragonball Evolution."

Whatever the director (James Wong of "Final Destination") was going for in this film adaptation of a beloved comic and video game, Chow saw his chance to chew the scenery and took it.

As Master Roshi, trainer to young Goku (Justin Chatwin), Chow goes for the laughs, and lands them. He's a stitch, almost the only reason to see this warmed-over Far Eastern fantasy.

The death of Goku's grandpa and an ancient prophecy that says Goku must gather all seven magical dragonballs lest the world face apocalypse has brought Goku to Roshi.

It's a silly film that goes down a lot easier than it could thanks to an awareness of that silliness. Roshi goes to seek another magical talisman from another master (Ernie Hudson of "Ghosbusters" at his most inscrutable) who tells Roshi his plan to save the Earth won't.

"Well, when you put it that way, the plan sucks."

You have to know a little something about Mr. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, to get how funny that is coming out of Chow's mouth.

The fights are classic Hong Kong wire-work zany. As is the dialogue.

"Shadow Crane Strike! You fall for that every time!"