THE STORY – When Tokyo is threatened by giant monsters, an all-star athlete reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle of Ultraman, and become a legendary hero.
THE CAST – Christopher Sean, Gedde Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita, Keone Young & Julia Harriman
THE TEAM – Shannon Tindle (Director/Writer) & Marc Haimes (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 117 minutes
Ultraman is one of the most popular fictional characters of all time. Since its debut in 1966, Ultraman has exploded across Japan, gaining popularity through dozens of TV series and films like “Ultra Q,” “Ultraseven,” and more recently, “Shin Ultraman.” Yet, unlike many other famous Japanese franchises like “Godzilla” or “Pokemon,” there have been no American films based on the “Ultraman” franchise. That is, until now. Netflix’s animated feature “Ultraman: Rising” may be set in Tokyo, Japan, but it was created in America. Because of the countless versions of the character over the years, this new version isn’t an origin story. Still, it also doesn’t require any prior knowledge of the “Ultraman” mythos, making it a perfect place for newcomers to jump in.
Shannon Tindle, writer of “Kubo and the Two Strings” and the miniseries “Lost Ollie,” made his feature directorial debut on “Ultraman: Rising,” co-writing the film with Marc Haimes. This version of Ultraman features professional baseball player Ken Sato (voiced by Christopher Sean) holding the mantle of the giant superhero, inheriting the role from his father (Gedde Watanabe). Unfortunately, we don’t get to see much of what it was like for Ken to grow up with Ultraman as a dad, but their relationship has been strained since Ken’s mother went missing. Now, Ken’s an arrogant athlete who’s returning to Japan after playing baseball in America.
Ken becomes Ultraman to save the city but doesn’t feel appreciated for it. He keeps kaiju in check but gets heckled while doing it (“Stop showboating and do your job!”). Balancing his life as a professional athlete by day and superhero by night becomes challenging, especially as the Kaiju Defense Force (KDF) sees Ultraman as an unauthorized vigilante. In many ways, “Ultraman: Rising” begins as a standard superhero flick, with all the classic problems that superheroes face. If that’s all the movie has to offer, it would be easy to write it off.
Instead, “Ultraman: Rising” adds a unique familial twist to the superhero story when Ultraman rescues a baby kaiju after its mother dies. Rather than let the KDF destroy it, or worse, Ken takes on the responsibility of raising the baby, naming it Emi. This reluctant parenthood is a refreshing angle for a superhero picture. As Ken takes on this new parental role, he still has to keep up appearances in the other areas of his life. He faces the true parental dilemma: caring for a child while still uploading the other responsibilities in life. This is where “Ultraman: Rising” truly shines.
The film’s animation by Industrial Light & Magic also shines. Bursting with comic book-style flair and anime-inspired breaks from reality, style is used to tremendous effect. Whether it’s flashes of light streaks, chromatic aberration, or slow motion, the action sequences are riveting. The style isn’t just reserved for the action, though. When Emi first imprints on Ultraman, the clouds part, revealing a magical night sky driving home the power of this moment, one of the most unforgettable moments in animation of the year. It helps that the imagery is paired with a breathtakingly original score from Scot Stafford (“Lost Ollie”).
The all-too-familiar parental struggle will hit hard for many parents who know the absolute joy of caring for a kid and the overwhelming responsibility of it all. Ken’s Ultraman faces this same struggle, which makes us wonder how his father faced the same dilemma. The film addresses their relationship, certainly, but doesn’t give us much of a glimpse into how this dilemma impacted Ken, other than him feeling abandoned as a child. Nevertheless, Ken’s journey to be a worthy superhero and a worthy father figure helps elevate this story from what could’ve been a bit unoriginal.
While “Ultraman: Rising” doesn’t rely on pre-existing knowledge of the legendary character, it’s a solid enough entry in the franchise that could help newcomers, kids especially, want to dive deeper into the mythology.
