Ultraman: Rising, directed by Shannon Tindle and co-directed by John Aoshima, is available to watch on Netflix now.
Synopsis
With Tokyo under siege from rising monster attacks, baseball star Ken Sato reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle of Ultraman. But the titanic superhero meets his match when he reluctantly adopts a 35-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby kaiju. Sato must rise above his ego to balance work and parenthood while protecting the baby from forces bent on exploiting her for their own dark plans.
Review
The first thing to note about Ultraman: Rising is that it is the perfect entry point for new fans who may be unfamiliar with the world of Ultraman and Kaiju, much like I was. While knowledgeable fans will most likely gain a much deeper appreciation for the smaller details like easter eggs and references, the film itself is so wholesomely welcoming. You lose absolutely nothing from not knowing much about the Ultraman franchise, and Rising guides and eases you in seamlessly providing you with everything you need plus a little extra in case you want to spread your own wings and discover what Ultraman has in store. As a standalone project, it is just perfect.
Weirdly, Ultraman‘s greatest strength is that it’s a story about family, more than it is a movie about fighting Kaiju with these cinematic clashes in cities. At its core, Ultraman: Rising is a beautiful endeavour into a broken family dynamic between a son and father. But there are so many additional layers to that. It’s a multifaceted experience that deals with so many deep concepts like grief, responsibility, ego and sacrifice. That’s a lot to juggle, but the film handles them all beautifully, allowing each concept to fully flourish. It really was surprising just how much this film moved me, and how quickly I became attached to each character despite having very little prior knowledge. That’s really a testament to the love and hardwork that went into bringing this project to life because not only is it a visual marvel, it’s also an incredibly well structured, emotional and meaningful movie, and that elevates it beyond a mere monster flick.
It’s really the human characters that make this movie, and it’s not just the characters themselves, it’s the actors and actresses that embued them with this authenticity. The voice cast is simply masterful, especially Ken Sato’s Christopher Sean who delivers a terrific performance that is full of heart and anger. Watching Ken gradually blossom alongside Emi is wonderful, in a way it reminded me a lot of Toothless and Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon, except there’s more of a paternal bond (and a lot more poop). Everyone shines in Ultraman: Rising regardless of how big their role is, but it’s Ken Sato’s evolution that shines the brightest. The development alongside Emi is endearing and touching, and Christopher’s delivery and performance enhances that journey completely.
In terms of visuals, I was honestly blown away by the overall aesthetic of this movie. ILM have truly created something special and wildly unique. The human character models have a sharpness to them which really allow their expressions to pop. This also applies to Ultraman himself. To really sell the idea of Ultraman as a character, rather than an ability to harness, Ultraman is a highly emotive and even flamboyant character; a juxtaposing reflection on Ken Sato’s big league celebrity persona. It’s a very playful element that really helps us to understand Ken and his turbulent relationship with Ultraman. Then there are the monsters, and you can tell they all had a lot of fun creating these beasts. The fun thing about Ultraman: Rising, much like the tonal approach the movie has, is that it is able to perfectly balance and switch between these light and dark tones, and the Kaijus used are a fantastic representation of that. On one side you have little Emi who is utterly adorable and charming. She’s such a little scene stealer.
Then on the opposite side, you have Gigantron who has this terrifying and equally sad presence. The two complement one another. While looking after Emi is essentially like looking after a giant baby, Gigantron is used to remind us of the imminent danger these Kaiju harbor.
Returning to the animation, Ultraman: Rising is an awesome movie to marvel and gawk at. It’s ripe with detail, stunning set pieces, vibrant action sequences, and a playful nature that pulses through the entire movie. Even if you’re not a fan of Ultraman, Rising is just a brilliant example of animation that utilises everything at its disposal to enhance our watching experience. This could be your entry into a new fandom, or it could just be an opportunity to appreciate top quality content.
Verdict
Ultraman: Rising is an emotionally charged and visually epic rollercoaster that perfectly tackles some incredibly dark themes while also remaining fun and light. I simply cannot fault this movie, it was a blast from start to finish. It’s both adorable and grand in scale, and it is so much more than an animated kids movie. This visual feast is for everyone because it touches on things that we can all relate to, the big bonus is that it also involves awesome fights and big monsters. What more could you want?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The film was produced in partnership with Netflix, Tsuburaya Productions, and Industrial Light & Magic, Ultraman: Rising is written by Shannon Tindle and Marc Haimes, directed by Shannon Tindle, and co-directed by John Aoshima. The film will also feature original songs from Diplo & Oliver Tree and Alicia Creti.
Starring in Ultraman: Rising are Christopher Sean (Ken Sato/Ultraman), Gedde Watanabe (Professor Sato), Tamlyn Tomita (Emiko), Keone Young (Dr. Onda), Julia Harriman (Ami).
