Ultraman: Rising – A Visually Spectacular, Yet Safe Crowd-Pleaser

Ultraman: Rising.

Ultraman has always been a marginal figure in Western pop culture, despite his 58-year legacy in Japan. With minimal Western impact, including a Marvel comic series and a South Park reference, Ultraman: Rising marks the character's Hollywood debut on Netflix. Directed by Shannon Tindle, this film is a visually stunning but ultimately safe superhero adventure.

Director and Production Background

Shannon Tindle, making his feature directorial debut, brings his extensive experience in animation to Ultraman: Rising. His resume includes beloved works like Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings. Originally titled "Big in Japan" and developed at Sony Pictures Animation, the project was retooled under the Ultraman IP at Netflix Animation, with Tsuburaya Productions involved in its development.

Industrial Light & Magic handled the animation, leveraging their previous collaborations with Tindle to bring Tokyo's kaiju battles to life. The film's strength lies in its blend of grand visuals and personal stakes, creating an emotionally resonant animated feature.

Plot Overview

The film follows baseball star Ken Sato (Christopher Sean) as he juggles his life as a celebrity athlete with inheriting his father’s role as Ultraman. This balance is disrupted when Sato must care for Emi, a baby kaiju and offspring of his greatest foe. Despite Emi’s fiery exterior, she is essentially a needy water dragon, pushing Sato to embrace parenthood while protecting her from a government determined to exterminate all giant monsters in Tokyo.

Animation and Visuals

Ultraman: Rising excels in its animation, with ILM’s hyper-stylized CG and 2D effects creating visually spectacular set pieces. The action sequences, particularly the kaiju battles above Tokyo’s skyline, are executed with a sense of grandeur and excitement. The film uses visual storytelling effectively, showcasing Ultraman’s powers through dynamic shifts in the environment, making every punch and movement feel impactful.

Character Dynamics and Performances

The relationship between Ken Sato and Emi forms the emotional core of the film. Lupita Nyong’o’s voice acting for Samira adds depth to Sato’s journey from isolation to forming genuine connections. The film also highlights the physical comedy of the baby kaiju, with ILM's animation capturing human-like expressions of joy, anger, and angst.

However, the human characters' interactions often suffer from exaggerated movements and overly explicit dialogue. These elements detract from the subtler, more nuanced moments that could have added depth to the characters' emotional arcs.

Strengths and Weaknesses

While Ultraman: Rising delivers visually stunning action and heartfelt moments, it sometimes falls into the traps of Western animation, over-explaining situations and lacking subtlety in character interactions. The film balances large-scale action with personal drama but occasionally feels constrained by its safe, crowd-pleasing approach.

Conclusion

Ultraman: Rising is a solid introduction to the Ultraman franchise for Western audiences. It combines visually captivating animation with a touching story of responsibility and growth. Although it doesn’t fully escape the tropes of Western animation, the film lays a strong foundation for future entries. With its unique blend of CG and 2D animation and emotional storytelling, there is potential for this franchise to evolve and reach new heights.

Film Details

• Release Date: June 14, 2024
• Director: Shannon Tindle
• Writers: Shannon Tindle & Marc Haimes
• Based on Ultraman by: Tsuburaya Productions
• Producers: Tom Knott & Lisa M. Poole
• English Voice Cast: Christopher Sean, Gedde Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita, Keone Young, Julia Harriman
• Japanese Voice Cast: Yuki Yamada, Fumiyo Kohinata, Ayumi Tsunematsu, Fumihiko Tachiki, Akari Hayami, Hiroko Sakurai, Takaya Aoyagi
• Composer: Scot Stafford
• Production Companies: Netflix Animation & Tsuburaya Productions
• Runtime: 117 minutes
• Rating: PG