Ultraman: Rising
Summary
With the release ofUltraman : Rising , Netflix just cultivate all ofGodzilla ’s late Monsterverse movies and show by doing something most kaiju stories sputter to do . base on Tsuburaya Productions ' storiedUltramanfranchise , the new Netflix movie follow Kenji " Ken " Sato ( Christopher Sean ) , a pro baseball game player in the US who returns to Japan after years away to trifle for Tokyo ’s down - on - their - luck Giants . The egotistical athlete has long beentorn between his desire to be a championship - winning ballplayer and inherit his father ’s purpose as Ultraman — the mammoth superhero who protects the city from rogue kaiju .
feel thwarted by his Ultraman - baseball game - musician reconciliation turn , Ken venthole about missing his mamma , Emiko , who ’s gone missing under mysterious context . Unwilling to slant on his father , Ken fight to navigate the increasingly vehement Kaiju Defense Force ( KDF ) . After slay a sumptuous shot during his first at - bat for the Giants , Ken ’s circumstances seems to be expect up until his Ultraman duties soon derail things . A bird - similar kaiju , Gigantron , chases down its unhatched egg , which was steal by the KDF . Although Gigantron is killed , Ken is capable to keep the young kaiju , which believes Ultraman is its parent .
Ultraman: Rising’s Human Characters Are Great (Including Ultraman)
Ken Sato & His Family Dynamics Are Ultraman’s Most Interesting Threads
In movies likeGodzilla(2024 ) andGodzilla vs Kong — and in almostall versions ofGodzilla — the human eccentric are n’t very interesting . Although some Godzilla films have tried to remedy this issue by put well - known movie stars , recognizable brass do n’t commute the fact that human characters are often set dressing in kaiju films . It ’s easygoing to pink these monster movies for employing gillyflower character who palpate boring and derivative . After all , compelling characters are n’t exactly the main cause audiences flock to kaiju movies . Excitingly , Ultraman : Risingis a massive elision to the boring human quality rule .
Instead of getting catch up in the traditional knowledge , Ultraman : Risingputs its human characters first .
AlthoughUltraman : Risingopens with a hearty dose of action ( and Ultraman),it ’s also establish in the Sato family ’s complex relationships . A young Ken is already bust between playing Ultraman with his father , Professor Sato ( Gedde Watanabe ) , and watching baseball game with his mum , Emiko ( Tamlyn Tomita ) . While Ken is amazed by Ultraman at first , he quickly becomes disillusioned with the hero , and , as a result , his father . Instead of getting caught up in the traditional knowledge , Ultraman : Risingputs its human theatrical role first . More significantly , Ultraman : Risingfocuses more on family than heroic .
There are n’t many repair shows based on Tokusatsu , but Netflix ’s Ultraman movie is a reminder to check out an underrated gum anime series .
Why Monster Movies Usually Struggle With Human Characters
Action Often Trumps Character Development In Kaiju Films
For the most part , monster motion picture contend with their human persona because the building - smashing kaiju are of the most interest to viewers . After all , evenunderrated kaiju moviesare beloved because of their action circle - composition . Instead of getting too catch up in its kaiju and lore , Ultraman : Risingbuilds its story around the human fictitious character . Ken , for example , becomes the adoptive father to a baby kaiju , all while balance his superhero responsibilities . Thisallows the flick to further search Ken ’s constrained human relationship with his own fatherin a way that works with the movie ’s large plot and themes .
Ultraman : Risingcarefully deliberate its characters .
Ultraman : Rising ’s mould of character also is n’t broad . In a monster movie , that ’s another immense vantage . At clock time , it can be entice to beef up the cast of a kaiju picture with characters who are merely there to be killed offin racy action lot - pieces . or else of tilt into that trope , Ultraman : Risingcarefully considers its characters . away from contemplatingwho Ken Sato really is , Ultraman : Risingcenters on reporter and female parent Ami Wakita ( Julia Harriman ) . EvenUltraman : Rising ’s antagonist , Dr. Onda of the KDF , has a to the full - realized backstory .
Custom Image by Debanjana Chowdhury
Godzilla x Kong : The New Empire was great , but Netflix ’s new kaiju film may have dethroned it as my favorite giant monster movie of 2024 .
Ultraman: Rising Had A Major Advantage Over Other Kaiju Movies
Ultraman Is A Huge Superhero - But He’s Also Deeply Human
InUltraman : Rising , the titular hero is a gargantuan being — not unlike the kaiju . On the other hand , he ’s also a human . Without Ken Sato , there ’s no Ultraman , sothere in reality ca n’t be anUltramanstory that ’s dissociate from that deeply human element . As evidence byUltraman : Rising ’s conclusion , this core difference gives the dealership a Brobdingnagian vantage over other kaiju films , which often position humans as simple observers of the clashing behemoth . The conclusion to have Ken raise a sister kaiju , Emi , hire that notion a step further , allowingUltraman : Risingto even humanize its urban center - stump creatures .
Ultraman : Rising is an action - risky venture film and is a young entry in the Ultraman enfranchisement . Directed by Shinji Higuchi , this film returns to the serial publication root and centers on a new hero , Ken Sato , who takes on the drape of Ultraman to protect Earth from monstrous threats .
Ultraman: Rising is an action-adventure film and is a new entry in the Ultraman franchise. Directed by Shinji Higuchi, this film returns to the series roots and centers on a new hero, Ken Sato, who takes on the mantle of Ultraman to protect Earth from monstrous threats.
