Shin Ultraman (Spoilers)

[Majin Gojira]

Shin Ultraman just finished its US Theatrical engagement (two days, one for a subtitled version, one for a dub version) and ... Basically crams the plots of 5 classic Ultraman stories into about 2 hours of surprisingly coherent and thought-provoking film. Its core question is the existential quandary of mankind's place in the universe, and what it means to be human.

As people find out how powerless they are in the face of both giant monsters and alien invaders.

It does remain comedic but doesn't shy away from that core theme.

Of course, on a "Versus" angle, the Beings of the Planet of Light present an alien society that's probably one of the most powerful ever put on film. In this setting, we learn that there is a treaty that prevents the use of basically anything other than your natural ability when conducting invasions/defending planets. Some aliens have ways of becoming or making giant monsters to do that sort of thing, but the beta system of the M-78 Beings is one of the most potent tools, turning them into nearly indestructible giants.

Thanks to Ultraman merging with a human, aliens learn that humans are fully compatible with the system and thus prime for exploitation as Bio-Weapons. So, the beings of Planet of Light, for the safety of the 13 Billion known sapient species, will destroy the earth with their "Final Weapon of Celestial Suppression" - Zetton.

Which is designed primarily to fire a sphere of energy that registers at 1 Terakelvin -- destroying not just the earth, but the entire solar system. Not as potent as the Dalek Reality Bomb, but it's rare to see something that potent thrown around in cinema.

This is all fine and dandy, but what makes me enjoy it all the more is how they work it into the human story. First there came the monsters, which humanity's best and brightest managed to just squeak by against. Then Ultraman appeared to help destroy the monsters, which was good. But, an alien pointed out how powerless this made humanity (basically, Lex Luthor's argument against Superman), which sparked fear and allowed the alien to fake Ultraman turning evil to corner them in a bad deal. A second alien species took this to the next step when they realized humanity's potential. Then even Ultraman failed against Zetton, both of which have an understanding of science and the universe they couldn't even begin to analyze, just to show they were not only physically inferior and helpless but intellectually as well.

At this, the 'science guy' of the SSSP has an existential breakdown and it's honestly quite effective.

The arc comes to a hopeful conclusion, however, as the 'science guy' of the team is told the basics of the science involved and figures out a high-risk last-ditch plan to save the planet.

Overall, for fans of Sci-Fi, I suggest checking it out when it inevitably comes to streaming/Blu-Ray. It's colorful, and creative, and the aliens shown truly are alien.

I mean, one of them is basically flat with a concave and convex side to it!

The next question is: is it better than Shin Godzilla?

Honestly, No. Its characters are a little better but can be a little stiff still. It's still a very good film and worth watching.

[ray245]

It's a decent remake of the original 66 show. I grew up with Ultraman and I'm wondering if some of the older members here have seen it.

Seems like this will be the first introduction to many Godzilla fans to the Ultraman franchise.

If you like this film, do check out the various tv series over the years.

[LadyTevar]

I've seen enough UltraMan to know of the idea, but like my relationship with Supernatural, it's mostly wiki, friends talking about it, and cultural absorption.

I'm sad that it had such a short theater run. I doubt it was released anywhere near WV. After all, when Princess Mononoke came to the US, the closest places to see it in theater were Pittsburgh or Columbus.

[Majin Gojira]

I've seen enough UltraMan to know of the idea, but like my relationship with Supernatural, it's mostly wiki, friends talking about it, and cultural absorption.

I'm sad that it had such a short theater run. I doubt it was released anywhere near WV. After all, when Princess Mononoke came to the US, the closest places to see it in theater were Pittsburgh or Columbus.

Blu ray and Streaming rights were just announced by some company called Cleopatra Media IIRC. So, it shouldn't be too long before it gets released there. I'd say within 3 Months.