43 reviews
Shin Ultraman, the second entry in the Shin tokusatsu series, is an entertaining retro throwback to old practical effects kaiju films. Its special effects, shrewdly combining retro scale-model special effects and CGI, has real weight and it brilliantly creates a look of its own. However, Shinji Higuchi's direction is too matter-of-fact for its own good, rendering the film cold when there's no battles happening.
In a reimagining of the Ultraman story, giant unidentified lifeforms known as "S-Class species" begin to emerge on Earth. The Japanese government established the SSSP, the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol, to eliminate all threats.
A mysterious alien entity, dubbed Ultraman, appears to save humanity from the giant monsters.
Shinji Higuchi's last film Shin Godzilla, a satire about government bureaucracy disguised beneath a kaiju movie, was a head scratcher that played better in premise than in execution. The central gag of government staff workers endlessly running into offices drowning in the bureaucratic process, ran dry after twenty minutes.
For Shin Ultraman, writer-director Shinji Higuchi tones down that satirical voice. There's no satirical target here and thus there's less sprinting into offices but the human characters remain cardboard cut-out caricatures.
When there's no monster fight happening, the scenes are just the SSSP staff explaining what needs to be done in the most straight-faced manner with zero subtext, as if they were reading a Wikipedia summary out loud. There's no sense of who these characters are beyond their job description.
Hidetoshi Nikijima, the star of the Oscar-nominated Drive My Car, sadly has no character to play or given any life to breathe into the narrative as the head of the SSSP. With its star-studded Japanese cast, it is just a kaiju-sized opportunity wasted.
It's an odd narrative style that Shin Higuchi has chosen. The film is either complete showing or complete telling. There's no hiding exposition under natural-sounding conversational dialogue.
I fundamentally don't understand why the film is so deliberately distant and allergic to human emotions. Imagine if an alien remade Ultraman and only focused on the battles and just wanted to rush through the talky scenes. Shinji Higuchi is not an alien, but just choosing to be one for some reason.
What won me over about Shin Ultraman was the special effects, an intriguing combination of old school and modern CGI. Together with the film's retro look, it achieves a unique look of its own, especially in its kaiju battle sequences.
I have fond childhood memories of watching Ultraman and Japanese kaiju TV shows. The visual of two costumed actors fighting in a miniaturized city always looked convincing. When computer effects took over in mainstream films in the 2000s, miniatures got left behind. The weight of things was gone. I wondered why so few filmmakers hadn't combined miniatures with CGI.
In Shin Ultraman, that combination of old and new special effects is used to great effect. It retained the weight of things. Many times, my eyes couldn't distinguish whether it was a scale model or CG-it always seems in-between the two. My eyes just believed it and it viscerally transported me back to seeing Ultraman on TV when I was ten, which was amazing.
Sure, Ultraman's beam looks fake in that retro way. However, when Ultraman and the kaiju wrestle and crash into the miniature buildings, there's real weight. When Ultraman flies, it looks like a real man being pulled up into the air. When things explode, it looks like a real bomb went off.
Hopefully, movie audiences who are used to seeing Hollywood CGI blockbusters can keep an open mind and not dismiss this artistry as "retro for retro's sake". I'm glad there are filmmakers keeping miniatures alive.
Overall, I feel half and half about Shin Ultraman. It's really fun in a kitschy retro kind of way. But by the third act, I was yearning for more subtext and something deeper from the script other than what the characters plan to do next. That depth never came and it left me cold when the credits rolled.
I wouldn't sit through Shin Ultraman again in its entirety, but I'd happily watch the fights again or any special features behind the filming of the miniatures.
In a reimagining of the Ultraman story, giant unidentified lifeforms known as "S-Class species" begin to emerge on Earth. The Japanese government established the SSSP, the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol, to eliminate all threats.
A mysterious alien entity, dubbed Ultraman, appears to save humanity from the giant monsters.
Shinji Higuchi's last film Shin Godzilla, a satire about government bureaucracy disguised beneath a kaiju movie, was a head scratcher that played better in premise than in execution. The central gag of government staff workers endlessly running into offices drowning in the bureaucratic process, ran dry after twenty minutes.
For Shin Ultraman, writer-director Shinji Higuchi tones down that satirical voice. There's no satirical target here and thus there's less sprinting into offices but the human characters remain cardboard cut-out caricatures.
When there's no monster fight happening, the scenes are just the SSSP staff explaining what needs to be done in the most straight-faced manner with zero subtext, as if they were reading a Wikipedia summary out loud. There's no sense of who these characters are beyond their job description.
Hidetoshi Nikijima, the star of the Oscar-nominated Drive My Car, sadly has no character to play or given any life to breathe into the narrative as the head of the SSSP. With its star-studded Japanese cast, it is just a kaiju-sized opportunity wasted.
It's an odd narrative style that Shin Higuchi has chosen. The film is either complete showing or complete telling. There's no hiding exposition under natural-sounding conversational dialogue.
I fundamentally don't understand why the film is so deliberately distant and allergic to human emotions. Imagine if an alien remade Ultraman and only focused on the battles and just wanted to rush through the talky scenes. Shinji Higuchi is not an alien, but just choosing to be one for some reason.
What won me over about Shin Ultraman was the special effects, an intriguing combination of old school and modern CGI. Together with the film's retro look, it achieves a unique look of its own, especially in its kaiju battle sequences.
I have fond childhood memories of watching Ultraman and Japanese kaiju TV shows. The visual of two costumed actors fighting in a miniaturized city always looked convincing. When computer effects took over in mainstream films in the 2000s, miniatures got left behind. The weight of things was gone. I wondered why so few filmmakers hadn't combined miniatures with CGI.
In Shin Ultraman, that combination of old and new special effects is used to great effect. It retained the weight of things. Many times, my eyes couldn't distinguish whether it was a scale model or CG-it always seems in-between the two. My eyes just believed it and it viscerally transported me back to seeing Ultraman on TV when I was ten, which was amazing.
Sure, Ultraman's beam looks fake in that retro way. However, when Ultraman and the kaiju wrestle and crash into the miniature buildings, there's real weight. When Ultraman flies, it looks like a real man being pulled up into the air. When things explode, it looks like a real bomb went off.
Hopefully, movie audiences who are used to seeing Hollywood CGI blockbusters can keep an open mind and not dismiss this artistry as "retro for retro's sake". I'm glad there are filmmakers keeping miniatures alive.
Overall, I feel half and half about Shin Ultraman. It's really fun in a kitschy retro kind of way. But by the third act, I was yearning for more subtext and something deeper from the script other than what the characters plan to do next. That depth never came and it left me cold when the credits rolled.
I wouldn't sit through Shin Ultraman again in its entirety, but I'd happily watch the fights again or any special features behind the filming of the miniatures.
- ObsessiveCinemaDisorder
- Oct 24, 2022
- Permalink
The CGI is passable, the acting is passable, the fight scenes are decently choreographed, and the filmmaking is exquisite. However, almost everything about this film has a caveat.
As someone who'd watched all the original Showa series, the sound effect/art homage decisions were extremely welcome. Unfortunately, as with the rest of the film, nothing is ever perfect. Instead of giving the fans a completely faithful Ultraman with all the shticks we've learned to love like the color timer, the grunts, the human-like exhaustion-staggering, they decided to cut all of that in favor of a "shin" (new) design claimed to be based on the original concept art of the late designer for the original Ultraman. This new design, unluckily, isn't memorable or aesthetically pleasing in the slightest. I simply don't understand how they can have such immaculate attention to detail on the references of the original sound effects, poses, special moves, and art splashes, yet completely undercut what matters most in the visual design.
The story is surprisingly unpredictable. Although it utilizes many tropes, every time I thought the film was about to have its penultimate final fight, the fight ends abruptly and suddenly there came a bigger threat. This is what I appreciated about the story. And yet, again, the shortcomings are impossible to ignore.
The characters are incredibly bland and one-note. Neither the characters or their relationships were built up properly. The film doesn't even attempt to give a reason as to why the SSSP team would have an attachment to Ultraman's extremely unlikable human host, and yet they do anyway. The film does however like to shovel blatant exposition down the viewers' throats to move the story forward.
Of all its faults, the cinematography was pretty great. There weren't spastic unnecessary cuts in the fights. Even in the most boring of scenes, there was always something to appreciate about the unique angles the scene is shot at.
As someone who'd watched all the original Showa series, the sound effect/art homage decisions were extremely welcome. Unfortunately, as with the rest of the film, nothing is ever perfect. Instead of giving the fans a completely faithful Ultraman with all the shticks we've learned to love like the color timer, the grunts, the human-like exhaustion-staggering, they decided to cut all of that in favor of a "shin" (new) design claimed to be based on the original concept art of the late designer for the original Ultraman. This new design, unluckily, isn't memorable or aesthetically pleasing in the slightest. I simply don't understand how they can have such immaculate attention to detail on the references of the original sound effects, poses, special moves, and art splashes, yet completely undercut what matters most in the visual design.
The story is surprisingly unpredictable. Although it utilizes many tropes, every time I thought the film was about to have its penultimate final fight, the fight ends abruptly and suddenly there came a bigger threat. This is what I appreciated about the story. And yet, again, the shortcomings are impossible to ignore.
The characters are incredibly bland and one-note. Neither the characters or their relationships were built up properly. The film doesn't even attempt to give a reason as to why the SSSP team would have an attachment to Ultraman's extremely unlikable human host, and yet they do anyway. The film does however like to shovel blatant exposition down the viewers' throats to move the story forward.
Of all its faults, the cinematography was pretty great. There weren't spastic unnecessary cuts in the fights. Even in the most boring of scenes, there was always something to appreciate about the unique angles the scene is shot at.
I was very excited for Shin Ultraman, and jumped at the chance to see it as part of a film festival. I'd given up on expecting it to get a cinema release in Australia, so this seemed like the only chance to see it on the big screen. It was at a cinema that always shows movies in their original language (even when they screen old Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki movies), so it was disappointing that they had a dubbed version. I've heard worse dubs - mostly from older movies, usually in the martial arts genres - but even if it wasn't a terrible dub, it still ruined most of the humor. You can understand certain lines and moments as comedic, but without them being in their original language, it's not genuinely funny; more just, "Oh, I assume that's funny."
Dub aside, I still think I would've been slightly disappointed with this even if I'd watched it the way it was intended. It's oddly paced, and features action that progressively gets less exciting as the film goes on. There are certain fun sequences that balance being silly and cool well, but I felt the action generally ran out of steam after about the first hour or so. And then it kept feeling like it was building to a climax, only for the scene not to be the climax, and then on and on until it eventually ended.
The character stuff is all acceptable, and having the human storyline intersect with the giant monster stuff by having a man who can transform into Ultraman is a nice way to bridge what often feels like separate parts of the same kaiju movie. It feels like Shin Godzilla in parts, when it comes to the human stuff, but never feels quite as cutting or clever as that film was, with its satirical elements and the way it unapologetically mocked bureaucracy.
For some fun action and spectacle, I think it would've been a decent watch if it had been in Japanese with subs. The dubbed version I'd give lower than a 6/10, but I won't knock the film overall for that; I'm trying to imagine how I'd feel if the version I'd watched had been the proper one. And I do ultimately think I still would've felt disappointed by the final half-hour or so of this, the pacing, and the familiarness of many of its sci-fi concepts, even if there is still a bit of fun to be had within its two-hour runtime.
Dub aside, I still think I would've been slightly disappointed with this even if I'd watched it the way it was intended. It's oddly paced, and features action that progressively gets less exciting as the film goes on. There are certain fun sequences that balance being silly and cool well, but I felt the action generally ran out of steam after about the first hour or so. And then it kept feeling like it was building to a climax, only for the scene not to be the climax, and then on and on until it eventually ended.
The character stuff is all acceptable, and having the human storyline intersect with the giant monster stuff by having a man who can transform into Ultraman is a nice way to bridge what often feels like separate parts of the same kaiju movie. It feels like Shin Godzilla in parts, when it comes to the human stuff, but never feels quite as cutting or clever as that film was, with its satirical elements and the way it unapologetically mocked bureaucracy.
For some fun action and spectacle, I think it would've been a decent watch if it had been in Japanese with subs. The dubbed version I'd give lower than a 6/10, but I won't knock the film overall for that; I'm trying to imagine how I'd feel if the version I'd watched had been the proper one. And I do ultimately think I still would've felt disappointed by the final half-hour or so of this, the pacing, and the familiarness of many of its sci-fi concepts, even if there is still a bit of fun to be had within its two-hour runtime.
- Jeremy_Urquhart
- Jul 15, 2023
- Permalink
What a movie!! Shin ultraman is a love letter for a ultraman fans and even if you are not a fan, This movie is just amazing and treat to watch!! Great CGI, nostalgic evil Characters and most importantly the direction!! Everything was just amazing and really new to watch!! Worth giving a try for not a fan and ofcourse for the fans.. this is a must watch for you guys!! And yes! Nagasawa masami is a MVP!!!
- mohammadirfan274
- May 23, 2022
- Permalink
All those kinda negative review is almost all true and happen to me. But still there something we can enjoy like several first fight is interesting but not that memorable. CGI also not that bad its still comparable with shin godzilla. Maybe with less destruction effects. Just hoping this movie gonna revived Ultraman but for me it gonna be hard to gained new fans from this movie. Is hard because sometimes the story is good and had nice pace. But then there's some unnecessary scene, plots hole, also those romantic wannabe is really bad. Also how the camera capturing main female is disturbing for me it just really unnecessary.
- bondmanuel
- Oct 5, 2022
- Permalink
- ginesdaisuki
- May 14, 2022
- Permalink
This could be the end of Ultraman.
Another unnecessary reboot which could be interesting if the origin story was actually exciting. Weak characters with pointless plot, a try hard comedic, and a villain that is less interesting than brainless monster.
For a country with highest technology, I expected the CGI to be better, but it's just like watching animation. Better off using a man in costume. Even the series are way better.
But seriously, unless you are a diehard fan, it's best to save your time and not watching this boring, actionless film. You won't miss anything, as the film doesn't build up to something else.
Another unnecessary reboot which could be interesting if the origin story was actually exciting. Weak characters with pointless plot, a try hard comedic, and a villain that is less interesting than brainless monster.
For a country with highest technology, I expected the CGI to be better, but it's just like watching animation. Better off using a man in costume. Even the series are way better.
But seriously, unless you are a diehard fan, it's best to save your time and not watching this boring, actionless film. You won't miss anything, as the film doesn't build up to something else.
I understand the design philosophy behind most of the scene and its a homage to OG ultraman hayate. If you have been watching ultraman since your childhood you know ultraman is actually a dark and entertaining story with alot of meaning treat it like eva. It is depressing at time but ultraman signify the light to your dark times. Thats why hikari is a word been used over and over again. If your new and just judge based on omg idk whats going on go and find the meaning behind it there.you may find your answers.
- lolihentai-56943
- Jul 5, 2022
- Permalink
1. A reimagining of Ultraman and the 37th film in the Ultraman franchise. The second live-action installment in Hideaki Anno's Shin Japan Heroes Universe. An epic tokusatsu entry with brilliant and realistic practical and visual effects combined with outstanding battle choreography. Well written dialogues with humour and political awareness regarding Japan's weak government bureaucracy and United States' over dominance in Japan's internal affairs.
2. A reimagining of Ultraman and the 37th film in the Ultraman franchise. The second live-action installment in Hideaki Anno's Shin Japan Heroes Universe. An epic tokusatsu entry with brilliant and realistic practical and visual effects combined with outstanding battle choreography. Well written dialogues with humour and political awareness regarding Japan's weak government bureaucracy and United States' over dominance in Japan's internal affairs.
2. A reimagining of Ultraman and the 37th film in the Ultraman franchise. The second live-action installment in Hideaki Anno's Shin Japan Heroes Universe. An epic tokusatsu entry with brilliant and realistic practical and visual effects combined with outstanding battle choreography. Well written dialogues with humour and political awareness regarding Japan's weak government bureaucracy and United States' over dominance in Japan's internal affairs.
- ashfordofficial
- Oct 16, 2022
- Permalink
I love the director's last film "Shin Godzilla" because it focuses on bureaucratic struggles as well as visually astonishing creatures messing around actual cities in Tokyo. That authenticity was quite new to me and contributes the film's mult-layered attractiveness. As of the latest one of Shin series, those factors are mostly diminished and replaced by awkward plays of a heroine who has been one of the most popular (but not much talented) actors in Japan.
After waiting for more than 5 months waiting for an international release, finally here it is, Shin Ultraman, and a review of it.
Shin Ultraman starts with a really great introduction to its universe, the problem they're facing, human characters, and our hero Ultraman himself.
The introduction is short but the director succeed at showing the audience everything in less than 2 minutes, even for the people who have never see Ultra-Q or the original Ultraman series can understand it very well.
The film pacing feels great up until the end of the first phase. All of a sudden the plot became very rushed and it feels like some elements from the original series are cramped into the script only to please the fans who have seen it.
CGI was an OK, still need a lot of work in some scenes, especially with the motion of the characters, but the rest are just acceptable.
I believe it will be a much better film is the duration is at least 20 minutes longer.
Conclusion: For the fans of old era's Tokusatsu, especially Ultra series will undoubtedly love this film with all of its references, but for those who's not a fan will probably struggle to reach the end of the film~
Shin Ultraman starts with a really great introduction to its universe, the problem they're facing, human characters, and our hero Ultraman himself.
The introduction is short but the director succeed at showing the audience everything in less than 2 minutes, even for the people who have never see Ultra-Q or the original Ultraman series can understand it very well.
The film pacing feels great up until the end of the first phase. All of a sudden the plot became very rushed and it feels like some elements from the original series are cramped into the script only to please the fans who have seen it.
CGI was an OK, still need a lot of work in some scenes, especially with the motion of the characters, but the rest are just acceptable.
I believe it will be a much better film is the duration is at least 20 minutes longer.
Conclusion: For the fans of old era's Tokusatsu, especially Ultra series will undoubtedly love this film with all of its references, but for those who's not a fan will probably struggle to reach the end of the film~
- geraldkweesar
- Oct 13, 2022
- Permalink
5 episodes crammed into almost 2 hour of duration! For a non-fan and first timer (meaning first time watching the original ultraman or it's modern reincarnation) like me, it's quiet annoying and confusing since it doesn't give us much time to know, root, or sympathize with any of the characters. But for the fans of the original series (the 60's version), it's quiet probably gonna be a nostalgia trip with all the namedrops, the designs, and even the fight choreography that pay homage to the original source material. Love the fact that the Anno made sense some of the elements from the original series to appeal to the updated modern science and technology while making sure the movie doesn't lose its fantasy status. It's always a win to a science enthusiast like me everytime a filmmaker gets the science right or at least sounds plausible to audiences with different levels of science comprehension even though it's beyond applicable in real life.
7.5/10.
7.5/10.
- hiraishinnojutsu
- Oct 31, 2022
- Permalink
I'm a super fan of the early Ultraman era, it marked my childhood. Both the "Ultraman" (1966-1967) series, whose protagonist was Shin Hayata, and "Return of Ultraman" (1971-!972), with the giant hero's body passing to Hideki Gô's responsibility. Even as an adult, I watched it several times.
When I saw the first teasers of this new film appearing, I was very excited, it reminded me a lot of this nostalgic Ultraman of yesteryear, very different from the modern Ultraman of the last decades, it seemed that I would meet my favorite childhood hero again (along with Batman). Mistake, what a crappy movie.
In addition to being poorly done (okay, Ultraman has always been poorly done), the script is confusing and bad, the soundtrack is terrible, and the film can't decide between ancient and modern Ultraman, it doesn't fit anywhere. The resemblance to the original Ultraman exists in appearance and appearance alone, that's all, everything else is completely lost.
All of this would be acceptable if only it were a good movie in every other respect, but no, nothing is saved. Anything. Real crap.
I rate it 3 out of 10 for Ultraman's nostalgic look alone. The film takes 0 out of 10.
When I saw the first teasers of this new film appearing, I was very excited, it reminded me a lot of this nostalgic Ultraman of yesteryear, very different from the modern Ultraman of the last decades, it seemed that I would meet my favorite childhood hero again (along with Batman). Mistake, what a crappy movie.
In addition to being poorly done (okay, Ultraman has always been poorly done), the script is confusing and bad, the soundtrack is terrible, and the film can't decide between ancient and modern Ultraman, it doesn't fit anywhere. The resemblance to the original Ultraman exists in appearance and appearance alone, that's all, everything else is completely lost.
All of this would be acceptable if only it were a good movie in every other respect, but no, nothing is saved. Anything. Real crap.
I rate it 3 out of 10 for Ultraman's nostalgic look alone. The film takes 0 out of 10.
Best known for creating the popular anime 'Neon Genesis Evangelion.' Hideaki Anno serves as writer, co-producer and co-editor in this new adaptation of the 1960's character Ultraman. An extraterrestrial "dubbed" Ultraman crash lands on Planet Earth and becomes humanity's sworn protector, with the aid of the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol (SSSP) established by the Japanese government.
Modern Japan has evolved into a new battleground for giant creatures known as "Kaiju" to wreak havoc. Upon taking human form and living as one with the population to have an understanding of the human species. Ultraman concludes that mankind is worth dying for, and altruistically risks his life for the greater good. The audience is treated to bombastic action sequences, well-baked choreography and various fighting techniques from our champion which raises the entertainment value. The CGI is pretty outdated and don't translate well in certain scenes. But I wanted to overlook this flaw as I was devoted towards immersing myself in this universe. A large criticism I have is the narrative's lack of coherency. It contains an episodic structure where five stories are condensed into one feature. Making it difficult to engross ourselves into the storyline with too many subplots and a heavy amount of exposition to follow. This made the experience a bit tedious to say the least.
Despite the underdevelopment of the characters, they were likable as they had specific traits that helped them stand out. Whether it be Takumi Saitoh as the determined Ultraman or Masami Nagasawa as newcomer Hiroko Asami, delivering a humorous and charismatic portrayal of his "buddy" within the SSSP. Her onscreen presence was a favorite of mine. As the credits began to roll, I yearned for more substance due to the interesting premise. The storyline could have had a broader impact on the viewer, if fleshed out by the writer.
IG: thecinephilereviews.
Modern Japan has evolved into a new battleground for giant creatures known as "Kaiju" to wreak havoc. Upon taking human form and living as one with the population to have an understanding of the human species. Ultraman concludes that mankind is worth dying for, and altruistically risks his life for the greater good. The audience is treated to bombastic action sequences, well-baked choreography and various fighting techniques from our champion which raises the entertainment value. The CGI is pretty outdated and don't translate well in certain scenes. But I wanted to overlook this flaw as I was devoted towards immersing myself in this universe. A large criticism I have is the narrative's lack of coherency. It contains an episodic structure where five stories are condensed into one feature. Making it difficult to engross ourselves into the storyline with too many subplots and a heavy amount of exposition to follow. This made the experience a bit tedious to say the least.
Despite the underdevelopment of the characters, they were likable as they had specific traits that helped them stand out. Whether it be Takumi Saitoh as the determined Ultraman or Masami Nagasawa as newcomer Hiroko Asami, delivering a humorous and charismatic portrayal of his "buddy" within the SSSP. Her onscreen presence was a favorite of mine. As the credits began to roll, I yearned for more substance due to the interesting premise. The storyline could have had a broader impact on the viewer, if fleshed out by the writer.
IG: thecinephilereviews.
- thecinephilereviews
- Jan 28, 2023
- Permalink
I think this is pretty good, the plot is unpredictable, the minuses in this film's scene scene are that the movement is very fast, so there are parts that should be good, so it's uncomfortable. But this film has a lot of advantages that are highlighted, namely fighting. The cinematography is also quite good and there are many words that are catchy and I like the characterizations that are mefilas in their goals. Instead of saving, they want to control the earth and its contents. So it's ok for this film because as a cure for the longing for the Ultraman series, especially Shin Ultraman, it is still worth watching and watching because there are many advantages in it, especially For lovers of the Tokusatsu series, especially Francise Ultraman, Hopefully the next film can be better and memorable in the hearts of the viewers and connoisseurs of Tokusatsu Ultraman.
- animewagaku
- Nov 4, 2022
- Permalink
- Horst_In_Translation
- Feb 25, 2023
- Permalink
I grew up watching the Showa original Ultraman TV series as a kid and means a lot of my childhood, still thinking that is a amazing achievement 56 years ago with no modern technology they could made that show.
But the last decent Ultraman made was the TV series Ultraman 80 in 1980/81. After that Tsuburaya halted productions, returned like 15 years late and decide new approach using JPOP boy bands instead actors as protagonists, really bizarre computer graphics and horrible/cheap scripts... those newly TV series never worked once over past two decades like was on the Showa series.
This time is worse, even with more budget and a "reboot" as excuse. Mediocre writing, really a hideous script, not convincing acting, very bizarre computer graphics, few decent pratical effects and whatever else.
This "flick" is pretty much is a slap in face.
Hard to process how bad is, was clearly made for kids, newcomers or fanatic public that are satisfied with the current mediocre quality of the Ultra franchise over past decades consuming everything without bother with quality.
If you really enjoyed those retro Showa Ultraman series, you will hate this one. Nothing in this movie can be saved, only the soundtrack have homages to the original TV series... but overall was a sad experience and waste of time.
Avoid all costs and go watch the old Showa TV series, is way more rewarding than watch this abomination.
Tsuburaya is pretty much dead intellectually now.
Is a very sad reality, their legacy is only the past (Showa only) because the present is totally forgettable and the future is pretty much inexistent when the subject is quality.
Lucasfilm can still deliver decently Star Wars projects, even sometimes they miss over past decades. Same rule apply to CBS Paramount with Star Trek franchise.
Tsuburaya? Nope.
Seems a lost case, very a sad one.
But the last decent Ultraman made was the TV series Ultraman 80 in 1980/81. After that Tsuburaya halted productions, returned like 15 years late and decide new approach using JPOP boy bands instead actors as protagonists, really bizarre computer graphics and horrible/cheap scripts... those newly TV series never worked once over past two decades like was on the Showa series.
This time is worse, even with more budget and a "reboot" as excuse. Mediocre writing, really a hideous script, not convincing acting, very bizarre computer graphics, few decent pratical effects and whatever else.
This "flick" is pretty much is a slap in face.
Hard to process how bad is, was clearly made for kids, newcomers or fanatic public that are satisfied with the current mediocre quality of the Ultra franchise over past decades consuming everything without bother with quality.
If you really enjoyed those retro Showa Ultraman series, you will hate this one. Nothing in this movie can be saved, only the soundtrack have homages to the original TV series... but overall was a sad experience and waste of time.
Avoid all costs and go watch the old Showa TV series, is way more rewarding than watch this abomination.
Tsuburaya is pretty much dead intellectually now.
Is a very sad reality, their legacy is only the past (Showa only) because the present is totally forgettable and the future is pretty much inexistent when the subject is quality.
Lucasfilm can still deliver decently Star Wars projects, even sometimes they miss over past decades. Same rule apply to CBS Paramount with Star Trek franchise.
Tsuburaya? Nope.
Seems a lost case, very a sad one.
- isamuominae
- Oct 23, 2022
- Permalink
I recently watched Shin Ultraman (2022) on Amazon Prime. The plot revolves around Japan facing relentless attacks from gigantic monsters, prompting the creation of a government task force. Despite their meaningless efforts, a silver robot-like creature appears miraculously, effortlessly destroying the monsters. The government agency strives to understand the origin and nature of this metallic being.
Directed by Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla) and featuring Takumi Saitoh (13 Assassins), Masami Nagasawa (Mother), Hidetoshi Nishijima (License to Live), and Akari Hayami (Zom 100: BucketListers of the Dead).
This movie is truly impressive. The monsters are meticulously crafted, providing a realistic feel. The CGI, appearance, and demeanor of each monster are outstanding. Ultraman's powers, showcased in action scenes, are tremendous, eliciting empathy for the monsters. The transformation scenes are equally captivating. While there's some CGI overuse (flying humans were comical), the storyline has a strong setup and premise, though the ending falls slightly short, opting for an epiphany over an epic monster battle.
In conclusion, Shin Ultraman is a magnificent addition to the modern monster universe, a definite must-see. I'd rate this a solid 8/10 and highly recommend it.
Directed by Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla) and featuring Takumi Saitoh (13 Assassins), Masami Nagasawa (Mother), Hidetoshi Nishijima (License to Live), and Akari Hayami (Zom 100: BucketListers of the Dead).
This movie is truly impressive. The monsters are meticulously crafted, providing a realistic feel. The CGI, appearance, and demeanor of each monster are outstanding. Ultraman's powers, showcased in action scenes, are tremendous, eliciting empathy for the monsters. The transformation scenes are equally captivating. While there's some CGI overuse (flying humans were comical), the storyline has a strong setup and premise, though the ending falls slightly short, opting for an epiphany over an epic monster battle.
In conclusion, Shin Ultraman is a magnificent addition to the modern monster universe, a definite must-see. I'd rate this a solid 8/10 and highly recommend it.
- kevin_robbins
- Nov 17, 2023
- Permalink
There are those that dissed this movie because they do not understand the way it is done in. This is not the Ultraman series that aired in Japan on Sunday mornings in the days long gone. Neither is it for those who have no idea about its premise. This is Higuchi's homage to the original series in a more arthouse format. The dialogues are few and sometimes infer more than what is said. The way the some of the scenes are framed is a pure homage to the old series, especially the macronization of Ultraman.
One will also notice a few cast members who appeared in Shin Godzilla appearing in similar roles here. Is this some sort of connection between the two movies? We shall see.
One will also notice a few cast members who appeared in Shin Godzilla appearing in similar roles here. Is this some sort of connection between the two movies? We shall see.
Re-review. Its is based on the mythology of the Theft of fire, and the titular Ultraman as the trickster. Despite its concrete plot, its ruined by 112 min of recital of importunate lines without any character development nor emotional expression. Though it claims to be a "Science Fiction Film" from its title, its absent from social commentary, artistic expression, ideas, nor acting. Not even a story. It is a patchwork of favorite scenes from the original "Ultraman," stitch together with prematurely understood ideas, and filled with easter eggs that serves very little purpose. Its an expensive "fan made video." But, hardly a "film" with mise en scéne.
- yokozunafabi
- May 15, 2022
- Permalink
Is this movie worth watching? Heck yeahhh!
How was the plot? Insane but fun!
Was the budget enough? Seems like it.
What is this movie saying about our world? It can make you smile.
What is your emotional response to this movie? Joy.
What did this movie make me feel? Happy!
What moments, character, or ideas resonated with me while watching this movie? The fights!
What thoughts does this movie spark in me? Movement.
What themes are present in this movie? Madness.
Why would someone want to watch this film? For fun.
What is one good or cool thing I could say about this movie to someone else? It is giant.
How was the plot? Insane but fun!
Was the budget enough? Seems like it.
What is this movie saying about our world? It can make you smile.
What is your emotional response to this movie? Joy.
What did this movie make me feel? Happy!
What moments, character, or ideas resonated with me while watching this movie? The fights!
What thoughts does this movie spark in me? Movement.
What themes are present in this movie? Madness.
Why would someone want to watch this film? For fun.
What is one good or cool thing I could say about this movie to someone else? It is giant.
- TheOneThatYouWanted
- Jan 2, 2024
- Permalink
Shin Ultraman really is a movie made by fans and for fans, you can really see the passion behind it shines through in the work with the reference & little nods to the classic show here and there while still being its own thing and not being overly relying on them
Shin Ultraman kinda feels like "Rebuild of Evangelion" of The Ultraman franchise, i guess it make sense considering the people who worked on Rebuild of Evangelion (Hideaki Anno & Shinji Higuchi) also worked on this too, so the style and vibe kinda rubbed off into this movie
it faithfully captures the spirit of the Original 66 Ultraman show not just by using classic design, sound effect, & amazingly remade soundtrack (which are composed & arranged by the talented Shiro Sagisu) but also by understanding the core theme massage & philosophy of the classic show while still putting its own spin to it by adding stuffs like social & political commentary in them
but the movie aint perfect i feel like the movie is structured kinda weird, it felt like watching 5 different episodes instead of a 1 cohesive movie and also the CGI while it looks amazing most of the times it can look wonky sometimes i hope they improve that in the sequel but overall its a must watch for a tokusatsu fans..
Shin Ultraman kinda feels like "Rebuild of Evangelion" of The Ultraman franchise, i guess it make sense considering the people who worked on Rebuild of Evangelion (Hideaki Anno & Shinji Higuchi) also worked on this too, so the style and vibe kinda rubbed off into this movie
it faithfully captures the spirit of the Original 66 Ultraman show not just by using classic design, sound effect, & amazingly remade soundtrack (which are composed & arranged by the talented Shiro Sagisu) but also by understanding the core theme massage & philosophy of the classic show while still putting its own spin to it by adding stuffs like social & political commentary in them
but the movie aint perfect i feel like the movie is structured kinda weird, it felt like watching 5 different episodes instead of a 1 cohesive movie and also the CGI while it looks amazing most of the times it can look wonky sometimes i hope they improve that in the sequel but overall its a must watch for a tokusatsu fans..
It revealed that Anno's fundamental Policy for his "Shin-" world must be "Full of pedantic, which aims at making spectators puzzled and then feel inferiority leading to illusion making his work deserve great appreciation by overwhelmingly arcane jargons. His screenplay is tactically woven at the level where audience can follow quite marginally. That tone of his work would work as a hypnotic pill making audience anxious first, but finally amazingly excited with full of dopamine. I remember that he confessed the strategy once in certain TV program. We will see the same culture in coming next Shin-Masked Rider.
- diversitytetsu
- May 13, 2022
- Permalink
- zman-43376
- Jan 12, 2023
- Permalink
I have maybe seen a couple of episodes of Ultraman as a kid and don't even know which era it is from. So, I didn't really get any references in this. It starts off like it's a sequel to Shin Godzilla, as Japan is constantly inder kaiju attacks and the fast-paced meetings and conferences to deal with it. But it slowly changed the pace and kind of turned into feeling like a TV show. The characters are given more importance here but everyone is designed to be weird which isn't necessarily bad but as the film relies on that connection it didn't completely work either. The kaijus, the mind-controlling and shapeshifting alien villains etc seemed to be something these Tokusatsu genre films love. Even though the alien villains' plans are much like how they'd do it in the old days, the way they presented them made them feel exactly like politicians which I enjoyed really well. The film is often very silly but doesn't really embrace that and even tries to be philosophical at times which just feels like a confused attempt more than anything. Not a bad start of the year, but a bit disappointing considering the reputation of these films.
- Jithindurden
- Dec 31, 2023
- Permalink