ULTRAMAN: RISING (2024)
Featuring the voices of Christopher Sean, Gedde Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita, Keone Young, Julia Harriman and Lee Shorten.
Screenplay by Shannon Tindle and Marc Haimes.
Directed by Shannon Tindle.
Distributed by Netflix. 117 minutes. Rated PG.
Going into the screening of Netflix’s adaptation of Ultraman: Rising, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Being fairly new to the character and storyline that was more a part of my parents’ childhood than mine, I was able to go into the movie with an open mind.
I was not disappointed by the quality of the movie, as it featured great style in its aesthetic – being 3D with heavy 2D comic overlays (a personal favorite of mine). I was able to appreciate even the smallest details such a cross hatching on clothing, or the use of Ben-Day dots when protracting scenes that seem as if they came straight from a comic book. It was apparent throughout the movie that the artists cared for each aspect of the movie’s appearance, and their hard work did not go to waste.
The animation paired with great voice performances from Christopher Sean (Star Wars Resistance) as the lead, Keone Young (Karate Kommandos) as the main villain, Tamlyn Tomita (Karate Kid II), as well as countless others, made the movie a great display of many talents.
However, as nothing is without its flaws, there were places in which the film suffered. The most notable flaw being the writing for the dialogue. As well as the voice cast were able to pull off this movie, the film would have been even more enjoyable with smoother dialogue. I felt that more jokes that weren’t mainly sarcasm-based or crude would have served it well.
Another problem I faced when watching this film was having to note the numerous instances of the story being rushed, usually in terms of character development. For example, the relationship between the main character Ken Sato, and his father Professor Sato (Gedde Watanabe). While established well with conflict creating tension, I felt that their reconciliation just happened without much actual bonding beyond both caring for Emi the infant Kaiju. With a runtime just shy of two hours, I wished that some plot points were focused on more than others.
Regardless of faults in the writing, I very much enjoyed Ultraman: Rising, and I think that it’s a great display of art and acting talent with a heartfelt story. In a time where animated movies can either lack heart, or be completely filled to the brim with it, I’m happy to say that this one is the latter. I do recommend giving this film a shot, as it is delightful in many places, and definitely left me with more positives than negatives to speak of.
Jordan Wagner
Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: June 13, 2024.
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