by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Who doesn’t love giant monsters and alien fights on the big screen? Growing up, I am sure I watched every single Godzilla film that I could get my hands on. Seeing the King of Monsters taking on the craziest monsters, aliens, and robots around was an absolute delight. I have seen all the modern takes on this iconic giant lizard, and I was excited to check out Shin Godzilla a few years ago. It was a bold and different take on Godzilla that I did not expect. At first watch, I was not too taken with it. But over time, my preconceived notions have dissipated, and now I am quite the fan. That made me even more excited to check out the latest Shin reboot with Shin Ultraman.
How does director Shinji Higuchi reinvent and deliver a brand new Ultraman film? I personally do not have any experience with Ultraman (especially not on the same level as my love of Godzilla films), so it might be hard to judge just how different this tale might be. But with that to the side, this is a shocking and intriguing film. Riding high off of Shin Godzilla, this story picks up with Earth being terrorized by Kaiju, who are doing quite a bit of damage. But a shiny humanoid behemoth falls from space and takes the fight to them. These seems like some standard beats, but there is plenty more in Hideaki Anno’s screenplay to shake things up. There are interesting human characters who engage in compelling conflict, which is one of the most challenging aspects to get right in a Kaiju film, and there are twists and turns to the story that keeps you on your toes, which I would not dare reveal here.
What do we all want most out of a film like this? Big… monster… action! Shin Ultraman certainly delivers. There is a solid amount of action over the two-hour runtime, and it is shot quite well. Higuchi knows how he wants the action to flow, and you can see that in the smooth action. The film is able to balance some practical effects monsters to do some fun fighting, while also delivering some impressive special effects drive moments as well. When Ultraman shoots off those energy beams and lasers, they look like pure spectacle on screen. The Kaiju look fantastic with their detail and textured models and costumes. If the action, creatures, and special effects are in a good place, a film like this will always find a chunk of that audience. But it is when the story and characters rise is when they become the real hit.
The action might be great, but does Higuchi capture the correct vibe? The film never reaches the level of campy silliness, but it knows exactly what it is. If you take a film like this too seriously, it wouldn’t withstand the suspension of disbelief. But Shin Ultraman winks occasionally, acknowledges the craziness of giant monsters and metal men fighting, and still delivers some impactful drama and emotion. There is a challenging tightrope of people connecting with something or something different than them and trying to make things work. In such an absurd film, the fact that Higuchi can make sure a relatable theme work is impressive. By the end, there is an emotional and meaningful finale that brings the whole film together.
Is this a reboot that was worth the time and effort? Shin Ultraman stills high up with the impressively fresh Shin Godzilla to deliver yet another hit for this rebooted franchise. There is something fun, inspiring, and exciting about this wonderfully bonkers journey. Twists and turns, big action, and human stakes makes this a Kaiju reboot that will impress.
Score: 8/10
Shin Ultraman will be released through Fathom Events on January 11
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