As a seasoned movie enthusiast and father of two monstrously energetic children, I must admit that I approached “Ultraman: Rising” with little enthusiasm. After all, I’ve seen my fair share of superhero movies, and the idea of yet another one didn’t exactly set my heart racing. Boy, was I wrong!
The following contains SPOILERS for Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising.
Currently, I’m just as enthusiastic about superhero films and animation as many others are today. When Netflix debuted “Ultraman: Rising” earlier this year, it definitely caught my attention. However, it didn’t immediately jump to the top of my must-watch list. Perhaps it was due to the supposed “superhero overload,” or maybe it got overlooked amidst all the new content on Netflix.
To put it simply, I didn’t anticipate the film to be exceptional or offer anything particularly surprising. Although I’m acquainted with Japan’s beloved superhero, I personally haven’t been a big enthusiast. Therefore, I added watching the movie to my “to-watch” list without a specific plan for when I would finally catch it.
More recently, I stumbled upon a chance to converse with the directors of Ultraman: Rising, which I’ll share soon. Given this opportunity, it was only natural that I should view the movie. I’m incredibly thankful for the nudge to watch it because it exceeded my expectations in every way.
Ultraman: Rising Isn’t Your Standard Superhero Movie
Although I wouldn’t consider myself a seasoned expert on Ultraman, I was familiar with the character before watching Ultraman: Rising. The franchise is quite old; there have been other new Ultraman content on Netflix in recent years as well. It has been running for nearly as long as Doctor Who, and much like the British sci-fi series, the show has undergone numerous transformations over the decades.
Essentially, Ultraman revolves around a heroic figure battling colossal creatures, and let me tell you, though I was captivated by the fantastic Godzilla Minus One, the kaiju genre hasn’t truly captured my interest.
I was confident that the latest Ultraman film, leveraging the boundless possibilities of animation, would boast an awe-inspiring appearance and thrilling action scenes. To be honest, Ultraman: Rising certainly delivers on the visual spectacle, but it’s not just that aspect that sets the movie apart as something truly extraordinary.
Instead of being a film about battling monsters, Ultraman: Rising is more about nurturing them. The story revolves around Ken Sato, whose mother adored baseball and father was Ultraman. As an adult, he excels at baseball, but also assumes the role of his father as the legendary hero.
Ken doesn’t want to be Ultraman. His mother is missing, and he and his father have become estranged in the ensuing years. However, things get more complicated for Ken when he ends up in the possession of a baby kaiju, the child of Gigantron, who seemingly died following a battle with the Kaju Defense Force. The KDF wants the baby for unknown reasons, and Ken decides to keep it safe.
Netflix’s Ultraman Movie Is A Story About Parenthood
What follows isn’t a story about fighting, it’s a story about raising children, which, as a father myself, I could absolutely relate to. Ken doesn’t know the first thing about raising a baby, because who does when they start?
In this situation, Ken seeks advice from Ami, a sports journalist who has been challenging him, yet is also a parent. However, during their conversation, Ami’s child is causing chaos and repeatedly interrupting, mirroring my experience when I was trying to watch a movie with my energetic two-year-old monster running amok at home.
In the end, Ken enlists his own father’s help, and the two men work together to mend their relationship while taking care of a monstrous baby they call Emi. As a child, Ken felt his father neglected him because he was more focused on being Ultraman than a dad. However, Ken fails to realize that his father’s actions were driven by love and the desire to protect his son.
It’s surprising, but I didn’t anticipate that an Ultraman film would make me shed tears, and surprisingly enough, it did just that. The movie, Rising, offers a unique perspective on parent-child relationships, exploring them from two distinct viewpoints simultaneously. As both a father and a son, I could see reflections of my own experiences in the storyline.
Ultraman: Rising Has A Big Superhero Finale Battle, But Not Like You Expect
In the end, “Ultraman: Rising” turns out to be an Ultraman film, and it’s anticipated that a massive monster fight will occur towards the finale. Rest assured, the movie delivers on this promise.
Instead, in the series “Ultraman: Rising,” the conventional narrative is flipped as our hero teams up with the monsters rather than battling them. The climax features two Ultramen, Ken Sata and his father (referred to as Ultradad), joining forces with Emi and the baby’s mother, facing off against a colossal robot controlled by the leader of the Kaiju Defense Force.
If you’re finding this contest a little one-sided, it undoubtedly is. Although there’s some uncertainty about how the confrontation will unfold, there’s no real doubt about who will emerge victorious – and that’s entirely intentional. The aim of the battle isn’t the battle itself.
The goal of the battle serves to bring a family closer, enabling Emi to reconnect with her living mother, while also providing an opportunity for Ken’s father and him to cooperate. In the final moments of the movie, both the viewers and Ken come to truly comprehend his father.
In this pivotal scene, the movie reaches its peak action point, an emotional high matched by no other moment in the film. Here, Ultraman unleashes his iconic Specium Beam towards a colossal robot foe. The beam is discharged as Ultraman forms a cross with his arms before him. Despite Ken’s arm being hurt during their skirmish earlier, a swift camera pan shows that they are collaborating to generate the powerful energy burst.
Although Ultraman: Rising may not have turned me into a full-fledged Ultraman fan, it certainly has made one out of me for this series. The movie’s finale hints at a sequel, much like many superhero films, and I must admit that I can hardly complain, given my eagerness to catch the follow-up. If there is indeed a sequel, you can be sure I won’t hesitate to watch it, and next time, I promise not to wait so long!
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2024-11-05 03:07