Like their close cousins in the kaiju subgenre, kyodai hero films and TV shows – with their giant, costumed defenders of humanity – tend to be over-the-top action extravaganzas whose flimsy stories function as little more than a ferry between battles. Fortunately, Netflix’s new Ultraman: Rising is a shining exception to the rule. A gorgeous, family-friendly animated film with a lot of heart and an impressive level of sophistication, the latest installment in the long-running franchise still manages to crescendo in an exhilarating action-packed finale.
Co-written and co-directed by Emmy award-winner Shannon Tindle, Ultraman: Rising follows Ken Sato, a hotshot baseball player who begrudgingly takes up the mantle of Ultraman from his estranged father. From the jump, Ken establishes that he’s no role model: He’s self-important, routinely shirks his responsibilities, and is cocky to the point of being downright unlikeable. Ken’s tumultuous balancing act with his double life as Japan’s new protector and all-star athlete reaches a turning point when he’s forced to become the surrogate father to a fire-breathing kaiju baby that’s the size of a city bus.
What makes Ultraman: Rising such a triumph isn’t its larger-than-life action, but rather its down-to-earth portrayal of parenting. There’s nothing safe or overly familiar about its familial themes. Instead of settling for being a cute – albeit rote – subversion of the tokusatsu formula that sees its hero endure the growing pains of rearing a creature he’s meant to fight, Ultraman: Rising dual-tracks its main storyline by exploring Ken’s strained relationship with his own dad. Ultraman: Rising pulls no punches in noting that their bond was upended by the awesome responsibility of being a father figure to the entire world.
On paper, an Ultraman movie that’s frugal with its kaiju fights is heresy. However, Ultraman: Rising’s confident decision to have its fights play second fiddle to the human drama (and monster-sized melodrama) of parenthood is both inspired and an essential element to drive home the joy its newfound hero is willing to risk – and the pain he’ll subject himself to. That surprisingly mature tone is bolstered by the gnarly injuries Ken sustains in the heat of battle.
The vibrant CG animation is as moving as the writing here. Tindle’s use of diorama-esque compositions, neon-draped cityscapes, explosive anime impact frames, and comic book-inspired radial lines and hash tones don’t just make the two-hour film one of the best-looking Ultraman films ever made. They also make Ultraman: Rising a strong contender for one of the best animated movies of the year.