BLOOD WORK: SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: SHIN ULTRAMAN (2022)

SHIN ULTRAMAN (2022)

It is a great time to be a tokusatsu/kaiju aficionado. Not only have there been epic blu-ray releases like the Criterion Collection SHOWA GODZILLA boxset, the Arrow Video GAMERA COMPLETE COLLECTION boxsets, and Mill Creek Entertainment's ULTRAMAN releases, but we're also getting new and old kaiju films released in North American theaters! Why, just this last November on National Godzilla Day (November 3rd) I was privileged to see GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA (2002) on the big screen for its 20th anniversary! Ah, that was awesome!

My Ultraman Experience

Just this last Thursday, January 12th, I was also privileged to see a brand new tokusatsu film on the big screen: SHIN ULTRAMAN. I was first introduced to Ultraman back when I was a child in the early 90s with the ULTRAMAN: TOWARDS THE FUTURE series. This series had a bunch of companion pieces like a North American toy line and a Super Nintendo video game as well. I remember walking through a Kaybee Toys store and being instantly drawn to the Ultraman figures. From there Ultraman became a part of my fandom. I still have my original Bogun and Gerukadon action figures from that toy series.

Once the DVD age arrived and the original Ultraman series (1966) saw a North American release from BCI Eclipse, my love for Ultraman grew exponentially! Then Shout! Factory released Ultra Q and Ultraseven on DVD later. And in the recent last few years Mill Creek Entertainment has released more than two dozen Ultraman series on blu-ray and DVD. Mill Creek has made incredible strides in getting the Ultraman franchise to North American fans and I am so grateful to them for that (as I write this I'm watching THE ULTRAMAN (1979) anime series on DVD courtesy of Mill Creek. Thanks to Mill Creek I have been buying up every Ultraman release of theirs and binge watching Ultraman like I never have before!

My Ultraman enthusiasm has never been greater! And when it was announced that Shin Ultraman was getting a North American theatrical release I knew I had to see it! Thursday, January 12th, I had the great luxury of seeing Shin Ultraman on the silver screen! The film was only showing in select theaters on January 11th and 12th, one showing each night! There were only two chances to see it! The experience was great. There was a reel of Ultraman trivia for about 30 minutes prior to the start of the film and then there were interviews with the lead actor, Takumi Saitoh, and the director, Shinji Higuchi. Top that off with being in the theater with a bunch of fellow Ultraman fans, all loving the experience and geeking out about Ultraman together, made for an amazing time.

SHIN ULTRAMAN & THE SHIN TRILOGY

Shin Ultraman was the brain child of Hideaki Anno, the man behind such legendary anime as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gunbuster, and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water among many others. In 2016 he was given the reins to Japan's most iconic franchise of all time: GODZILLA. What resulted was the film SHIN GODZILLA. Hideaki Anno co-directed the film with Shinji Higuchi and wrote the screenplay. Now, six years later, the second of Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi's SHIN films has come. This time Hideaki Anno only wrote the screenplay and the sole directing credit went to Shinji Higuchi. And there is a plan for a third SHIN film as well: SHIN KAMEN RIDER, possibly coming in 2023.

I was lucky to see Shin Godzilla in a movie theater back in 2016. And I had to see Shin Ultraman as well.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Shin Ultraman definitely feels akin to Shin Godzilla. It felt clear that the same men behind the camera of Shin Godzilla were involved here, by that I mean the film experience was very similar. I can't speak for director Shinji Higuchi's influence (he was the special effects director for the Heisei Gamera trilogy and he directed the live action Attack on Titan films), but Hideaki Anno's influence is strongly felt. It may be an oversimplification for me to say that Hideaki Anno seems to be remaking Neon Genesis Evangelion within other franchises.

Shin Godzilla felt like Hideaki Anno made a live action Neon Genesis Evangelion film rather than a Godzilla film. And I have similar feelings about Shin Ultraman. Now, there are natural parallels between Godzilla, Ultraman, and Neon Genesis Evangelion, so some similarities are to be expected. However, they each have their own distinct styles, tones, and esthetics, signature to each property and very much a core part of their identity. However, Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman have the same style, tone, and esthetics as Neon Genesis Evangelion. Perhaps this is intentional and what the heads of Toho Co. Ltd wanted. For me though, it feels like Hideaki Anno isn't making a Godzilla film or an Ultraman film, but rather remaking Neon Genesis Evangelion and substituting the angels for kaiju and the Eva Units for Ultraman.

The beginning of the film is easily my favorite section. The opening of the film felt very reverential and respectful of the original 66' Ultraman series and even managed to reference elements of the first series, ULTRA Q. The first ten minutes recreates several classic episodes featuring iconic Ultra Kaiju. Seeing an epic version of Gomess (which looked suspiciously like Shin Godzilla) was amazing. All of the kaiju that appear during this section were welcome sights and I loved every moment of it. But after this the kaiju virtually disappear from the film.

The first ten minutes really felt the most like Ultraman. From this point on in the film it feels more like Evangelion and more akin to Hideaki Anno's sensibilities. The main antagonists from this point are the alien enemies Zarab, Mefilas, and Zetton. This is just a personal preference of mine, but I have always enjoyed the Ultra kaiju more than the humanoid aliens like Zarab, Mefilas, and Zetton. Couple these enemies with loads of Japanese government bureaucracy, heady existential concepts, super science, and lots of flat dialog and the film really slowed down for me. And it is these elements that the film chooses to focus on for the majority of its runtime.

The concepts were intriguing and it was interesting seeing them explored, but the film engaged with me less than I had hoped with these elements. This storytelling approach felt akin to Evangelion, but at a slower, less dramatic pace (but that could be because the television episode format forced Hideaki Anno to move the story along at a quicker pace). Dramatically it felt sluggish and less visually dynamic, not to mention drifting far afield from the tone and style of Ultraman. The introduction of Zoffy and Zetton as the climactic antagonists definitely raised the stakes and felt far more engaging than Zarab and Mefilas, but it still felt less like Ultraman and more like Evangelion's Kaworu coupled with the angel Sahaquiel, with its own AT Field to boot.

To sum it up, Hideaki Anno does what Hideaki Anno does again in this film. This is wholly a companion film to Shin Godzilla and the film makes that very clear from the opening credits. Only about ten minutes of the film feels like actual Ultraman while the rest feels like (I know I sound like a broken record) Neon Genesis Evangelion. I love Evangelion and being compared to Evangelion is not a bad thing at all. But this is less a comparison and more of Hideaki Anno just rinsing and repeating the same thing again and again.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10

I like Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman, but I like them moreso as one-off experiments. I would not like it if both respective franchises changed their dynamics to be more like these films, one and done's only, please. I do not want a Shin Godzilla 2 or a Shin Ultraman 2. I appreciate these films for what they are and the different approach to the material. My personal preferences would be for both Godzilla and Ultraman to keep being what they are rather than masquerading as Evangelion imitators. I do however enjoy seeing the alternate takes. All said and done, neither film served to endear me more to either franchise.

What did you think? I'd love to know your thoughts and reactions to Shin Ultraman too!

I realize there are many people who view Shin Godzilla as a masterpiece and the greatest Godzilla film of all time. In that respect, I'd love to hear if there are similar feelings towards Shin Ultraman.

For my thoughts on Shin Godzilla and other kaiju/tokusatsu related material, check out the posts below!

SHIN GODZILLA (2016)

THE SAGA OF THE KING OF THE MONSTERS

Part 2: Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

Part 3: King Kong Vs Godzilla (1962)

Part 4: Mothra Vs Godzilla (1964)
Part 5: Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

Part 6: Invasion of Astro Monster (1965)

Part 7: Godzilla Vs The Sea Monster (1966)