Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi are living the tokusatsu dream. Both grew up loving “Godzilla,” “Ultraman,” and “Kamen Rider,” and here they are adapting films of their favorite childhood properties while adding their unique stamps to them. But, of course, being a fan of something does not automatically guarantee quality content. One's admiration for a franchise is acknowledgeable, but the feature can fail as a solid piece of entertainment and feel like an overproduced fan project lacking substance. Yet, if “Shin Godzilla” proved anything, directing a solid movie comes first for Anno and Higuchi, as not only was that a fantastic reboot of a long-running franchise but an excellent film on its own merits. Moreover, considering both directors' outspoken love for “Ultraman,” especially the classic 1966 television show, one can only assume their love letter would be a fun feature without feeling too on the nose with fan service. Thankfully, this is the case with Higuchi's latest entertaining project, “Shin Ultraman.”
Anno and Higuchi once again collaborate to reboot something near and dear to their hearts. This time, the latter filmmaker takes the center as the director while the former would produce and write the screenplay. An all-star cast would be recruited, and the SFX team would continue to push Japan's boundaries with special effects, especially CGI. Unfortunately, following the passion project's completion, its initial release date would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is it gave Higuchi and Anno more time to perfect the film, especially on the technical side. Upon release, “Shin Ultraman” would become a box office success and receive positive reception.
Shin Ultraman is screening on New York Asian Film Festival
Earth is frequently invaded by giant monsters classified as “S-Class Species.” In response, the Japanese government establishes the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol to combat the invasion of these destructive kaiju. During a recent attack by a creature known as Neronga, a silver giant appears and effortlessly kills the beast. However, during this battle, the Executive Strategist of SSSP, Shinji Kaminaga, is accidentally killed. The remorseful heroic alien fuses with Kaminaga and proceeds to help the humans fight against further threats against Earth while also trying to understand humanity. The mysterious being is given the name “Ultraman.” Insanity further ensues with the appearance of other aliens, including a shady, politically driven figure named Zarab and a cunning individual named Mefilas. There may even be beings more powerful than the title hero. On top of that, there is debate on whether or not Ultraman is a threat or an ally, all while humanity is in jeopardy.
The story plays out almost episodically, primarily taking influence from the main storyline episodes of the original 1966 show and even some nods to the series that came before titled “Ultra Q.” Yet, it is done very well, as with each major event in the narrative, the SSSP team and the character of Ultraman go through a developmental arc. “Shin Ultraman” is more than just giant monster fights and aliens appearing. Beyond its basic plot is a lot of witty humor and allegory. At the movie's core is examining humanity and growing from past mistakes while also embracing the concept of individuality, a theme present in the original series and done well here. Also, like the 1966 show, many religious undertones are present, with the portrayal of the alien characters being very akin to Godly figures out of religion, especially with Ultraman himself. Very endearingly, the feature embraces its surreal nature from beginning to end. Shinji Higuchi's talents as a director are shown in full force here and with lots of subtlety. For every chaotic spectacular moment, he knows when to take a breather, such as characters interacting with each other. Some of the best scenes are merely human Ultraman reflecting on everything transpiring around him and seeing the humans play off one another.
It helps that “Shin Ultraman” is well-written, balancing comedy while still maintaining suspense. Anno and Higuchi's previous tokusatsu film “Shin Godzilla” was a political satire of flawed government practices amidst disaster, with a message of the horrors of nuclear warfare and putting biases aside to work together. Here, political commentary is also present by poking fun at propaganda, shady political dealings, and politicians continuously being at each other's throats. Also, cleverly thrown in the movie is satire on xenophobia, a recurring issue in Japan. In addition, there are plenty of other subtle touches in the film's humor, such as the influence of social media and even the world continuing to go about despite a present threat, eerily relevant with the ongoing pandemic.
The human story is very strong in “Shin Ultraman.” The film's characters are filled with a ton of personality, truly brought to life by the cast. Takumi Saitoh is great as Shinji Kaminaga/human Ultraman, greatly capturing a being that feels like a fish out of the water while trying to understand the world around him and sticking to his judgment and morality while also giving hints to what Shinji is like as a person. Masami Nagasawa is terrific as the enthusiastic new SSSP member Hiroko Asami, who also serves as an effective link between the humans and Ultraman. The rest of the team is also likable, with Daiki Arioka, Akari Hayami, Tetsushi Tanaka, and Hidetoshi Nishijima playing their roles very well. Another wonderful standout performance comes from Koji Yamamoto, who has a lot of fun in the part of Mephilas, balancing a villainous nature with being surprisingly funny and having a way with words. Another element of praise in the acting goes to Hideaki Anno, and legendary suit actor Bin Furuya for bringing Ultraman to life via motion-capture performances, and the rest of the mocap performers are also great.
That is a good segway into the technical aspects of the film. The special effects for the movie are pulled off tremendously well, with a blend of computer-generated images and practical sets. Not to mention, the art direction is superb. There are occasional moments where they are a bit shoddy. Yet, considering the budget is smaller than a Hollywood project, they are consistently solid for the most part. Quite impressive is how much the CGI takes advantage of the use of movement with the kaiju and aliens, which were previously restricted due to limitations within practical suitmation. The monster fights are a highlight and fun to watch. Beyond the SFX, the movie is well-edited and impressively shot, with its cinematography harkening back to the visual aesthetic of filmmaker Akio Jissoji. For the soundtrack, many classic music tracks from the Showa era “Ultra” shows composed by Kunio Miyauchi are fittingly utilized for nostalgic callbacks. That said, all the original music composed by Shiro Sagisu is great as well. Kenshi Yonezu's original song “M87” is also nice on the ears.
“Shin Ultraman” is a great film and one that succeeds in what it sets out to do. It celebrates the “Ultraman” franchise while standing on its own feet as an entertaining movie. There is enough content for long-time fans of the iconic hero and just enough to engage newcomers. The project mixes classic sci-fi charm with surprisingly thought-provoking themes on humanity. It is another commendable feature by filmmaker Shinji Higuchi.
