Ultraman: Rising – The Family We Love

Ultraman: Rising follows Ken Sato, the son of the original Ultraman and star American baseball player, as he reluctantly takes over his father’s superhero persona. One part super hero tale, one part adaptation of a classic Japanese franchise, Ultraman: Rising chooses to take on the humanizing approach of the classic kaiju franchise, focusing on Ken’s relationship with his father as he attempts to raise a child of his own. Without having to know anything about the franchise overall, Ultraman: Rising does a mostly great job of keeping audiences engaged, using its stellar plot and performances to make the lore interesting.

Anyone looking into this film will likely quiver at the sight of this franchise’s longevity, not knowing if it will be easily engageable. Ultraman: Rising definitely serves as a good jumping on point for new fans, setting up new lore, while referencing essential aspects of what makes the franchise unique. One of the more unique aspects of the film is the want to protect the Kaiju while also defending the city from them. This is established well by having Ken be rushed into a father-like relationship with a baby Kaiju that gets named Emi. The way this plot plays out makes this film very relatable to adults, while also maintaining the fun and action of the franchise’s younger audience.

The main theme of the film is the relationship between a father and a child. The film does an excellent job in publishing a dual narrative that sees Ken struggle to come to terms with his life as a superhero, not understanding the sacrifices that his father had to make when he was younger. As the narrative heats up, it becomes apparent that Ken’s relationship with his Kaiju “daughter” is going to teach him what made his father’s life so complicated. The marrying of these two storylines is truly the heart of the film, with an evergreen theme that will make this film timeless.

Ultraman: Rising’s action is not as apparent as one would assume for the animated feature, with most of the focus on the plot and theming. Ken’s Ultraman persona is only really a catalyst for the plot at large. That being said, when the action does heat up, the animation from Industrial Light & Magic really shines, showing that styles outside of what is featured in the Spiderverse and TMNT animated franchises are into the only things that work in modern film. This is a film that would look really good on a big screen, although the Netflix release allows it to reach a much broader audience.

Another part of this film that will connect with modern audiences is the side plot that sees Ken struggle to take on his new life not only as a superhero, but also as a baseball player. While it is not the main focus of the film, Ultraman: Rising does a great job in portraying the sport, while also reminding American audiences that baseball is a huge sport in Japan. The highlighted cultural differences between the versions of the sport offer a great subtext to the film, creating something very multifaceted.