Summary
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empirewas good, but Netflix’s new film,Ultraman: Rising, is now my favorite kaiju movie of 2024. The Monsterverse, one of the most consistent Hollywood franchises, gained a new chapter withGodzilla x Kong. While the success ofGodzilla Minus Onehas sparked debates about what Godzilla movies should be like,the Monsterverse’s newest film delivered exactly what it promised.
As someone who lovesSuper Sentaishowsand Tokusatsu in general, I’m always interested in checking out new movies or shows featuring mechas and monsters. Fortunately, shortly after the release ofGodzilla x Kong, there is a brand-new movie that fits this description.Netflix’sUltraman: Risingis a standalone film from theUltrauniverse, and while it’s quite different from previous Ultraman properties, it is a great addition to the franchise.
Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising Is A Perfect Kaiju Movie
Ultraman: Rising has giant heroes, monsters, and mechas
Netflix’sUltraman: Risingis a great kaiju moviethat can be enjoyed by long-time Ultraman fans and new audiences alike. Those familiar with theUltrauniverse will get to see a new addition to the 58-year-old franchise, this time withKen Sato as the new Ultraman. As is common in theUltramansaga,Ultraman: Risingintroduces a new version of the hero. In this story, Ken must live up to his father’s run as Ultraman while learning how to balance his professional and personal lives. The new Ultraman must also protect a baby kaiju.
Several characters have used the name “Ultraman” since 1966.
Ultraman: Risingis also a great film for those who like giant monster movies, regardless of the franchise. While the stakes of a movie about Ultraman taking care of a baby kaiju may not seem that high at first,Ultraman: Risingincludes some amazing battle scenes.Ultraman: Rising’s final battlewas particularly great and even made me nostalgic about Guillermo del Toro’sPacific Rim, one of my favorite kaiju movies of all time. Although I enjoyedGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire,Ultraman: Risinghas surprisingly become my favorite giant monster movie of 2024.
How Ultraman: Rising Is Different From Godzilla x Kong
Ultraman: Rising focuses on Ultraman’s old and new family
BothGodzilla x KongandUltraman: Risingare based on decades-old franchisesthat have explored countless stories, formats, and genres over the years. There is a Godzilla movie for everyone, with different approaches ranging fromGodzilla Minus Oneto the Monsterverse. Similar to its predecessor,Godzilla x Kongmade the most of its fun premise. One of myfavorite Monsterverse movies,Godzilla x Kongdelivered some great kaiju action involving not only the fan-favorite titular characters but also a bunch of other monsters.Ultraman: Rising, on the other hand, was a more self-contained movie.
Ultraman: Rising Ending & Post-Credits Scene Explained
Ultraman: Rising ends on a cliffhanger after a major battle in which two generations of heroes come together to protect a baby kaiju and her mother.
Ultraman: Rising’s story was about Ken Sato becoming a better version of himselfnot only as a superhero but also as a person. The new Ultraman goes from a relatively selfish celebrity who made a career in baseball to a complete hero who understands that sacrifices must be made.Ultraman: Risingis a great Ultraman adventure, but it is also an enjoyable standalone film. The Netflix animated movie also has incredible action scenes and great visuals, making it a pleasant surprise. BetweenGodzilla x Kong: The New EmpireandUltraman: Rising, 2024 has been an awesome year for kaiju fans.
Ultraman: Rising’s Story Answers To An Old Monster Movie Criticism
Ultraman: Rising’s human story is as interesting as its kaiju battles
One of the biggest criticisms the Monsterverse and recent monster movies have faced is how the human characters are often not that interesting to follow. WhileGodzilla movies and several other kaiju properties have always been about human characters, the fact is that it’s difficult for humans to compete with how cool giant monsters are. Additionally, some films have made the mistake of using human characters as nothing but a plot device to advance the story or explain to audiences what is happening. Fortunately, this is somethingUltraman: Risingdidn’t struggle with.
Using theUltramanuniverse to tell a personal story about family worked surprisingly well.
Ultraman stories are primarily about a human character by default. Although not every Ultraman origin story is the same, most versions of the character are born of the combination of a heroic human and alien Ultra powers. InUltraman: Rising,Ken genetically inherited his father’s abilities and is now Ultraman following Professor Sato’s retirement. Ken’s relationship with his father, the absence of his missing mother, and his found family dynamic with the baby kaiju are at the center ofUltraman: Rising. The monster battles are fun, but I also enjoyed the human aspect of the Netflix animated movie.
Julia Harriman
Akari Hayami
Thebest giant monster moviesare the ones in which both the creatures and the human characters are compelling enough.Godzilla Minus Oneis a recent example of a kaiju film where the human aspect of the story is as interesting as seeing Godzilla, if not more. Interestingly,Ultraman: Risingwas originally not anUltramanfilm.Director Shannon Tindle explained (viaX) thatUltraman: Risingwas inspired by his experience as a parent and was not originally conceived as anUltramanmovie. Using theUltramanuniverse to tell a personal story about family worked surprisingly well.
Will There Be A Sequel To Ultraman: Rising?
Ultraman: Rising’s post-credits scene sets up a sequel
MostUltramanproperties are self-contained and can be watched on their own. The same applies toUltraman: Rising, whose story has a clear beginning, middle, and end. The film even includes a voice-over at the beginning where Ken Sato summarizes his Ultraman history. However,whileUltraman: Risinghas a satisfying ending, it leaves the door open for a sequel.The movie includes a post-credits scene that references Nebula M78, from where most Ultras in the franchise come from. The post-credits scene also confirms includes someone close to Ultraman asking to be rescued.
HadUltraman: Risingnot included that post-credits scene, I would say that the film would necessarily need a sequel. Ken learns an important lesson at the end of the movie and helps a family be reunited. However, after that major Nebula M78 tease, I hope thatUltraman: Rising2happens. I would like to see more of Kaiju Island, which only appeared for a couple of seconds at the end of the film. AnUltraman: Risingsequel could be bigger and bolder than its predecessor, just likeGodzilla x Kong: The New Empiremassively expanded the Monsterverse.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Cast
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire unites iconic monsters Godzilla and Kong in a colossal confrontation. As these ancient titans clash, humans delve into their shared origins and explore the enigmatic secrets of Skull Island.
Ultraman: Rising
Ultraman: Rising is an action-adventure film and is a new entry in the Ultraman franchise. Directed by Shinji Higuchi, this film returns to the series roots and centers on a new hero, Ken Sato, who takes on the mantle of Ultraman to protect Earth from monstrous threats.
