Review | Shin Ultraman movie review: Japan’s alien superhero returns for an all-new adventure with a star-studded cast
- The filmmakers behind the hit 2016 Godzilla remake are back at it, this time turning their hands to the superhero phenomenon that originally aired in the 1960s
- What should be a child-friendly, action-packed fight fest, however, is weighed down by philosophical conversation, which leaves it unengaging for young viewers
3/5 stars
Following the rapturous reception for 2016’s Shin Godzilla, a box office behemoth that won seven Japanese Academy Awards, filmmakers Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno turn their attention to another childhood favourite as they reinvent the alien superhero Ultraman – who first appeared in the 1960s – for a 21st-century audience.
Accessible to both diehard aficionados and newcomers alike, Shin Ultraman, literally meaning “New Ultraman”, boasts an all-star cast, state-of-the-art special effects, and an endless procession of giant kaiju monsters and extraterrestrial invaders.
These computer-generated effects are then combined with traditional miniature shots to ensure that the action sequences, in which Ultraman goes toe to toe with a variety of monstrous foes, retain the kitschy rubber suit appeal of the character, and of the tokusatsu genre – a Japanese movie style that uses lots of practical special effects – as a whole.