Most people who know of Ultraman know he is a hero, a protector of the people. Now in his latest movie, a Dad. The movie, Ultraman: Rising, is about the new Ultraman, Ken Sato taking up the mantle and hardships of Ultraman while juggling being a baseball player AND being a dad!
Summary
The Movie begins with a child version of Ken Sato tasting dinner and playing with his mother and father. As they play, Ken’s father tells him the most important thing about Ultraman is to find balance. Ken soon shares a nice moment with his mother over baseball, foreshadowing what baseball and his mother meant to him.
A monster attacks the city and his father has to leave again to stop the monster. Then we cut to present day, Ken Sato is a grown man who is getting a call from his father but is very cold over the phone. We see from the way he speaks that he is self-centered and likes things his way. This later shows as he goes to his baseball game and priding himself to his team and coach until a monster attacks mid-game. Ken leaves to transform into Ultraman, where we see Ken doesn’t care that much for the surroundings or the people around. As he’s fighting the monster is running away but the Defence agency is still after it and the package the monster is protecting. Ken tries to reason with them but it doesn’t work causing them to shoot the monster down. Ken’s father sees the monster go down in a fiery blaze with his face in a shocked and sad look. As the Defence agency sees the monster is dead and leaves, Ultraman is left with the package which cracks revealing a monster egg. The egg hatches, revealing a small, pink, and adorable baby monster. Ultraman cradles her as the moon shines on him and the baby monster, which reaches out to Ultraman as its parent. He takes her home, where his father knocks on his door and scolds Ken for how he handled the problem. Ken gets angry at his father and blams him for having to take up the mantle of Ultraman and for his mother who became lost years ago and still not finding her. The next day is all about Ken figuring out how to take care of a baby.
The rest of the movie is about Ken managing baseball, being Ultraman, and being a father to the baby monster, now named Emi. But when Ken was a his lowest from the pressure, he saw that Emi is a kid and needs to be tought. As he spends time with Emi and sees her as his daughter, he teaches the baseball team tips and strategies to win games without him. But one night Ken was gone, Emi got out and got hurt badly. Ken calls his dad to help him make Emi better and help her get ready to survive on her own and bring her to “The Monster Island.” During this Ken and his father reconnect and forgives his father. They are soon attacked by the Defence agency and Emi is tricked that her birth mother is calling for her. But instead, it was a robot version of her mother. Ken tries to save Emi but in the process, Emi gets knocked out. Ken’s whole vision turns red, beating the monster down break off its armor bit by bit. Ken was about to kill it, until he saw it was Emi’s mother still alive but under the control of the Defence agency. With the help of Emi, The monster was freed and in full control. The Defence agency saw this and launched a robot mech to deal with Ultraman, Emi, and the monster. Ken was struggling to fight it until his father came in his Ultraman form to fight with them. The four of them were beating the mech until the pilot set a self-destrucion to wipe out. Ken leaving his father and Emi Behind to cover and mech and contain the blast. The explosion hits but Ken contains and leaves with a broken arm and minor wounds. At the end of the of movie, Ken understands how to balance his life as Ultraman and as Ken. Ken and his father ride on a boat to Monster Island to take Emi and her mother home and to say his goodbyes. But somewhere else a radio picks up and it Ken’s mother saying she is still alive.
What I thought of it
This movie was 1 hour and 57 minutes, I think that is not long enough. The movies had great animation, amazing color changes, and stellar character design. The movies showed all the trials and joys of being a new parent. It shows all the emotions of losing a parent and being disconnected to the parent you have left. For a movie being about a giant hero and monsters, it showed all effort and work it takes to change yourself to be someone helpful for your child, family, or team.
I recommend this movie to anyone who likes nice wholesome family moments with action and great visuals. I give this movie a 10/10.
