Ultraman: Rising

Story

Professional baseball player Ken Sato (voice of Christopher Sean) returns home from the US to reluctantly take over the role of Ultraman from his old and injured father. Ken, known as Kenji, struggles to balance his duties as Ultraman with his duties as a pro baseball player, and sports reporter Ami Wakita (Julia Harriman) presses him on his poor performance. She also questions him about his tumultuous relationship with his missing mother Emiko Sato (Tamlyn Tomita) and father.

In addition to Ultraman, Japan is protected from the kaiju (‘monsters’) by the violent Kaiju Defence Force (KDF), led by Dr Onda (Keone Young). During Kenji’s debut baseball match in Japan, a kaiju called Gigantron storms Tokyo, forcing Kenji to abandon the match to battle her. Ultraman/Kenji tries to persuade Gigantron to leave the city and then later tries to protect her from the KDF, but the KDF shoot her down with missiles. When Gigantron is presumed to be dead, Ultraman/Kenji becomes a parent to a baby kaiju, sheltering her from the KDF who want to capture her.

Kenji struggles with the responsibility of raising the baby kaiju, performing badly both as a parent and as a baseball player. After a phone call with Ami, he gains a different perspective on parenthood and a new appreciation for the baby. Kenji and the baby begin to connect over baseball, and he learns to love the ‘child’ he had previously seen as a burden.

When the baby escapes from home, Kenji must fight the KDF to protect his child. In the battle, the baby kaiju gets injured, forcing Kenji to contact his dad for help. As Kenji and his dad work together to protect and parent the baby kaiju, now named Emi, they begin to reconnect. Kenji, after struggling with baseball due to all his responsibilities, begins thriving both on and off the field. In the end he realises the value of family and collaboration, becoming a better person, a better Ultraman and a better baseball player in the process.

Themes

Death; family breakdown; animal cruelty; good versus evil; finding yourself; life and death

Violence

Ultraman: Rising has some violence. For example:

Multiple helicopters and military aircraft fall out of the sky in flames.
A fight against kaiju Neronga includes chokes, throws, headbutts, jumps, punches, and head slams into the ground. There is destruction of street property and risk to the public.
The KDF kill Neronga.
The kaiju Gigantron battles Ultraman, blowing flames and destroying aircraft.
The KDF aircraft shoot laser bullets and missiles at Gigantron.
The KDF shoot missiles at Kenji, his dad and Emi.
A fight between Mecha Gigantron and Ultraman includes missiles, lasers, and punching.
Ultraman prepares to saw the head off Mecha Gigantron.
Mecha Gigantron is instructed to kill Ultraman.
A fight between the KDF mecha and Ultraman and kaiju includes a flail smashing into an Ultraman and a laser sword swung to kill another.
Dr Ondo turns a KDF robot into a self-destructing bomb, committing suicide and threatening to destroy the city.

Sexual references

There are no sexual references in Ultraman: Rising.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

There’s no substance use in Ultraman: Rising.

Nudity and sexual activity

Ultraman: Rising has some nudity and sexual activity. For example, Kenji has his pants down whilst on the toilet but is hidden by a newspaper; and Kenji’s dad walks into the bathroom in his underwear.

Product placement

Ultraman: Rising has some product placement. For example, the following products are displayed or used in this movie: Suzuki cars, 7/11 stores, Star Seven Coffee (a reference to Starbucks Coffee) and Pac Man. ‘Siri’ and ‘Mario Kart’ are also mentioned.

Coarse language

Ultraman: Rising has some coarse language – for example, ‘oh my God’, ‘poopies’, and ‘heck’. Threatening language includes ‘Kill them’.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Ultraman: Rising is a movie that builds on the world originally created by Eiji Tsuburaya in a 1966 Japanese TV series. It’s a vibrant, futuristic movie set in a land of monsters and mecha beasts. Due to frequent violence and death, the movie is best suited to teenagers and adults, with parental guidance recommended for children aged 8 to 12.

The main messages from Ultraman: Rising are to stand up for what’s right, and to cherish your friends and family. ‘Being Ultraman isn’t about fighting, it’s about heart’.

Values in Ultraman: Rising that you could reinforce with your children are family, friendship, love, courage, perseverance, integrity, resilience and humility.

Ultraman: Rising could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like these:

The ethics of taking land and killing native animals.
The ethics of animal experimentation.
The physical and mental stress of managing large responsibilities.
How relying on friends and family can help you handle challenges.