Ultraman: Rising Parent Guide

After his father’s retirement as a superhero, baseball star Ken Sato (Christopher Sean) reluctantly returns to Tokyo to take up the Ultraman mantle. Lacking his father’s dedication, Ken struggles to battle the giant monsters, or kaiju, who threaten Tokyo’s safety. After a particularly fierce battle, Ken finds himself in possession of a baby kaiju and unwillingly agrees to take care of her and protect her from government agents bent on kaiju destruction.

Single fatherhood is hard at the best of times, but even harder when caring for a baby many times your size with laser burps and a penchant for stomping. Luckily. Ken has the help of his loyal AI sidekick, Mina (Tamlyn Tomita) and his estranged elderly father (Gedde Watanabe).

I think I speak for a large portion of the movie-watching population when I say that I’m sick of superheroes. Almost every entry into that genre over the last few years has been mediocre at best, aside from the Spider-Verse films. What superhero stories need is a boost of creativity and heart. And Ultraman: Rising has both in spades.

Based on the long running and popular Japanese franchise of the same name, the film requires no previous knowledge of the character, but includes lots of nods and throwbacks for longtime fans. At almost two hours, my biggest complaint about the film is the runtime. Even my attention span was wavering by the end, regardless of the quality of the production. A tighter edit would have solved that problem, though, as it stands there isn’t a lot of filler or fluff to complain about.

Ultraman: Rising is less an action flick and more a sweet family drama. Kaiju battles and mech suits are secondary to the family relationships, tender moments, and positive messages. The writing is far deeper than I expected, though the plot itself is simple enough for children to follow. Ken is a fully fleshed out character, which makes his maturation and growing wisdom all the more satisfying to watch.

The movie’s level of violence is similar to that found in other animated superhero flicks; so if your child can handle The Incredibles, they will be find with Ultraman: Rising. Some parents will take issue with the script’s language: the 16 mild profanities and terms of deity are unusual for a family-focused animated flick.

As for my family, my 7-year-old loved this movie, and I did as well. I truly hope audiences find this streaming gem, so Netflix gets the hint to keep making creative, fantastically animated family films with heart.