Mega Monster Madness

So, everyone pretty much knows I'm a Japanese monster junkie. I love Godzilla and all his kin-- but I'm finding more and more that I like Ultraman more than almost anything else. I've only ever seen the first series of Ultraman-- I watched it in reruns as a kid, and I bought the recent release of the series on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment (you should definitely go pick this up... it is a steal at $9 from Wal-Mart or $9.49 from Overstock.com). There have been about a bazillion Ultraman series since the original, but each one tries its best to stay in continuity-- there are flubs here and there, but what over 40 year old franchise doesn't have a few glitches? I am only recently learning the history of the series and about the many heroes and monsters that have popped up over the years. I make mention of this for a very specific reason.

I just saw the most EPIC Ultraman movie ever made.



This is Daikaijū Batoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu Za Mūbī

Which translates to Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legend The Movie. Try saying that fast ten times.

My first exposure to this film was when my good friend Spencer told me about a rather interesting Ultraman character by the name of "Belial." I had heard the name Belial before, in reference to a demon in the Bible-- he's supposed to be one of the princes of Hell. When I heard there was an Ultraman monster named after a prince of Hell, I was kinda freaked out! I had to find out more about this thing! Spencer tipped me off to this YouTube video trailer of the movie:



Needless to say, after seeing that trailer I HAD to track down a copy of the movie. Doing so wasn't easy, because it hadn't had a wide release at the time we were yacking about it, so i kind of put it on the back burner for a long, long time.

And then, just last week I found it. Bandai Visual released the movie with English subtitles, so i could finally see this crazy movie so many people on the internet were gushing about.

What did I think of it? Well, let's see...


The plot's pretty simple: When an evil exiled Ultraman named Belial returns for his vengeance against the society that cast him out, there's hell to pay. Belial takes the artificial sun that gives the Ultramen their power, and only the combined efforts of a few remaining Ultras, a plucky bunch of humans, and another exiled Ultraman can prevent Belial from ruling the universe with his army of 100 giant monsters.

Sounds kinda fun? Well it is a BUTTLOAD of fun... with some conditions.

1. You must understand that Japanese sci-fi movies are budgeted far below even the average Hollywood action movie. This means that special effects are usually done on a comparative shoestring, and studios often use cheaper CGI stuff that doesn't look as sophisticated as the stuff most American audiences are used to seeing. That said, what they did with what they had was pretty darn great. One thing I love about Japanese movies is the enthusiasm they have for just going out and making a darn movie. "We don't have the budget to make a mechanical dinosaur monster that is 30 feet tall and breathes flames." "No problem! We'll just spray paint some trash bags green and slap them on Dan from accounting! The kids will love it!" You gotta love that can-do spirit!

2. This movie is ALL OVER THE PLACE. If you're one of those unlucky saps who can't keep up with a movie that flips from location to location rapidly, this movie is definitely not for you.

3. This movie is ALL OVER THE PLACE. No, I'm not repeating myself... in this instance I'm referring to the plot. It doesn't go into a lot of back story initially, so you kind of have to roll with the punches for a while. Eventually they give you a crasher course in all things Ultra, but sometimes it's really easy to get lost. It helps to know a bit about the Ultraman universe before you watch the movie, because there are literally a billion Ultramen in this movie. Seriously. There are even Ultra chicks in this movie. And Ultra children. If I'm lying, I'm dying. And because they all pretty much look like the same guy, it's REALLY hard to keep up with who is being beaten to death by Belial at any given moment. (And yes... I know that you, just like me, will look in EVERY scene to see if the original Ultraman is in there.) It helps to go online and do a bit of research as to who everyone is. It's not necessary to the enjoyment of the movie, but when you start griping to me about not being able to tell one guy from the other, don't say I didn't warn you.

4. Japanese actors are REALLY enthusiastic. This is one of those things you either love or hate. I love it-- I would seriously hug anyone who worked on this movie, because they looked like it was about the most fun thing in the world to do besides farting in the bathtub. I know you do it. No need to lie about it... sinner.

5. Japanese movies are more about themes than the details. This pretty much means that if you watch a Japanese movie and get the main idea behind it, you had a successful viewing experience. If you sat there and tried to figure out every little detail and tried to figure out the science behind this and that, you have just achieved epic fail. It's like trying to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks and then write a thesis on the adverse effects of cinnamon on the livers of Chipmunks. Translated: Japanese movies are really weird and kinda goofy, and you'll get nowhere trying to figure out all the quirky stuff. Get used to it.

OK... so.. was the movie good? YES. The movie made me feel like I was 5 years old again. It's not a particularly original or deep story, but it's done really well for what it is. Like I said before, the CGI is not great CGI (there are shots of spaceships and stuff that look like bits from video games), but they never really try to pretend that it is... it's just another way they have of telling a larger than life story. Once you get into the movie it's really not distracting, because you start digging the heroes right away. If you have a beef with moral absolutes, this movie isn't going to be your bag, because the Ultraman code is all about right and wrong. But in that service to justice, these big guys are willing to give their all. The movie deals with themes of honor, justice, sacrifice, respect, family, and redemption. I really didn't expect that going in, after having read several reviews online. Most people get hung up on the fact that the movie is 90 minutes long and has a lot of fighting. Well, duh, Sherlock... it's a freaking Ultraman movie. Ultraman fights monsters... it's his day job and his part time job he keeps on the side. Did people honestly expect a 2 hour rom-com with Ultraman trying to woo Jennifer Love Hewitt while simultaneously trying to impress his boss at his new office job? (admittedly, this is a movie I'd probably watch).

Yes, the movie is a long, relentless battle, but that's kind of the point. The Ultras live to protect the innocent. They'll die doing that. They don't care who it is they are protecting either, as long as they are unable to defend themselves. When you take up the job as the defender of the universe, you never get a vacation. Heck... you don't even rate a staycation.

There's an underlying theme in the movie about the allure of absolute power. I really like how they deal with the fact that the actual power itself isn't the corrupting part... it's the willingness to disobey everything one knows to be good and true to obtain it. It implies that the problem was with the seeker in the first place as opposed to the sought after item. The power in this case has the potential to be extremely positive-- it is just the decision of the user as to which ends he will use it.

Nothing in the movie really seems like a throw away item... all the parts make sense to the story, and even the humans, who normally make monster movie fans groan, play a significant and welcome role in the film. They are our ticket to understanding what the heck is going on. When the main human character stands there slack jawed like we are when we watch the movie, you can bet there's about to be a helping portion of exposition. But it's always right at the time you need it... it never becomes annoying or unwanted. That's a tough feat to pull off.

There are some things that don't really make sense timing-wise and a few things that happen way too conveniently, but anymore that's the norm in movies. I'm not saying it's a good thing... it's just there. I'm sure someone could explain to me why a certain character pops up EXACTLY when he's needed in one particular scene, but I know that person would be pulling the explanation right out of his butt. It's just one of those things, I guess.

Would I recommend this movie? Not to certain people. If you're looking for an Oscar-worthy film, I'd tell you not to watch it. If you are looking for a kick-butt, sci-fi action movie that has lots of cool looking good-guys, crazy looking bad-guys, some of the most insane martial arts wire-work you've ever seen, and a really good moral -- then YES. I couldn't recommend it any higher.

You know... a twisted, freakish lump in my brain kinda wishes that a big Hollywood studio would take the Ultraman franchise and make a really nicely-crafted special effects masterpiece, but the rest of my brain went on a bloody rampage and killed that malignant pustule for having a really bad idea. Hollywood would suck the very life from Ultraman and spit out a shiny, polished, industrial-strength turd of a movie starring Ryan Reynolds as the wise-cracking, foul-mouthed Ultraman, who, of course, looks like Ryan Reynolds with a silver CGI costume.

You laugh... that's exactly what it would look like.

Give me my goofy old Ultraman any day of the week!

Best part of the movie? When Hayata (played by Susumu Kurobe, the actor who played him in the original Ultraman series) lifts the Beta Capsule into the air and the Ultraman theme music plays for a brief few seconds. I was literally squealing with geek joy.




You know... it really doesn't take much to keep me happy does it?

Glowing Spacemen, Rabbit Skulls, and Cartoon LARP

The mailbox was VERY good to me today. I got 3 packages, and each one of them made me happy-- no dead skunks this time!

The first package was from Onell Design. I bought one of Matt's blind-bagged Glyos Randomizer figures... I wound up with the very one I wanted:



Woo hoo! Gotta love the glowy stuff! Matt's figures just keep getting more and more fun!

The next package was from my good friend George Gaspar, the founder of October Toys and an all around cool dude. He sent me one of his custom Skull Dunnies-- we traded customs-- I love trading customs! It's such a good feeling to get stuff that someone else made in trade for something I made... it just feels right.



AGH! How cool is this guy?



George made his own packaging for this small run of figures.



George sculpted a little Dunny skull that fits perfectly inside the transparent head of the Triclops Rain Dunny from the UK series.



He cast up a handful of them and sold them on the October Toys Forum a few days ago for $25 a piece. Needless to say, they disappeared in no time. There's a possibility that he may do another run of them, but there are no guarantees. Bug him if you want some! He deserves all the business I can throw his way!



The sculpt is absolutely gorgeous, and it has all the details that make me happy... he even sculpted the sutures and the foramens on the skull! He gave it a light wash that makes the resin look just like bone. A W E S O M E!



He did such a great job on this little dude... I am QUITE proud to have it in my collection.



I asked George if he'd autograph my Dunny's butt... he did more than that, he wrote a cool little thank you note. You're the man, George! If you guys agree with me that this Dunny rocks the house, let George know about it! He deserves all the praise he can get!



I'm growing a nice little collection of custom Dunnies! The one on the left was made by NiStuff and the one on the right is by Zro, both members of the October Toys Forum. It's so cool having something someone made with their hands... like I said before: it just feels right.



Might as well throw my little Ultra Dunny in there with the rest. I'm not the biggest Dunny fan on the planet, but I LOVE custom Dunnies!

The third package was from Mill Creek Entertainment. They're the guys who make those awesome, affordable boxed DVD sets of TV shows like Ultraman and The Greatest American Hero, and they used to make those 50 genre movie sets. I have bought so many Mill Creek DVD sets it's not even funny! I have the Martial Arts Classics 50 Movie MegaPack, and it has some of the most ridiculous movies ever made. If you have never seen The Impossible Kid featuring 2'9" martial artist Weng Weng, then you just haven't lived life to the fullest.

A while back I added the Mill Creek Entertainment page on Facebook to my "Like" list. They have these cool "Beat This Caption" contests every few weeks where they post an image from one of the featured DVD's and you have to come up with a caption for the image. The people who post there come up with some funny stuff, so I was shocked poopless when they sent me a message that I had won! I'm not particularly witty, but evidently what I had posted made someone chuckle. This particular contest was for the Dungeons and Dragons complete series DVD set. I loved that show when I was younger, so I was all kinda of happy! Here's the image and the caption I wrote:


"All the adventurers were impressed with the Dungeon Master's invisible basketball spinning trick until they learned that there was no invisible basketball..."


Like I said... not particularly witty, but hey... y'know.

I was shocked when I got the package from Mill Creek today--- that's pretty darn quick!



It's a nice set with an awesome illustration on the cover. I love the direction Mill Creek has taken of late, grabbing up more fun TV series instead of the old public domain movies they used to release. I have a crapload of the old horror and martial arts sets, so this is a nice change of pace.



27 episodes... I'm gonna have a lot of fun with that! For Christmas my friend Doug gave me the 2002 Masters of the Universe series that Mill Creek put out, and it was fantastic, so I expect this one will be of similar quality.



Mill Creek sets aren't fancy, but why be fancy when you can be awesome? This box set retails for $24.95, but I have seen several places sell it for a good bit less. Mill Creek's stuff is good quality at a good price. I reviewed the Ultraman set a while back, and I stand by my love for the affordable, fun DVD sets.

All in all... the mailbox was very kind today!

SHUWATCH!!!

I've been holding off on this review for two reasons: I wanted to watch the whole DVD set, and I wanted to get the figure to go along with it. Well... the figure arrived in the mail today, so... on with the review!

Not too long before Christmas I found a pretty good deal on eBay for a set of the complete original Ultraman television series on DVD. I think I paid about 10 bucks for the set and the shipping. Not too shabby for a 4 dvd set that contains 39 episodes and a few extras. I watched Ultraman when I was a kid (my mom says I would run around and say "UTCHAMAN!" all the time), but I hadn't seen the show in years. How would it hold up after all these years?

Pretty darn well. It's a campy, Japanese sci-fi series from the late 60's, so you can't expect it to be Shakespeare. However, I was impressed with some of the ideas and themes presented in the series. Even some of the effects weren't too bad either. The main thing is that this show was and is a lot of fun. It's exciting, funny, scary, and sometimes even sad. I've read a lot of reviews where folks say that the show is too formulaic. I disagree. I was expecting that going in, but saw that a lot of the times the writers of the show tried deliberately to shake things up episode to episode. Sure, every episode had Ultraman fighting a giant monster, but you know that going in. That's like watching football-- you know it's going to be a bunch of guys knocking the crap out of each other to get a ball to either end of a field. It's the how that matters.

The American version of the show was dumbed down greatly. I recommend that you watch the Japanese version if you really want to enjoy the series. The Japanese gave kids a bit more credit than we do as far as being able to handle complex concepts like death and betrayal.

So enough about the feel of the show... what the heck is Ultraman???



Ultraman is set in the near future from the time it was made(the show mentions at one point that it is set in 1990's). The Science Special Search Party ( called the Science Patrol for short) is Earth's first line of defense against aliens and monsters. In the first episode Science Patrol Deputy Captain Shin Hayata heads out to investigate a UFO sighting over Japan. When Hayata's ship collides with a ship piloted by an alien law enforcement agent called Ultraman, the alien binds his soul to the soul of the injured captain and the two form a symbiotic relationship. When danger rears its head, Hayata uses the Beta Capsule to call Ultraman to aid humanity. Danger usually comes in the form of a guy in a floppy, rubber suit. Did I mention that Ultraman is a giant? Well he is. Now you know.

The rest is just figuring out how to fit a monster into the story and how to have Ultraman kick its butt before the end of the episode. Ultraman's a pretty tough dude, but he can only be active for about 3 minutes in Earth's atmosphere. You have to limit your superheroes somehow, or they get boring fast.

So how is the DVD set?



Pretty darn good. It's from Mill Creek, the guys who make those collossal 50 dvd genre sets you see on Amazon and other online dealers, so don't expect this to be Criterion Collection quality. That said, these DVD's aren't bad quality at all. I was impressed with how clear the image and sound were. Each DVD has both the English and Japanese versions. The subtitles are great--very clear and very true to the nature of Japanese storytelling. There was only one episode that had any problems, and it was because the subtitles were a bit off from the soundtrack-- even then it didn't really destroy the watching experience.



The last DVD has three special features: An interview with the American voiceover cast, a kaiju encyclopedia, and the American opening credits. The interview is pretty long, but it's very interesting. It's weird seeing these older folks who have done voiceover work for almost every kids' show you ever saw growing up in the 70's and 80's talking about behind the scenes stuff. The kaiju encyclopedia ("kaiju" is a Japanese word that means "mysterious beast" ) is pretty neat. It just gives character files for each monster that appears in the entire series. The American opening is really weird, because the episodes on the DVD set all feature the Japanese opening, and it is strikingly different.



Overall, this DVD set is well worth the price and well worth your time watching it. Nothing beats grabbing a good snack, a cold drink, and kicking back to watch hours and hours of dudes in rubber suits tearing up miniature cities. That, and you won't find the line "Aim for the anus!" anywhere else in kids' programming.



If you want a cheap copy of this set, check out Overstock.com. Their set is $7.99 with only a couple of bucks shipping. You can't beat that with a stick!!!

So on to the second part of this far too long blog:

I have been hunting for this figure for quite some time. I happened to find it on eBay a little while back, and it arrived today in the mail. It's an Ultraman "sofubi" figure. Sofubi are soft, rotocast vinyl figures made by Japanese companies to represent movie, television, comic book, and video game characters. They are hollow, but usually feature really nice sculpts and paint jobs-- usually much better than anything produced in the states. They usually run about 8-10 bucks in Japan, but getting them here in the States will usually run you a few more bucks. It's not unusual to pay 20 bucks for a newer sofubi from an online seller in the States. I lucked up and found someone who had listed one without pictures on his eBay listing. Ebay buyers get skittish when they don't see pics. I did some research before buying and found out it was the figure I was looking for, so I wound up paying about 5 bucks less than any of the other Ultraman figures on eBay at the time.



The figure stands around 6 inches tall and features 3 points of articulation. His shoulders and his waist are cut joints. This is pretty normal for sofubi-- they're more for display than anything else.



The sculpt is extraordinary. Much like my Jet Jaguar figure, this Ultraman looks just like a guy in a suit. All of the folds and creases in his outfit are perfectly translated here. Even little details like the eye holes in the costume's mask are faithfully reproduced here. This is the newest release of the figure and features the closed fists. The version that was available before this one had loose, open hands. I kinda like this one better, because he and Jet Jaguar can give each other respect knuckles.



He has a really nice paint job with the only real area at issue being the minor slop around the left eye (I can fix with with a swipe of a paintbrush-- no biggie).

Overall a very, very nice figure who looks fantastic next to my other kaiju figures. I am quite pleased with my purchase!



I don't have any recommendations as to where to find an Ultraman figure like this one, because most of the online dealers are either sold out, or the toys cost way too much. Your best bet would be to lurk eBay and keep an eye out for a good deal!