Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
A star athlete reluctantly returns home to take over his father's duties as Ultraman, shielding Tokyo from giant monsters as he becomes a legendary hero.
Ultraman: Rising is a visually striking Netflix animated feature with genuinely impressive 3D animation cinematography that captures both the kaiju-scale spectacle and intimate emotional beats with flair. The plot follows a fairly familiar reluctant-hero-returns-home structure blended with an unexpected and touching found-family/parenthood angle (caring for a baby kaiju), which elevates it above generic superhero fare but doesn't fully transcend its formula. The voice performances are warm and committed without being exceptional. Novelty is decent — the Ultraman IP is relatively fresh for Western audiences and the kaiju parenting twist is inventive — but the overall hero's journey arc is well-trodden. The ending resolves satisfyingly if a bit neatly, delivering emotional payoff without major surprise.