Return of Ultraman Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Return of Ultraman Blu-ray Movie Review

Mill Creek has released a SteelBook packaging variant for 'Return of Ultraman.' The disc and digital content is identical to that found in the wide release (which includes the high quality booklet). See the 'Special Features and Extras' section of the review below for more on the SteelBook's look and feel.

Return of Ultraman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For a full 1080p Blu-ray video review, please click here.

Return of Ultraman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For a full DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 audio review, please click here.

Return of Ultraman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This is a nice SteelBook and much in line with that Mill Creek released for Ultra Q, Ultraman, and Ultraseven. Jack appears on the front, from the knees up, posed in an action-ready position. His left arm is nearly parallel to ground level, bent at the elbow and pulled back, hand in a fist, as if ready to throw a punch. The right arm is a little higher, extended out in front but still at about 90 degrees at the elbow. The hand is open. There's a mild reflectivity to the red costume accent pieces. Behind him is an off-white backdrop with silvery concentric circles forming behind the character. At the bottom -- comprising about the bottom fifth of the SteelBook -- are a couple of monsters rampaging through a countryside, all appearing in a gray-blue color. A MAT fighter jet is flying on the right hand side. The rear side features the title character firmly to the left. His left arm is parallel to the ground, bent at the elbow at 90 degrees and down by his side. His right is holding a weapon out in front, grasped firmly in his fist, in line with his chest, and more or less parallel to the ground. The bottom third or so depicts a larger scene, similar to that on the front, with a couple of monsters battling a couple of heroes from the Ultraman universe. Those same concentric circles emanate from behind Jack. The front and rear panels are smooth but not necessarily fingerprint magnets. The spine features the series' title center in black letters against the same creamy colored background from the front and rear sides. A head-on depiction of Jack may be seen at the bottom, directly above Mill Creek and Blu-ray logos. At the top is a red banner inside of which is "Series 4" text in white. One of the most interesting points of interest, almost an "Easter egg," is the show's title appearing in Japanese along the side opposite the spine where the set opens.

Inside, the digital copy code floats; there are no tabs to hold it down (the digital code sheet for this, as well as for Ultra Q, Ultraman, and Ultraseven arrived with a hole in the middle from the hubs that hold the discs). The six discs are housed three to a side, stacked directly on top of one another on a single, extended hub. Unlike previous sets, it was not particularly difficult to get the bottom discs out on first try. The inner print is a two-panel spread that depicts a close-up of Jack's chest. The disc hubs are just about where one would expect to find the nipples.

Return of Ultraman contains no supplements across any of the six discs. The main menu screens on each disc only offer the opportunity to toggle subtitles on and off in addition to selecting any of the disc's episodes, which are vertically oriented. The set does ship with an impressively assembled booklet that includes glossy pages, numerous color photographs, and plenty of text. It begins with introductory commentary on the show's history and production and follows with character breakdowns, detailed episode synopses, key monster explorations, and character and technology guides. Mill Creek has put together a comprehensive series breakdown in a relatively small space. While it's disappointing that there are no video-based extras, this compact handbook is a treasure for veterans and a necessity for newcomers just getting their feet wet in the universe.

That plastic outer slip cover features some baked-on text, including the show's title in black on the front with "Ultraman" text appearing above. Above and to the right is the text "To protect justice and peace Ultraman has returned." In the top left corner is a small vertical banner that says "Series Four" in red letters on white background and the Blu-ray logo plus digital in white on red. The rear side includes the usual information, from a UPC to a synopsis, from tech specs to legalese. The spines are transparent and blank.

Return of Ultraman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mill Creek is doing right by the Ultraman series in SteelBook packaging. Like the SteelBook variants for Ultra Q, Ultraman, and Ultraseven, this one is particularly nice. The colors are just right and the artwork is attractive inside and out. The red color really works, notably around the SteelBook's edges. This is a must-own SteelBook that is priced more than fairly, even considering the so-so A/V quality and absence of on-disc supplemental content.