Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 7, 2021

Mill Creek has released two seasons and a movie in the 'Ultragalaxy' series. This set includes the full 13 episodes from the first season, titled 'Ultragalaxy Mega Monsters Battle' and the full 13 episodes from the second season, titled 'Ultragalaxy Mega Monster Battle Never Ending Odyssey.' This featureless five-disc set also includes the feature film 'Mega Monster Battle Ultragalaxy: The Movie.' The Blu-ray presentation is largely typical in technical output and format setup for Mill Creek's larger 'Ultraman' release strategy. There is unfortunately no companion booklet.

Official synopsis: In pursuit of the rich natural resources in outer space, earth sets up an organization of space experts called ZAP SPACY to explore the unknown planets. SEASON 1: Captain Hyuga and crew receive instructions to head to planet Boris to look into a disruption in communication. They rush to the desolate planet and are confronted with the giant, rampaging Red King, who is determined to wipe them out. A mysterious young man called Rei shows up, and using the "Battlenizer," he summons an equally gigantic Gamora, whom he manipulates to battle Red King. SEASON 2 - NEVER ENDING ODYSSEY: ZAP Spacy finds itself under attack by the Reionyx Hunters, members of the Pedan species and the creators of the original King Joe Black, that seek to exterminate all Reionyx in the universe.

While Ultragalaxy holds to a certain Ultra decorum and style, it's far enough removed from the generalized franchise output to qualify as somewhat unique within the universe, all the while holding, and holding rather tightly, to the essential charms, structure, and loose narrative underpinnings to be easily recognizable within the universe. The story here is, as usual, little more than a framework for action -- invariably building through two seasons to the movie, which itself is simply little more than a 96-minute run of action. The narrative grows increasingly jumbled within the paper thin confines thereof, reaching a point that only the most ardent Ultra fan will be able to stick with it, to grasp all of the idiosyncrasies and proclivities that permeate the series, and the film to follow.

The essential, and essentially nonexistent, core story is balanced out by the monster battles that pretty well look like any other Ultra franchise monster battles. This is simply a regurgitation of familiar themes and structure, from monster makeup, physical construction, and movement to the use of humorously obvious miniatures which may have been charming in the franchise's early goings but, for a series produced in 2007, looks a little chintzy. Still, one can argue that the miniatures are as much of Ultra franchise lore as the heroes and villains and goofy human organizations and outfits, anyway, so sticking to them at least maintains a semblance of continuity, as if the battling monsters and hopelessly vacuous narratives and characters didn't already do that. On the flip side, the digital special effects aren't particularly special. They're clamped down by technological and budgetary constraints, but more miniatures rather than ragged computer graphics might have worked better.

It might sound like bash-a-thon for Ultragalaxy, but it's not. As structurally familiar as it may be, it can be quite a bit of fun in a mind-off sort of way. This series, and the entire franchise, never aspires to high art. The real question is not whether it will satisfy some intellectual craving but whether or not it can feed a base instinct, an innate want, for junk food Sci-Fi. The series does that remarkably well, taking time tested elements and simply repurposing them, without much in the way of a new skin, even, and delivers exactly what the core audience wants. Certainly newcomers, or even casual, viewers will probably find it too empty and too much like everything else that has come before it to really give it an honest go, but to those for whom the show was made, it's gold.

For a very brief capsule review for Mega Monster Battle Ultragalaxy: The Movie, please click here.

Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mill Creek releases Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle to 1080p Blu-ray with an adequate presentation that does betray the flimsy source but looks "good enough" within the series' original parameters. Viewers will spot banding and various compression artifacts from the opening moments. The former is a bit more severe than the latter, but neither are usually so intensely pronounced as to seriously distract from the proceedings. The picture is also not all that robust; clearly it was shot with a lower quality source. The picture struggles to find tack sharpness, instead looking somewhat soft and flat. Textural intricacies are not present, but neither does the image appear fully devoid of basic clarity. Detail holds across the spectrum, offering audiences essential definition to monster suits, terrain, models and miniatures, human faces and clothes, and so on and so forth. The level of detail is not offensive, but neither is it at all noteworthy. Again, though, that appears to stem from the source, not from Mill Creek's work on this series. Colors fare similarly. There's not much depth or brilliance at work. The palette is flat and reserved, but basic tonal definition is fine. Contrast is not authoritative but there's enough core separation and basic depth to work. Black levels and skin tones fare about as well and are best defined as "adequate."

For a few thoughts on the film's 1080p video presentation, please click here.

Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The two season releases present in original Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 configuration. The two-channel track is definitely on the thin side. Where some intense bass would do it some good – as monsters emerge from under the ground halfway through the first episode – there's little depth to the effect. The battle to follow offers some detail but not a lot of space and certainly not the low-end response that would have enhanced the audio quality and paired quite nicely with the on-screen mayhem to be sure. Instead, the somewhat flat signature almost seems to amplify and endorse the series' familiar low budget stylings, failing to bring action scenes home with any kind of resounding realism. Most other sound effects – like gunfire and atmosphere – lack depth and precision, too, and also tend to hover in the middle rather than gravitating further outward. This is not a stretchy soundtrack by any means. That's a shame because there's so much potential here for sonic delight. The track is happy to merely get by rather than offer a more dominating, invigorating stance. Dialogue, only in the native Japanese (there is no English dub, unlike the feature film), images well enough towards center and offers good foundational detail and prioritization.

For a few thoughts on the film's audio soundtrack, please click here.

Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplemental content is included across any of the five discs. The four season series discs simply list available episodes on the home screen with an option to toggle English subtitles on and off (they default to "on"). The feature film disc is similarly bare bones.

Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

To get to the point: there really isn't one. Neither the season nor the movie offer much in the way of meaty content, but it's Sci-Fi comfort food, a series (and a film) that knows exactly what its audience wants and how to deliver it: by simply repurposing everything that has come before it, structurally, technically, and so on and so forth. Yes there is a new skin, and maybe even a slightly new approach and alteration to some of the basics, but this Ultra through and through. Mill Creek's five-disc set -- two seasons plus the movie -- is typical of the studio's output. No extras and passable video and audio define the technical side. Recommended.