Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Ultraman R/B: The Movie - Select! The Crystal of Bond Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 18, 2020

'Ultraman R/B: The Movie - Select! The Crystal of Bond' is available both in this standalone release as well as in the larger six-disc set which also includes the 'R/B' series. The discs are identical in both releases.

Official synopsis: After peace is restored in Ayaka City, Isami and Asahi both move forward to achieve their dreams. Pondering his future path, Katsumi meets his high school buddy who aimed to become a game creator, but quickly learns that he has quitted his job and spends most of his time playing games. While Katsumi is shocked, a mysterious being named Tregear approaches the weakness in his heart and sends him to a planet far away. On earth, monster Snake Darkness appears! Katsumi will have to find his way back to Earth and reunite with his family.

The movie begins with a shot of Rosso Flame upside down inside a building, reminding audiences of the series' humorous bend and instantly establishing a relatable reference tone. But the film is, on the whole, a more serious experience with deeper, darker story lines beyond most anything the series has to offer. Character revelations surprise, the narrative pushes the characters hard, and there's a real sense of danger and urgency in play from start to finish. Of course, it's not so divergent as to offer any real surprises by the end -- the mystery exists more in the moment rather than in the larger outcome -- but it's certainly a fun ride with a lot going for it, both at the character level and concerning the action sequences, which are many and great fun.

Like most of the modern Ultra movies, there's not a substantial variance in style or texture between the two entities. Here, the movie plays like an extended episode, though certainly with occasionally more scope or more intense action scenes. The push to the climactic battle gradually includes ever more participants, increased energy, and unstoppable forward momentum. There are some surprises but the most enjoyable aspect is the intensity and choreography, which remains true to the Ultra franchise but pushes the material beyond the average end-of-episode scope. The runtime is rather short (though in line with franchise norms), here clocking in at a very lean 72 minutes, just enough time to tell a more broadly expansive story while capably maintaining the comfortable familiarities fans have grown to love through the series' 25 episode run. Much of that runtime, particularly in the third act, is dedicated to action, but fear not: there's a fine balance between characterization and excitement.

Ultraman R/B: The Movie - Select! The Crystal of Bond Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 1080p, 1.78:1-framed presentation is essentially identical to the series. There picture holds impressively steady to the shared aesthetic, offering details in full command, particularly in various scenes in which humans, not Ultras, are the focus. Finely defined hair, skin, and clothing are commonplace with close-ups revealing supremely intricate clarity, especially dirt and sweat and tears seen at film's end. The Ultra and kaiju costumes show every rubbery texture, crease, and seam with all the detail fans could want. Environments are sharp, too, both real and models. Color output is excellent. Contrast is firm, clothes are well saturated, and digital workflow colors during battles shine. Skin tones are flawless and black levels are strong. Light noise is occasionally visible, as is the occasional compression artifact; look at the yellow wall at the 5:52 mark for an example.

Ultraman R/B: The Movie - Select! The Crystal of Bond Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Ultraman R/B: The Movie - Select! The Crystal of Bond features a very impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack (there is no English dub option included). Unlike the identically configured track from the series, this one is more lively, with springier music, more intense action, and more substantial stage fill. Front side spread is excellent; music engages the stage with length to spare and there's no gap anywhere along the front. Clarity never stumbles and even without a subwoofer channel there's plenty of low end detail at work. Action is more of a workhorse here, too, offering listeners a larger battlefield, more intense and engaging sound effects, and an overall fuller, more aggressive posture compared to the timid and somewhat flat output in the series. Add in impressive atmospheric supports and perfectly detailed and center imaged dialogue and there's little here that will leave audiences anything less than thrilled with the soundtrack.

Ultraman R/B: The Movie - Select! The Crystal of Bond Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, no supplemental content is included.

Ultraman R/B: The Movie - Select! The Crystal of Bond Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

R/B is one of this reviewer's favorite in the series, and the movie does not disappoint. Solid character work, terrific action, and perfect pacing are enough to mask the shortcomings. The Blu-ray presentation is excellent, too, featuring high quality video and audio. The disc is unfortunately featureless. Recommended, but most fans beyond the hardcore collector who just need the individual case will be best served with the six-disc R/B set, which includes the series and this exact disc, too.