Ultraman X: The Series + The Movie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Ultraman X: The Series + The Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 14, 2020

Mill Creek has released a set which includes the five-disc 'Ultraman X: The Series' as well as 'Ultraman X: The Movie.' Currently, the series is only available in this set, bundled with the movie, but the movie is now available separately for those who only want to make that purchase. See below for a review of The Series and please click through the appropriate links to see the review for The Movie.

We shall be as one.

Official synopsis: As Ultra Flares from the sun blanket the Earth, Spark Dolls that had been hidden underground and in the sea are turned into monsters. In order to deal with the sudden outbreak of invading aliens, humanity arms itself with machines of super science and forms the defense team Xio. 15 years later...a member of Xio, Daichi Oozora, hears a mysterious voice while in combat against a monster. "Unite..." Just as Daichi is on the verge of being obliterated by the creature, he finds himself bathed in a radiant light.

Guillermo del Toro is reportedly a big fan of the Ultraman franchise, and it's easy to see some parallels and influences in his own Pacific Rim, and conversely it's easy to see how some of Ultraman X's plot details could be found to have some origin in del Toro's own Kaiju feature. Certainly Ultraman works under much more strict constraints in terms of budget but not so much in terms of content and certainly not in terms of audience. While Ultraman X largely plays around with the same core ideas that have made the larger series so popular over the decades, it's certainly been bolstered by guest appearances, more complex assets, and broader story details and character beats. The series maintains a basic focus on what has brought Ultraman so far yet also demonstrates why it's so closely kin to the original programs (and even more closely kin by the time one gets to the movie). It's evolved but maintains core continuity, a tricky path but one that the whole franchise, and certainly X, accomplishes quite well.

As has been a staple of the franchise, from then to now, most all of the visual effects are comically cartoonish in their practical and now digital constructions, but like the miniatures of yore the fairly lose adherence to absolute realism in today’s dual-wield VFX work only adds to the inherent charm that has permeated the entire series through its decades of entertaining excellence. The miniatures in X are more sophisticated and detailed than ever before, and so they must be under the high definition scrutiny. The collected impact is quite good within the larger Ultraman prism, particularly as one gets into the story and comes to care about the characters and larger narrative world-building rather than watch with a more critical eye to what works and what doesn’t in isolation.

Truth be told, there’s an underlying silliness to the material, even beyond the visual effects. These newer Ultraman series are zanier than their counterparts from the 1960s and 1970s yet still essentially similar at the core. The whole universe, and newer series like Ultraman X, are certainly an acquired taste, and these newer iterations that play to a different era and to a different kind of audience compared to those form decades ago certainly almost require some foundation in the classics to appreciate. There’s obviously an effort to maintain connections of style and presentation basics and X walks that fine line between honoring the past and building its own identity quite nicely.

For a review of Ultraman X: The Movie, please click here.

Ultraman X: The Series + The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Contemporary Ultraman is a such a different experience from legacy Ultraman, at least on the technical end of things. A wider 1.78:1 aspect ratio, digital rather than analogue sourcing, and a bevy of new VFX opportunities make the newer content more readily identifiable and perhaps even more suitable to today's younger viewers and therefore more sustainable in the marketplace. But regardless of the timeframe or the source, Mill Creek has done, and continues to do, a great job across the visually diverse Ultraman spectrum. Ultraman X: The Series is no different. The digitally sourced content looks razor-sharp on Blu-ray, offering high yield textural clarity to human faces and clothes and certainly when it comes to all of the fun details on the various Kaiju and, of course, the seams and material details on the Ultraman suits. The 1080p resolution certainly betrays the extensive use of miniatures, which are necessarily more complex here than in those shaping the series in the past in order to withstand higher scrutiny on larger, and higher resolution, displays. It also shows some of the cracks in the digital workflow, too, rendering some of the iffy computer-based VFX shots looking a little too cartoonish and dated, but as noted in the review body that unmistakable franchise charm is in full effect here. The image is quite attractive in the aggregate, steady in sharpness and taking full advantage of all the 1080p resolution has to offer.

Likewise, the color palette remains a source of excellence, boasting intense fiery oranges as available, pure Ultraman red accents, and plenty of tonal delights in various environments, both natural and manmade, interior and exterior alike. Color splashes that have been added in post to enhance any number of visual effects shots hold brilliant, too. Skin tones appear accurate and black levels never stray too far from true. Light noise and aliasing, the latter often accompanying those aforementioned computer generated effects, are commonplace but not overly distracting. In total, this is a fine video presentation from Mill Creek.

For a video review of Ultraman X: The Movie, please click here, though truth be told the details there differ little from the details here; there's little, if any, structural difference between the two.

Ultraman X: The Series + The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Once again a two-channel lossless DTS Ultraman soundtrack goes well above and beyond the call of duty, offering a very wide, very engaged track that manages to create a sense of spacial awareness and distance, lengthwise for sure but also in sonic depth coming towards the listener. Various sound elements traverse through the two speakers with surprisingly effective engagement. A jet fighter zooms through the stage while a Kaiju rampages about in chapter two of the first episode, the collective elements drawing the listener into the mayhem with impressive definition and activity. Take some holographic constructs forming and disappearing right at the beginning of episode two as another example of how the track at least seems to extend along two axes, not just one. For the otherwise limited output opportunities, this one is loud, on-point, directionally adept, and in command throughout. The entire thing is a treat.

Music is likewise well defined and spacious, perhaps not quite so dominant as the action effects -- even when considering the opening titles -- but certainly well within spec and capable of delivering hearty beats, even in the absence of a subwoofer channel. Add these together and most episodes are a joy, particularly toward the backs when the action usually really takes off. Dialogue is clear and disciplined in prioritization. Center imaging thereof is just about perfect. There is a little structural unevenness, but it's rare. Listen to dialogue at the 3:50 mark of episode one. There's an obvious hollowness to a few words but nothing too jarring. The occasional hiccups are nothing compared to the sheer excitement the rest of the track brings with it.

For an audio review of Ultraman X: The Movie, please click here.

Ultraman X: The Series + The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As has been customary with the Ultraman Blu-ray releases, there is no on-disc supplemental content but Mill Creek has included a small stapled booklet. It's not as robust as those that ship with the classic mainline releases but it does include some hearty information on full color glossy print, including character sketches, a Kaiju character guide (which is a postage stamp-sized picture with the character's name), and an episode guide. The print is fairly small but there's some good info inside. It's a solid primer for newcomers and refresher for vets. It also includes a page on the movie, which offers a synopsis (the same one found on the back of the slipcover) and a couple of trivia tidbits concerning the release and the English dub. Mill Creek has included both a slipcover and a Movie Spree digital copy code.

Ultraman X: The Series + The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mill Creek continues to do fine work with the Ultraman franchise on Blu-ray. Ultraman X: The Series delivers the typically high quality video and audio presentations but again foregoes any bonus content beyond the booklet. But the series is priced right and comes with a solid recommendation.