Shin Ultraman: NZIFF Review  

Both insanely bonkers and also dramatically engaging, the wry Shin Ultraman mixes both tongue-in-cheek moments with the slick ideas of a superhero style Kaiju mash up.

When Japan's invaded by yet another marauding beast, it falls to the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol (SSSP) to try and save the day. But as they investigate further, Ultraman's involvement in proceedings sends the subsequent examination into another realm that no-one could have expected.

Wry humour is the key to Shin Ultraman's success - and while the movie may occasionally feel a little bloated in its near two hour run time (particularly in its back half), the script works well to have you invest in characters and their deadpan delivery of almost inane dialogue at times.

Focussing on universal workplace themes such as tension between new work buddies and prospective partners, Shin Ultraman offers as much destruction and carnage as a Marvel movie throws at every conclusion, but ends feeling strangely moving and less hollow than the usual CGI fare.

Shin Ultraman may be controlled and measured sci-fi, but it does loss some impact due to its duration and perhaps an affectation catering more to an audience au fait with the Ultraman series.

Solid effects and a reliance on practical work rather than bloated CGI machinations work ultimately well for Shin Ultraman. However, while it's here for a good time, and an occasionally long time, a little more expeditious editing of Shin Ultraman may have made it a truly impressive and engaging spectacle throughout.