ULTRAMAN X: SERIES (2015)+ MOVIE (2016)
Label: Mill Creek Entertainment
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 732 Minutes
Audio: Japanese & English Dub DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (.78:1)
Directors: Kiyotaka Taguchi, Koichi Sakamoto, Takanori Tsujimoto, Yusuke Murakami, Yuichi Abe, Suguru Tomita
Cast: Kensuke Takahashi, Akane Sakanoue, Yoshihiko Hosoda, Ukyo Matsumoto, Hayato Harada, Haruka Momokawa, Takeru, Chiaki Seshimo, Sarara Tsukifume, Yuu Kamio
Synopsis: Ultraman X was originally released in 2015. When a massive “Ultra Flare” from the sun envelops the earth, Spark Dolls buried underground and undersea are turned into monsters. In order to deal with the sudden outbreak of marauding creatures, mankind forms Xio, a special defense team equipped with the latest in super-science. 15 years later, Xio is engaged in battle against a monster when team member Daichi Ozora hears a mysterious voice say, “Unite! If you and I join together, you will fight that monster with one heart, one mind!” He agrees, merging with a giant of light to become Ultraman X!
If you're a fan of the more recent series of Ultraman I think you will find that Ultraman X (2015) is more of the same, in a good way. We have giant-sized superhero(s) battling bad aliens and 100-foot tall kaiju creatures with all sorts of cosmic lore and sci-fi action. As I have said many times when reviewing these series I much prefer the vintage original series over the modern incarnation of the series, they all feel a bit too much like the Powers Rangers for my tastes, but I can still enjoy the kaiju action, I just don't pay attention to the story all that much. The story as I understood it is that there's an Earth protection team known as Xio who protect the planet from the kaiju creatures which appear from time to time, or episode to episode to be exact. A key member of Xio is Daichi (Kensuke Takahashi) who can unite with Ultraman X through a device wherein his disembodied form exists. The kaiju of this particular series are derived from the Ultra Flare, which somehow activated "spark dolls" to grown into giant-sized kaiju creatures, and the spark dolls are literally little toy action figures, which I thought was very silly, but it is a kids show.
The action comes fast and furious in the series, lots of kaiju of all sorts, some are cool-looking, some not-so-much, but th city-stomping miniatures and destruction are pretty great. Lots of digital effects to showcase Ultraman X's special movies, some of which are a rainbow of colors, giving it a Hello Kitty/Lisa Frank vibrancy that definitely lets you know this is aimed for the youngsters. That said the action and creatures are pretty cool, and Ultraman X and the various Ultraman incarnations that show up are also pretty darn cool.
Audio/Video: Ultramna X and it's accompanying film arrives on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment on a 6-disc set framed in 1.78:1 1080p HD with audio coming by way of Japanese or English-dubbed DTS-HD MA stereo with optional English subtitles. .
As extra goes we don;t get a lot, just the Ultraman X (2016) film which runs about 71-long, featuring Ultraman X teaming-up with Ultraman, Ultraman Zero, Ultraman Max, Ultraman Victory, Ultraman Ginga, Ultraman Nexus and Ultraman Tiga to battle the kaiju Zaigorg. It's solid stuff, if you dig the series it's gotta a lot of what you love about it without the confusing threads, in a self-contained story that keeps things brisk and action-packed,
The six-disc set arrives in an oversized keepcase, inside the the discs are utilizing two trays, all the discs have different Ultramen in various cyber armors, which is cool. Inside there's a 10-page booklet detailing the seven Ultramen and their armor changes and special moves, all 25 kaiju featured, a detailed episode guide for all 24-episodes, and a synopsis for the Ultraman X film. There is is also a digital redemption code for the movieSPREE streaming service for the series and film.
This release has got a cool looking artwork wrap featuring five of the Ultraman incarnations, plus a slipcover with plenty of cool Ultraman imagery.
Mill Creek have been killing it with these Ultraman sets and this is no different, still extra light on the extras but the presentation and packaging are solid, and it looks great on the shelf. You can pick this up right now on Amazon for about $20, which is a bargain, and you can buy the series and movie separate if that's something you're looking for, but at this price it;s be most cost effective just to purchase the whole set.
