I make no bones about the fact that I'm not at all an expert when it comes to Japanese masked heroes. There are an awful lot of them, most of which are produced as cheap knock offs of more successful and popular characters and I've just never had the time or inclination to wade through the bad stuff to find the gems. So don't ask me about Kamen Rider or it's legion of clones, because I just don't know. The one exception to this, is Ultraman.
The original and still the best of the lot, Ultraman is a true classic. For proof of the character's staying power all you have to do is come over to my house and ask my boy what he thinks about giant monsters. Sure, he's down with Godzilla, too, but for quality kaiju action Ultraman is where it's at. New monsters with every week, lots of action and a hero that's truly larger than life. What more could you want? Well, how about a movie starring every incarnation Ultraman has ever had? There are eight of 'em, folks, eight distinct Ultramen, each with their own unique quirks, and when a crisis pops up too big for any one of them to handle alone they're all join together to save the world. Or so goes the premise of Ultraman 2008.
The latest theatrical installment of the long running classic franchise hits Japanese theaters in September and they've just released a brand new, full length theatrical trailer on the film's official website. This thing looks like buckets of building stomping, rubbery giant monster fun. Buckets, I say! You can now find the trailer below the break in the Twitch Player.
Ultraman was my favorite when I was a kido.
I have not seen any Ultraman films or series, but that new trailer is very cool, and I hope some distributor acquires the film for US consumption. I have seen many Godzilla films, and scores of 70's era superrobot anime series,Gatchaman and many other monster fighting series, so I suspect it will not be hard for me to get the concept.
Great, actually. Good budget, many ultramen. Lots of fireball shooting and crunching buildings. what could be better?
Wasn't Spectraman a Chinese Ultraman rip off?
No actually I believe Spectraman came first or around the same time and was Japanese. Spectraman should go over big now with the Enviro-Green Nazi's as all the stories were about Tokyo's terrible pollution problems spawing monsters. Danny Lee did star in a Shaw Bros Chinese ripoff in the mid 1970's called Inframan but his look in the movie was then blatently ripped off by the Power Rangers. Lot's of ripping off in the orient but Spectraman was not one of them.
Spectreman is my favorite!!!I collect the toys.I'd love to see a new version.Your right Shatner now is a perfect time to bring Spectreman back with the whole save the earth thing being popular..Plus Dr.Gori is hands down the coolest lookin villian.An ape with a blonde wig & pink pantsuit.
SPECTREMAN was a 1971 Japanese TV series from P-Productions. The character was clearly inspired by Tsuburaya Productions' ULTRAMAN, who was introduced back in 1966.
The Twitch article mentions that there are "eight distinct Ultramen" and that DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS stars "every incarnation Ultraman has ever had", but there have been well over 30 Ultramen (and women) introduced since the original show. The new movie features the lead Ultramen from the first 4 series (ULTRAMAN to ULTRAMAN ACE), the Ultramen from three shows from the 1990s (TIGA, DYNA, GAIA) and ULTRAMAN MEBIUS, the star of the last TV series.