Ultraman X: Here He Comes! Our Ultraman Blu-ray Review

The 1080p video transfer of "Ultraman X: Here He Comes! Our Ultraman" delivers a visually engaging experience, maintaining a 1.78:1 aspect ratio throughout. Drawing directly from its digital source, the film offers sharp and highly detailed imagery that is consistent with its TV series counterpart. Despite sporadic noise, light banding, and compression artifacts, the picture maintains impressive clarity, especially evident in intricate human facial features and elaborate costume design elements. The practical environments, such as Xio headquarters and various real-world locales, display superb detail, from set construction to nuanced prop designs. Close-up shots of the Ultra and Kaiju costumes are particularly notable for their sharpness, highlighting the meticulous craftsmanship behind the scaly skins, tentacles, and horns of Kaiju, and the familiar streamlined designs of the Ultra suits.

Color presentation is another high point, with impressively deep and nuanced tones. Classic Ultraman hues burst with quality, augmented by new vibrant shades that bring a fresh dazzle to the screen. Battle scenes transform into visual spectacles of balanced, brilliant tones, with practical and digital effects merging seamlessly to enhance the action. Primaries sparkle with saturation, maintaining brightness without lagging, even in darker scenes. The final night-time battle showcases gorgeously dense black levels that contrast vividly with bright lasers, explosions, and sparks, ensuring the fight sequences remain visually compelling. Flesh tones appear full and natural throughout, rounding off a job well done by the production team.

Overall, while minor issues like sporadic noise and macroblocking are present, the high-res digital source ensures details pop impressively. Wide shots of miniature cityscapes look spectacular, with dirt and wear on practical effects adding an authentic touch despite Blu-ray's scrutiny. Scenes featuring Ultraman enveloped in rainbow-like auras confirm the film's excellent color intensity. Mill Creek's efforts are commendable, delivering a video presentation that effectively brings the vivid world of Ultraman X to life.

The audio presentation of "Ultraman X: Here He Comes! Our Ultraman" on Blu Ray is a prime example of exceptional two-channel audio engineering. The native Japanese DTS-HD Master 2.0 lossless soundtrack is particularly impressive, boasting an energetic and exuberant audio performance. Utilizing the full potential of its stereo setup, it achieves a sense of space and detail that rivals more complex systems. Action scenes are filled with immersive and chaotic sound effects, delivering thunderous low-end power often associated with monster steps, missiles, and explosions. While primarily stereo, the track provides surprising depth and lower-end content that captivates, even in the absence of a designated subwoofer channel.

Adding to the technical prowess, the release includes an English dub soundtrack that mirrors the Japanese track's aggressive spacing and engaging audio landscape. The stereo mix shines in both versions, offering a wide channel split that enhances fight sequences and maintains clear dialogue across the board. The iconic original sound effects during the appearance of the first Ultraman are preserved, providing a nostalgic touch that diehard fans will appreciate. Both language tracks effectively leverage atmospheric elements – whether subtle or grandiose – ensuring an immersive and satisfying listening experience throughout the film.

The Blu Ray release of "Ultraman X: Here He Comes! Our Ultraman" offers a straightforward package with no supplemental content, making it clear that this edition focuses solely on delivering the main feature. Mill Creek has included a MovieSpree digital copy code, allowing for convenient digital access. However, it lacks additional physical extras such as DVD or slipcover. For those interested in a more comprehensive offering, purchasing the set that includes the full TV series might be more beneficial, as the standalone disc offers limited added value. The Blu-ray transfer appears identical across different packages, ensuring a consistent viewing experience.

Extras included in this disc:

MovieSpree Digital Copy Code: Allows digital access to the film.

(Note: This is based on the input reviews which indicated minimal extra content.)

Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of 'Ultraman X: The Movie' serves as a nostalgic yet formulaic continuation of the beloved Ultraman franchise. Celebrating 50 years of Ultraman with a blend of recognizable elements from anime, manga, and superhero tropes, the movie promises a familiar yet unremarkable experience. The plot centers on a reality TV host inadvertently releasing a monster named Zaigorg, triggering an Ultraman trio to prevent global chaos. While this cinematic endeavor offers the excitement of Kaiju battles and action-packed sequences, it often feels like an extended episode rather than a distinct movie experience.

Technically, the film doesn’t push boundaries; it delivers what’s expected within the confines of the franchise's established conventions. The visual effects are consistent with TV production quality, offering little to elevate the spectacle to cinematic standards. With its brisk runtime barely extending over an hour, 'Ultraman X: The Movie' dives straight into action, leaving limited room for character development or deeper story arcs. The inclusion of the original Ultraman serves as a respectful nod to the series’ origins but doesn't significantly enhance the narrative.

Ultimately, 'Ultraman X: The Movie' is a solid addition for fans who appreciate the franchise's steadfast adherence to its roots. Its strengths lie in adhering to familiar formulas and providing a nostalgic viewing experience. However, its inability to deliver a truly groundbreaking or cinematic experience may leave some audience members feeling underwhelmed. It's a moderate celebration of Ultraman's legacy, offering comfort food for long-time fans rather than ambitious storytelling or innovative visuals.

"Ultraman X: Here He Comes! Our Ultraman" on Blu-ray presents a mixed offering that balances nostalgic appeal with strong technical execution. For fans of the Ultraman series, the movie carries historical significance as it was the first in the franchise to receive a theatrical release in the United States. Additionally, the inclusion of the original Ultraman character increases its value as a piece of franchise history. However, the film itself follows the well-trodden path typical of Tsuburaya Productions, which may leave longtime followers feeling it is more of the same rather than anything groundbreaking. The narrative and production don’t quite live up to the spectacle expected for a franchise milestone like the 50th anniversary.

Technically, Mill Creek's Blu-ray delivers on both video and audio fronts with high-quality presentations that showcase the movie effectively. Despite its visual and auditory strengths, the disc is completely devoid of special features, which is a missed opportunity to enhance the fan experience. Given the standalone price, it becomes hard to recommend this individual release over purchasing it as part of the TV series boxed set, which offers greater value for a slightly higher investment.

In summary, "Ultraman X: Here He Comes! Our Ultraman" is a moderate entry in the Ultraman catalog that will likely resonate more with dedicated fans than with casual viewers. The film’s historical importance and the quality of the Blu-ray’s technical presentation are commendable, but its overall lack of innovation and absence of extras are limitations. While not essential viewing, it is worth checking out, especially as part of a more comprehensive package.