Movie REVIEW: Ultraman Blazar the Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown

While the Ultraman franchise has carved out a clear plan for worldwide exposure over the past few years, there were times where it ran the risk of being a little too predictable for longtime fans. Then following a string of series where paying tribute to the past seemed to be a primary factor (whether it be the gimmicks and continuity of the New Generation Heroes or the "reimagining" approach of Trigger and Decker), Ultraman Blazar came along and tore up the playbook - featuring a fresh take on its hero that wasn't quite as tied to the show's history. And though its now firm tradition for an Ultraman series to end with a big screen movie adventure, Ultraman Blazar the Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown is similarly unfazed by its predecessors. Though released in Japan back in February 2024, unlike other recent Ultraman movies this was not made available worldwide through Ultraman Connection - with English-speaking fans having to wait for the recent complete series blu-ray release from Mill Creek Entertainment for it's official subtitled (and dubbed) release.

Following an unusual wave of kaiju attacks, SKaRD are tasked with conducting an independent investigation into these events. Suspecting a link, they take a visit to Necromass Co. - a chemical company that researches and disposes of kaiju waste. There they meet Dr. Ichiro Mabuse, who presents them with damudoxin - a nanomachine with the potential for immortality.

However their conversation is interrupted by the appearance of Alien Damuno, who demands that Necromass destroy the damudoxin or they will launch missiles in retaliation. As SKaRD rush to retrieve the substance, chaos ensues and it leaks from its containers - combining with kaiju remains to create the demonic chimera monster Gongilgan. The true identity of Alien Damuno adds further complications, and as Gongilgan rampages toward Tokyo it's up to SKaRD and Blazar to save Japan.

With the exception of Ultraman Z, there has been a movie to round off every series of Ultraman since Ultraman Ginga S all the way back in 2015. In that time these films have developed a pretty consistent pattern, one which sees our heroes face their biggest threat yet in a story that acts as both epilogue to the show and effectively a goodbye to the series itself. For the most part, they've also thrown in crossovers with previous Ultras as well. Ultraman Blazar however made a point of setting itself apart from previous series, recapturing the mystery of its titular hero as well as creating a standalone series that works perfectly as someone's first Ultraman experience. As such that previously mentioned pattern simply just wouldn't work for a Blazar movie, and as such director Kiyotaka Taguchi opted to take a different route with Tokyo Kaiju Showdown. Rather than act as a large scale finale, the film instead feels more like an extended episode of the series - using the extended running time and big-screen status to flesh out the story and visuals, but otherwise crafting an adventure that doesn't feel quite as removed from what we've previously seen.

Having previously approached Blazar as potentially being someone's first exposure to Ultraman, Taguchi takes it one step further here and also approaches Tokyo Kaiju Showdown as potentially being someone's first exposure to Blazar. This isn't just apparent in how the plot is fairly standalone with as little reference to the show's events as is needed - the film open with a 12-minute recap of the series and even features its usual opening credit sequence. Even with the more down-to-Earth approach the film takes it comes off as a little much, as it still feels like the best place to start with Blazar would be at the very beginning. While the story here might work as a standalone thing, all the development these characters have had comes from the series - why wouldn't you want to experience that first?

What Tokyo Kaiju Showdown does have in common with its parent series though are the same core themes and messages - particularly that of fatherhood. Gento's family were a constant present throughout Ultraman Blazar, and that is a thread that hasn't been lost here. Sadly while both Satoko and Jun do make appearances here, they do feel somewhat underused as it's more the idea of them that's used here rather than their actual presence. Gento's role as a father is paralleled with that of Mabuse, who the media hails as an "ideal father" but we learn isn't quite the case. Later developments in the story also draw parallels to Emi's relationship with her father, though only in passing so possibly not to make too make too many connections with the series' backstory. The idea of kaiju remains being used for experimentation is also expanded upon, tying previous developments from the GGF's Special Equipment Research Center back to Necromass. So even with the notion that the film should work as a standalone, there are little bits of world-building to add to the overall Blazar experience.

Mabuse's relationship with his son Yuuki is at the very core of the film, in turn revealing it as the kind of story that will be all too familiar to longtime Ultraman fans. As well as dealing with the emotional turmoil Yuuki feels from their strained relationship, the story reflects upon and criticises the way adults treat the world - making a poignant message within a story about a boy who ultimately just misses his father. There are times when emotions run high, but at the same time it doesn't feel like anything the franchise hasn't done before elsewhere. This is where it could have really benefitted from more involvement from Gento's family, as the added dynamic of him being a family man is the element that does make Blazar stand out. Jun has a very small semblance of a subplot in the film, but it's just a few brief scenes and then a nice little moment to close the movie out on. Had it been somehow intertwined with the main story then both would have benefitted, particularly given that Blazar's strongest episodes were often the ones that had more focus on his family.

But where the story is lacking the visuals are there to pick up the slack, with Tokyo Kaiju Showdown combining the unique qualities of Blazar's fight sequences with the bigger scope that comes with a feature length production. Each of the film's two major action set pieces have their own unique selling points, with the opening pitting SKaRD against human-sized kaiju alongside Blazar and Earth Garon's battles, while the climax sees the film live up to its name as Gongilgan brings the action to Japan's capital. Through this we get to see Tsuburaya bring a touch more realism to their usually impressive miniature sets, with the National Diet Building having been envisioned as a centrepiece from the film's inception. Though again Tokyo Kaiju Showdown might not necessarily be bringing anything new to the table here, the staging and attention to detail (both of which are of course to Ultraman's usually high standard) are enough for this not to matter. As is the fact that Blazar as a character is incredibly fun to watch in general - whether it's him hiding behind buildings to sneak up on monsters with a swift knee to the face or getting interrupted during his post-transformation posing. Similarly Earth Garon really shines in the film as well - while its overall win-to-lose ratio isn't really affected the SKaRD robot still manages to dish out just as much as it takes, particularly in the final battle against Gongilgan.

But although the more "adventure of the week" format means a lack of usual movie staples like new alternate forms (not that Blazar ever did much with that) or new/evil Ultras, it still offers plenty of new kaiju goodness with Gongilgan - a creature that does feel like a good way to endcap the series. Again kaiju chimera might not be new territory for Ultraman, but in a series that made a conscientious effort to feature lots of new monsters it feels rather fitting. Not only a great design, but the multiple forms help paint it as a much larger threat worthy of taking centre stage here. The touch of gore in the final battle is also very Ultraman - the kind that seems a lot rarer nowadays but feels straight out of the franchise's early days

Ultraman Blazar the Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown forgoes the usual large-scale finale to tell a slightly more personal story - one that fits with the themes of show the wonderfully but unfortunately leaves the film feeling more like an extended version of a regular episode than potentially the last time we'll see most of these characters. The subject of fatherhood and the parallels that can be drawn from Genta's relationship with Jun are the ideal things for the film to tackle, but it sadly doesn't utilise the characters well enough or bring anything particularly new to the table. It does however make up for it in visuals, with a fantastic climax that really highlights everything Ultraman has to offer in terms of spectacle. Tokyo Kaiju Showdown might not have been the finale Blazar necessarily deserved, but it nevertheless fits.