| Ultraman: The Adventure Begins | |
| Director: | Mitsuo Kusakabe Ray Patterson (supervising) |
| Producer: | Noboru Tsuburaya |
| Starring: | Michael Lembeck Chad Everett Adrienne Barbeau Stacy Keach Sr. |
| Music: | Shinsuke Kazato |
| Editing: | Naoyuki Masaki |
| Studio: | Hanna-Barbera Productions Tsuburaya Productions Studio Sign Ashi Productions |
| Distributor: | Toho |
| Runtime: | 75 minutes |
| Country: | United States Japan |
| Language: | English Japanese |
is a 1987 American-Japanese animated superhero film jointly produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Tsuburaya Productions and animated by both Studio Sign and Ashi Productions. It is the second foreign Ultra Series production overall, and the second foreign Ultraman film after The 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army. Originally intended as a pilot for an animated series, no such series ever emerged and the pilot was made into a full-length film. It was broadcast on television in the United States on October 12, 1987, with a Japanese theatrical release following on April 28, 1989. The costumes based on the three main heroes (the Ultra Team) were made for use in stage shows in Japan.
A stunt pilot trio, the "Flying Angels" (Scott Masterson, Chuck Gavin, and Beth O'Brien), is caught in a bizarre flash of light and crash, only to emerge unharmed. They are later informed by an agent of an interstellar peace-keeping agency (whose secret identity is the groundskeeper at a Pebble Beach golf course) that they have become the hosts to three warriors from the planet Altara in M78 to capture escaped monsters from the destroyed planet Sorkin who have arrived on Earth. They become the Ultra Force, headquartered within Mount Rushmore, and are assisted by a trio of robots (the pint-sized Andy, the strong Samson, and the twitchy Ulysses). Although equipped with futuristic fighter crafts, inevitably one or more of the team is required to transform into an Ultraman, a gigantic red and silver superhuman being, to battle the monsters. After destroying the most powerful Sorkin monster, the constantly growing King Maira, the Ultra Force remains together to combat further threats to Earth.[1] [2] [3]
is an organization formed by a mysterious old man, Walter Freeman. The headquarters is in the basement of the Georgia National Golf Club and there is a mechanic hangar at Mount Rushmore.
The story's young protagonist. Transforms into . 25 years old. Integrated with Ultraman Scott. A character with no eyes on young women. He is pleased with Susan. He is voiced by Michael Lembeck in English and in Japanese dub.
The toughest and oldest of the team and the de facto leader of the Ultra Team. Transforms into, one of the Ultra warriors who came to the earth with other Ultra team members following the Sorkin Monster. 35 years old. Integrated with Ultraman Chuck. Leader rank at the battle scene. He is voiced by Chad Everett in English and in Japanese dub.
The cool-headed female of the team. Transforms into . A woman Ultra fighter who came to the earth with another Ultra Team member following the Sorkin Monster. 26 years old. Integrated with Ultra Woman Beth. She attends a dance class on a holiday. She is voiced by Adrienne Barbeau in English and in Japanese dub.
A group of support robots built to assist the Ultra Force. Their true names were too long for the team to remember, so they were given nicknames by Scott (who came up with "Ulysses" and "Samson") and Beth (who came up with "Andy"). The initials in their names form the letters "USA".
The thin and effeminate robot in orange. His true name is Combot Model MF842. He is voiced by William Callaway in English and in Japanese dub.
The big and strong robot in blue. His true name is Combot Model BA666. He is voiced by Ronnie Schell in English and in Japanese dub.
The pint-sized robot in red. His true name is Utiloid Model ZQ14582. In charge of the Transportation System. He is voiced by Charlie Adler in English and in Japanese dub.
An elderly man in his late 60s who forms the Ultra Force. He explains to the heroes the true cause of their accident and the origins of their powers. His relation to the Ultra beings and how he knows about them is never revealed. He is voiced by Stacy Keach, Sr. in English and in the Japanese dub.
A young scientist from the Federation for Extraterrestrial Research (or F.E.R. Labs). She has sympathy towards the Sorkin Monsters fought by the Ultra Force. She gets romantically connected with Scott. She is voiced by Lorna Patterson English and in Japanese dub.
Ultra Force's mother ship. Equipped with three Ultra Jets. In the game against King Mylar, it is possible to collect sunlight by supplementing it with the parabola installed on the Ultra team that was running out of energy or to carry the Ultra Team to the outside of the atmosphere. Vertical takeoff and landing is possible with the wing engine.
A fighter that Scott and others pilot it. The flight speed is Mach 7.3. Equipped with anti-monster missiles and a laser. The canopy painted in Scott's jet is blue, Beth's jet is red and Chuck's jet is yellow.
The three Ultra warriors are from in Nebula M78.
One of the Ultra warriors who came from the M78 Nebula which came to Earth following the Sorkin Monster. It became a one-sided entity living in Captain Scott Masterson of the American Air Force's acrobat flight team, initially able to transform himself during a crisis, but also became able to transform on his own will in the middle. Having a buckle with a blue star shape in the abdomen, when the solar energy decreases, the beam lamp on the forehead flashes from blue to red and issues a warning sound. He threw Garuballade at power plants, etc., and they are good at the somewhat rough fighting way. He is voiced by Michael Lembeck in English and Tōru Furuya in Japanese dub.
A group of rays that gathers energy of the granite, combines both hands in a cross and releases it. Although it is a common technique of the 3 warriors, only Scott used it alone. If three people shoot at the same time will increase its power.
Condensed energy discharged from the waist buckle and thrown into the light bulb. It damaged the main Im of the Garuballade.
A technique to make the granular energy into a circular saw and throw it. He threw it in two consecutive angles to the Im damaged by the Ultra Energy Ball and it split into four. Then he gave out the Granium Rays and extinguished the Im.
After assembling the arms in the opposite shape to the Granium Ray, it is a yellow ray that shoots like a strip from the left hand he stood. It emanates on the Zoon wrapped in Ultraman Chuck's "Ultra Bubble Beam" and pushes it towards the Andromeda Nebula's planet M11.
A counterattack to an enemy approaching at high speed.
A technique to throw away the opponent with a mighty power. He threw away a huge Garuballade boasting a body length of 150m or more from the city of San Francisco to the Alcatraz Island in the offing.
After rushing at a tremendous speed, with a meatball skill that hits the whole body weight against the enemy, it has the power to blow huge enemies by hundreds of meters. They extended out of the air towards the third form of King Myra who had destroyed the city area of New York and temporarily broke it.
Like Scott, Captain Chuck Gavin, one of the Flying Angels, and became one and the same. It is close to the command tower that dealt with things calmly and instructs the other two people. When the solar energy decreases, the beam lamp on the forehead flashes from blue to red and issues a warning sound. He is voiced by Chad Everett in English and Shinji Ogawa in Japanese dub.
An energy beam that creates a bubble around a monster to transport them through space.
Just like the other two, who lived in Lieutenant Beth O'Brien at Flying Angels. When the solar energy decreases, the beam lamp on the forehead flashes from blue to red and issues a warning sound. At the time the movie was released in Japan she was known as Ultra Woman. She is voiced by Adrienne Barbeau in English and Hiromi Tsuru in Japanese dub.[4]
A laser weapon she can fire from her hands when she is above a body of water.
Attack attacking enemies with hand-swords while releasing energy from the body to the hand. She quickly tore up the tentacles of Green Shocks.
A strong technique that throws enemies many times higher than herself.
The are from in Nebula M78.
is a vegetation monster. Has accelerated regeneration and powerful vines.
is an electronic machinery monster. Superficially resembles a crystal ball (with a creature face in the center) and uses scrap metal from machinery to construct itself a monster body. The ball phase, standing on its long spinal tail, is called (pronounced "eem").
is a friendly, dragon-like monster of stout stature. Zoon landed in Utah, where his presence at a ski resort caused the US Military to confront him. Fortunately, Ultraman Chuck intervened and guided him back to space, sending him on his way to a new home.
is the most powerful of the Sorkin Monsters. He can double his size every 90 minutes without limit. He can also become invisible. His initial infant form is actually small and adorable. The Ultra Force had the most difficult time with him as his increased growth spurts resulted in deadlier abilities used against them.
| Character | English | Japanese | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Masterson/Ultraman Scott | Michael Lembeck | Tōru Furuya | |
| Chuck Gavin/Ultraman Chuck | Chad Everett | Shinji Ogawa | |
| Lt. Beth O'Brien / Ultrawoman Beth | Adrienne Barbeau | Hiromi Tsuru | |
| Walter Freeman | Stacy Keach, Sr. | Kōhei Miyauchi | |
| Andy | Charlie Adler | Kyoko Yamada | |
| Old Lady | Adrienne Alexander | Unknown | |
| Woman | |||
| Ulysses | William Callaway | Isamu Tanonaka | |
| Clarinetist | Al Fann | Unknown | |
| Paramedic | |||
| General Cooper | Ed Gilbert | Takeshi Aono | |
| Newsman | Robert David Hall | Unknown | |
| Scientist | |||
| Colonel Baldinger/Colonel Bodinger | Allan Lurie | Masaharu Satō | |
| Dr. Susan Rand | Lorna Patterson | Rihoko Yoshida | |
| Cajun | Peter Renaday | Unknown | |
| Paramedic | |||
| Samson | Ronnie Schell | Hiroshi Ōtake | |
| Mark Watkins | Mark L. Taylor | Kaneto Shiozawa | |
| Aide | Vince Trankina | Unknown | |
| Doctor #2 | |||
| Photographer | |||
| Dr. Philby | Les Tremayne | Yasuo Tanaka |
The music was composed by Shinsuke Kazato and released by Nippon Columbia. The soundtrack was released as a limited edition printing of 5,000 copies.
Ultraman USA was released in Japan by Bandai Home Video on VHS (Japanese dub only) on September 29, 1989 and on LaserDisc (bilingual) on July 25, 1991.[5] [6] In North America, a VHS was released by Ultra Action Video and L.A. Hero Inc. on June 2, 1993.[7] [8]
Tsubaraya announced that Bandai Visual will release a remastered version of the film on Blu-ray in Japan on September 26, 2018.[9] [10] [11]
古谷徹, 小川真治, 鶴ひろみ, 吉田理保子, 宮内幸平, 田中康郎: ビデオ]
. 29 September 1989.