Ultraman: The Adventure Begins Explained

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.

Plot

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]

Characters

Ultra Force

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.

Members
MechaUltra Force has a mecha used to defend the Earth against the Sorkin monsters.

Ultras

Ultraman Scott

One of the Ultra fighters 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 "Flying Angels", 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 in Japanese dub.

Stats
Weapons

Ultraman Chuck

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 in Japanese dub.

Stats
Weapons

Ultrawoman Beth

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 in Japanese dub.[4]

Stats
Weapons

The Sorkin Monsters

Green Shocks

The vegetation monster. Has accelerated regeneration and powerful vines.

Stats

Garuballade

The 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 the Im (pronounced "eem").

Stats

Zoon

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.

Stats

King Myra

The most powerful of the Sorkin beasts. A "super transformation" monster who can double his size every 90 minutes without limit. He can also become invisible. His initial infant form (Wylon) 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.

Stats

Voice cast

CharacterEnglishJapanese
Scott Masterson/Ultraman ScottMichael LembeckTōru Furuya
Chuck Gavin/Ultraman ChuckChad EverettShinji Ogawa
Lt. Beth O'Brien / Ultrawoman BethAdrienne BarbeauHiromi Tsuru
Walter FreemanStacy Keach, Sr.Kōhei Miyauchi
AndyCharlie AdlerKyoko Yamada
Old LadyAdrienne AlexanderUnknown
Woman
UlyssesWilliam CallawayIsamu Tanonaka
ClarinetistAl FannUnknown
Paramedic
General CooperEd GilbertTakeshi Aono
NewsmanRobert David HallUnknown
Scientist
Colonel Baldinger/Colonel BodingerAllan LurieMasaharu Satō
Dr. Susan RandLorna PattersonRihoko Yoshida
CajunPeter RenadayUnknown
Paramedic
SamsonRonnie SchellHiroshi Ōtake
Mark WatkinsMark L. TaylorKaneto Shiozawa
AideVince TrankinaUnknown
Doctor #2
Photographer
Dr. PhilbyLes TremayneYasuo Tanaka

Crew

Music

Songs

Main theme
Image theme

Soundtrack

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.

Home media

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]

Other appearances

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. 以上の内容はBook: 円谷英明 . 2013 . ウルトラマンが泣いている 円谷プロの失敗 . . 講談社現代新書 . 81–83 . 第三章 厚かった「海外進出」の壁 . 978-4-06-288215-6 . より。
  2. 『大怪獣バトル ウルトラ銀河伝説 THE MOVIE』劇場パンフレットにおける坂本浩一監督のインタビューより。
  3. 二見書房『懐かしのヒーロー ウルトラマン99の謎』(著:青柳宇井郎・赤星政尚)p.123の記述より。ただし実際にはアメリカのヒーロー作品においてマントを付けずに空を飛ぶキャラクターは決して少なくはない。
  4. 「週刊ウルトラマンオフィシャルデータファイル」の記載より。ソフビ人形の初期発売分には「ウルトラマンベス」の刻印が足裏にある。1990年代中頃のウルトラマンフェスティバルのチラシからウルトラウーマンベスの表記が使用されている。
  5. Web site: Amazon.co.jp: ウルトラマンUSA [VHS]

    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.
  6. Web site: LaserDisc Database - Ultraman: The Adventure Begins [BELL-419]].
  7. Book: Amazon.com: Ultraman - The Adventure Begins [VHS]: Peter Fernandez, Earl Hammond, William Kiehl, Peggy Lobbin, Corinne Orr: Movies & TV. 6302737931.
  8. http://hobby.dengeki.com/news/578989/ 『ウルトラマンUSA』27年ぶりに復活!幻の日米合作アニメが、鮮やかな映像でファン待望のブルーレイ化!!
  9. Web site: ファン待望!幻の名作が鮮やかな映像で27年ぶりに復活!日米合作アニメ作品『ウルトラマンUSA』Blu-ray発売決定 2018年9月26日(水)発売. 31 May 2018 .
  10. Web site: 権利者を捜しています 公益社団法人著作権情報センター CRIC. 2018-04-14.
  11. Web site: (タイトル無し). 2018-04-14. 公益社団法人著作権情報センター.