Ultraman: The Adventure Begins


Ultraman: The Adventure Begins 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 were made for use in stage shows in Japan.

Plot

A stunt pilot trio, the "Flying Angels", 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 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. 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.

Characters

Ultra Force

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.
; MembersScott Masterson: The story's young protagonist. Transforms into Ultraman Scott. 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 Tōru Furuya in Japanese dub.Chuck Gavin: The toughest and oldest of the team and the de facto leader of the Ultra Team. Transforms into Ultraman Chuck, 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 Shinji Ogawa in Japanese dub.Beth O'Brien: The cool-headed female of the team. Transforms into Ultrawoman Beth. 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 Hiromi Tsuru in Japanese dub.The Robot Trio: 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 and Beth. The initials in their names form the letters "USA".
  • * Ulysses: The thin and effeminate robot in orange. His true name is Combot Model MF842. He is voiced by William Callaway in English and Isamu Tanonaka in Japanese dub.
  • * Samson: The big and strong robot in blue. His true name is Combot Model BA666. He is voiced by Ronnie Schell in English and Hiroshi Ōtake in Japanese dub.
  • * Andy: 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 Fushigi Yamada in Japanese dub.Walter Freeman: 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 Kōhei Miyauchi in the Japanese dub.Dr. Susan Rand: A young scientist from the Federation for Extraterrestrial Research. 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 Rihoko Yoshida in Japanese dub.
; Mecha
Ultra Force has a mecha used to defend the Earth against the Sorkin Monsters. Ultra Force Headquarters: Located in the basement of the Georgia National Golf Club and there is a mechanic hangar at Mount Rushmore.Mothership: 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.Ultra Jets: 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.

Ultras

The three Ultra warriors are from Planet Altara in Nebula M78.

Ultraman Scott

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 "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 Tōru Furuya in Japanese dub.
; Stats
  • Height: 269 feet
  • Weight: 64.000 Tons
  • Flight Speed: Mach 24
; WeaponsGranium Light Ray: 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 Ultra Synchro Beam will increase its power.Ultra Energy Ball: Condensed energy discharged from the waist buckle and thrown into the light bulb. It damaged the main Im of the Garuballade.Ultra Slicer: 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.Ultra Push Beam: 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.Triple Power: A counterattack to an enemy approaching at high speed.Ultra Throw: 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.Ultra Attack: 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.

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 Shinji Ogawa in Japanese dub.
; Stats
  • Height: 259 feet
  • Weight: 68.000 Tons
  • Flight Speed: Mach 22
; WeaponsGranium Light Ray: The Plus style laser weapon.Ultra Bubble Beam: An energy beam that creates a bubble around a monster to transport them through space.

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 Hiromi Tsuru in Japanese dub.
; Stats
  • Height: 249 feet
  • Weight: 54.000 Tons
  • Flight Speed: Mach 23
; WeaponsGranium Light Ray: The Plus style laser weapon.Ultra Spout: A laser weapon she can fire from her hands when she is above a body of water.Ultra Chop: Attack attacking enemies with hand-swords while releasing energy from the body to the hand. She quickly tore up the tentacles of Green Shocks.Ultra Power: A strong technique that throws enemies many times higher than herself.

The Sorkin Monsters

The Sorkin Monsters are from Planet Sorkin in Nebula M78.

Green Shocks

Plant Monster Green Shocks is a vegetation monster. Has accelerated regeneration and powerful vines.
; Stats
  • Height: 328 feet
  • Weight: 30,000 tons

Garuballade

Electromagnetic Monster Garuballade is an electronic machinery monster. Superficially resembles a crystal ball and uses scrap metal from machinery to construct itself a monster body. The ball phase, standing on its long spinal tail, is called Electromagnetic Ball Beast Im.
; Stats
  • Height: 300 feet
  • Weight: 91,000 tons

Zoon

Comical Child Monster Zoon 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.
; Stats
  • Height: 114 feet
  • Weight: 35,000 tons

King Myra

Super Transforming Monster King Myra 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 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
  • Height: Infinite in growth
  • Weight: Infinite in growth

Crew

  • Director: Mitsuo Kusakabe
  • Screenplay: John Eric Seward
  • Character design: Kazuo Iimura
  • Hero design: Hitoshi Yoshida
  • Mechanic design: Tomohiko Sato
  • Monster design: Keita Amemiya, Hirotoshi Murayama, Chisato Sugiura
  • Art director: Akira Furuya
  • Color: Koji Wakai, Yuko Koshiba
  • Drawing directors: Kazuo Iimura, Osamu Tsuruyama, Yuuki Kudo, Nobuyoshi Habara
  • Storyboards: Seiji Okuda, Satoshi Nagao, Mitsuo Kusakabe, Toshio Ohba
  • Cinematographer: Toshiaki Morita
  • Editor: Naoki Masaki
  • Sound director: Noriyoshi Matsuura
  • Japanese version directed by: Riku Matsukawa
  • Sound effects: Swara Productions
  • Development: Tokyo Development Office
  • Music: Shingo Futo
  • Music producer: Hidetoshi Kimura
  • Creative producers: Jeff Segal, Kelly Ward
  • Supervising director: Ray Patterson
  • Production supervisor: Ken Mimura
  • Creative design: Iwao Takamoto
  • Key character design: Floro Dery
  • Key background supervisor: Al Gmuer
  • Editorial supervisor: Larry Cowan
  • Voice director: Gordon Hunt
  • Animation casting director: Andrea Romano
  • Talent coordinator: Kris Zimmerman
  • Executive producer: Jane Barbera
  • Executive coordinator: Kiyotaka Ukawa
  • Associate producer: Shizuka Tamagawa
  • Executive producers: Noboru Tsuburaya, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
  • Animation producers: Masayoshi Ozaki, Go Eto
  • Cooperation: Studio Zain, Sakai Production, Ryu Production
  • Production partnership: Tsuburaya Productions, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Kodansha, Nippon Columbia, Bandai
  • Production: Tsuburaya Productions

Production

Ultraman: The Adventure Begins was a co-production between Hanna-Barbera and Tsuburaya Productions who hoped the film would not only introduce the Ultraman media franchise to American audiences but also serve as a pilot for a potential series. The animation for the film was provided by Ashi Productions.

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.

Reception

While the film was intended to serve as a pilot for a series it was unsuccessful in the United States.

Home media

Ultraman USA was released in Japan by Bandai Home Video on VHS on September 29, 1989 and on LaserDisc on July 25, 1991. In North America, a VHS was released by Ultra Action Video and L.A. Hero Inc. on June 2, 1993.
Tsubaraya announced that Bandai Visual will release a remastered version of the film on Blu-ray in Japan on September 26, 2018.
On July 2, 2025, Mill Creek released the film on Blu-ray. This version includes a new English cast and the original Japanese dub.
Due to rights issues, the original English audio is not included in this set. In addition, the Japanese dub does not come with English subtitles.

Other appearances

Ultraman Legend, This cast gets new live-action footage in this short, which features fight scenes of each of the 28 Ultras from the original Ultraman to Ultraman Cosmos.Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legend The Movie, Ultraman USA, along with other M78 Ultra Warriors, fights against the evil Ultraman Belial. This marks their second-ever live appearances onscreen, after the "Shinseiki Ultraman Densetsu" featurette.Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad, the 3 main Ultras appeared in the fourth episode of the web series in which they confront Absolute Titan at Planet Babel.