SKREEONK!

The following is a summary of the original Japanese film by contributor 20th Century Boy:

Ultraman Gaia: Battle in Hyperspace is yet another Heisei Ultraman movie released theatrically from Tsuburaya Pro. This is honestly my least favorite Ultraman production, to be honest (hey, I’ve never seen Towards the Future or Powered!). It’s basically the Godzilla’s Revenge of the franchise. No, I don’t mean that it overuses stock footage and features a creepy talking monster. I mean that it takes place in the real world and follows a kid with an unhealthy obsession with Ultraman. One day, he finds a magical orb that allows him to have a wish granted, and he uses it to bring Ultraman Gaia into the real world. However, along with Ultraman Gaia, there also come some monsters to fight. This type of story had the potential for some interesting multi-dimension/string theory themes, which are unfortunately not explored very much, save for some brief scenes of Gulliver’s Travels allusions. The characters are mostly all kids, and they’re not easy to connect or sympathize with. The final battle, however, is pretty sweet. It features three Ultramen (Tiga, Dyna, and Gaia) fighting three different monsters (who have excellent designs). The battles go from land to sea, and even space. Really, this is the only reason to watch this movie. However, the overall impression that I get out of this movie is pretty much “cash grab,” with little to offer (other than the final battle) if you’re not the target audience. Better left for children and hardcore Ultraman fans.

– 20th Century Boy