Ultraman: The Adventure Begins (ウルトラマンUSA) 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.

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. Ultra Force has a mecha used to defend the Earth against the Sorkin Monsters.

Ultras

The three Ultra warriors are from Planet Altara (惑星アルタラ) 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" (フライング・エンジェルス), 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.

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.

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.

The Sorkin Monsters

The Sorkin Monsters (ソーキン・モンスター) are from Planet Sorkin (惑星ソーキン) in Nebula M78.

Green Shocks

Plant Monster Green Shocks (植物怪獣 グリンショックス) is a vegetation monster. Has accelerated regeneration and powerful vines.

Garuballade

Electromagnetic Monster Garuballade (電磁怪獣 ガルバレード) 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 Electromagnetic Ball Beast Im (電磁球獣 イーム) (pronounced "eem").

Zoon

Comical Child Monster Zoon (ひょうきん子怪獣 ズーン) 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.

King Myra

Super Transforming Monster King Myra (超変身怪獣 キングマイラ) 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 (ウィロン) 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.

Voice cast

Crew

Music

Songs

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. 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.

Other appearances

Sources