Ultraman Mebius Side Story: Ghost Rebirth answers a great question that I never even thought to ask: What happens to all the souls of the monsters that Ultraman and company defeat and kill? Apparently, they migrate to a “Monster Graveyard” where they are absorbed into the soil of a far-off planet.
Ultraman Taro and Ultraman Ace investigate a disturbance at the graveyard and uncover a plot by some monsters to revive their fallen dead Emperor. Ultraman Mebius tries to give back-up but gets ambushed by monster in an asteroid belt. Meanwhile, Ace and Taro are captured and held as bait for Mebius. A shady robot named Mechazam offers to lend him a hand, but can he be trusted?
Ghost Rebirth combines all the familiar themes of the series into one great package. Ideas like friendship, loyalty, and perseverance in the face of danger are once again explored, and quite warmly too. Mechazam is a cool antihero and is a nice change of pace from the goody two-shoes Ultramen. That said, Mebius actually goes to Hell and back to save his friends in this one, so maybe there’s something to be said for being a goody two-shoes.
Some of the green screened backgrounds are obvious, and the backgrounds have a tendency to feel a bit samey. I kind of missed Ultraman stomping through the model cities too. However, that beef is small potatoes because for me, this is one of the most rousing Ultraman spectacles I’ve seen. The clashes between the Ultramen and the monsters, along with a shocking betrayal makes this the most dramatically sound adventure yet, even if the CGI is a little inconsistent.
It’s the unlikely alliance and eventual bond that grows between Mebius and Mechazam that gives it some dramatic heft and makes it soar above its predecessors. It’s proof that you can make a movie with complex themes about people overcoming their differences in the face of adversity within the confines of a rubber suit monster mashing extravaganza. In short, Ghost Rebirth renewed my faith in the genre.
AKA: Ultraman Mebius Gaiden: Ghost Reverse. AKA: Ultraman Mebius Gaiden: Ghost Rebirth.
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