[Fish Sandwich]

TV-N's got the Orb movie out now so I finally got to watch that.

I more or less agree with everything ZeoRangerV said a bit back in the thread, but I also find myself not caring too much? I had a ton of fun with this one. If the X movie was a party, this movie is hanging out with a few close friends.

Note that I didn't say "merely" hanging out with friends, though. I think for as much as the relatively low-key style is a weakness, it also makes it far more authentically Orb than if it were another crazy, all-out action kind of Ultraman film. Orb the series had a very particular, unique style and Orb the movie matches it perfectly. The way the humor is casually mixed into the drama especially, but you even get some of that borderline avant-garde flair I love so much. When that ad for the Blu-ray that's always part of the commercial breaks on Tsuburaya's Youtube uploads of Geed kept mentioning people in the theater cheering on the Ultra heroes, I never once considered the possibility there was a straight up, impromptu audience participation segment in there. Without even breaking the fourth wall. That's the kind of outside the box thinking you'd only get from Orb.

The cast from the show is just as great as always, too, and the returning Ultras are all okay. Daichi and Gai start to develop some great chemistry the second they meet, but unfortunately that just makes it all the more frustrating them teaming up isn't the focus of the film. Outside of that, Zero shows up at the beginning to kick-start the plot, Ginga and Victory... get to be there, and most surprisingly of all, Seven ex machina! I don't know, I guess his son told him what's up, but they never set that up or mentioned it after the fact. Who cares, anyway? Ultra Seven is an absolute legend with a big anniversary to celebrate, so if he wants to be in this movie, I'm not complaining.

Overall, while I can't argue the whole thing feeling inconsequential, I can argue that's not as damning as it might sound. At this point it's pretty much a hard rule for me that "More Orb" = "Never a bad thing".