Ultraman Episode #7 - The Blue Stone of Vallarge


Director: Samaji Nonagase
Year: 1966
Country: Japan
Alternate Titles: (Alternate DVD Title: The Blue Stone of Baraj/The Blue Stone of Baradhi) (バラージの青い石 Barāji no Aoi Ishi?)
Genre: Tokusatsu TV

Plot:
After a meteorite falls in the Middle East, the Science Patrol is sent to the area with another scientist to investigate a series of strange accidents in the aftermath of the incident only to find a long-lost civilization tormented by a strange creature and use Ultraman to help save the day.

Story:

There's a lot to enjoy here with this particular entry. This one introduces a rather enjoyable concept of the guardian being coming to Earth in the past and been a part of its history and folklore with the revelation that it once appeared in the past to protect the people. Featuring the idea of the creature coming to attack the city in the past which has thwarted its attempt at prosperity that it once enjoyed and forced the city to forever live in fear and isolation, this quality affords the episode a mythical tone that it almost exists in a separate reality from the rest of the Ultraman universe as if it were an Arabian fairytale. Granted a special touch by mixing in the Arabian mythology with a logical Biblical connection in the form of a giant being from the Heavens visiting Earth in the past and shaping the future of society that comes about due to the exotic setting, this story here comes off rather nicely overall.


Special Effects:

This is quite a fun and solid special effects-heavy episode. The main element here is Antlar, as the giant bug-like creature is quite impressive. Resembling an upright beetle, the creature has a fun look to it as the insectoid features, large mandibles and pincers lead to a wholly imposing design, especially with the bulked out lower body that truly looks like an upright insect. With an obvious exoskeleton on it's back and creating a continuous clicking noise that combines together into a truly engaging insect-like being that has plenty to like in terms of being an enjoyable monster.

In addition to the monsters, there are some great effects work in the episode. The sand-dunes that Antlar creates as it digs through the ground are mightily impressive, sending a massive plume in the air getting continuously closer to the VTOL stranded in the sand. The rampage through the city, granted an Arabic-style leaning through the rounded towers and sandy block-like architectural means shows off a different side to their skill-set that looks even more impressive when destroyed. The crumbling buildings and dirt thrown up in the attack are quite impressive, especially for a TV budget, and the extent of the attack allows for some nice work in this section lending the scene a nice energetic charge. Also noteworthy is the painting of the city through the distance where the overall scope of the desert landscape is rendered rather nicely with the brief shot.

However, there are some troubling moments. The scene of the VTOL being captured by the magnetic ray features some rather lousy animation effects with the tractor beam being obviously drawn on the footage with the overall effect being somewhat laughable in how it just stops right where it crosses over the top. Even the scenes of the guns floating in midair have some goofy floating effects, looking rather comical against the distorted backdrop as the effect continually shimmers at a select finite point that looks entirely drawn on the negative rather than being discharged by a living creature, which thankfully is kept to a minimum throughout here as there isn't a whole lot elsewhere in the episode. It looks like the vast majority of the budget was spent on the monster costume and the matte paintings rather than the beam-work quite apparently in the episode.


Actors:

There's not much to be said here. The main scientist, Dr. Jeffers, fits into the kind of group we've usually become associated within the Science Patrol, appearing ready for action with the utilization of the weaponry provided him while still maintaining the dignity of an international scientist.

Other Factors:

One of the oddest aspects of this episode is the final fight with Antlar. The fight between the two at the end is generally enjoyable and has enough to really like about it, yet the fact that Ultraman plays no real part in the defeat of the creature is a curious idea. The idea of the blue stone embedded on the statue being the main weapon used to defeat the creature is quite unique and differs nicely from the rest of the show, yet the logical decision to have Ultraman be the one to employ it in the battle against Antlar makes so much sense it was discarded here. Instead, Captain Mura is the one to finally finish it off as he is the one to wield the weapon to destroy Antlar which ends up proving Ultraman was completely unnecessary all along.

The fight itself is also quite odd in that it consists of Ultraman's main weapons of attack being quite ineffective against Antlar, who actually has the upper hand at the point when the stone was put into play so it appears that Ultraman had no real effect in their battle. Digging under the ground shooting huge plumes of dirt into the air offers a new way to approach a battle that Ultraman starts to be ineffectual in the sequence. He seems lost and unsure of how to fight it, and his usual death-blow, the Specium Ray, was just completely ignored as Antlar kept on the attack before the intervention from the Princess and Captain Mura. It could've been just as effective had the Science Patrol taken it on themselves and then resorted to the stone as the last result leaving Ultraman out of the fray entirely, or even easier would be to have Mura toss it to Ultraman so he can use it on Antlar himself.

Likewise, the other great issue here is the shift in focus to the Middle East which is a refreshing change of pace from the usual urban-based setting that had been in play up until now. The sandy desert and Arabian-styled miniatures here stand-out in contrast to the tree-lined mountainous regions and urban landscapes that had been featured for the majority of the episodes for that very reason, just bringing about a change of pace from the overly familiar. Looking over the various sand-dunes and dirt roads of the village create a vastly more epic tone and feel than what had usually been attempted here to this point, and the mix of mixology and hints of a backstory about Ultraman's first appearance on Earth offer up some strong points to help it stand-out pretty easily.


Overview: ****/5
This is a highly enjoyable and unique entry in the series that offers plenty of stand-out moments and a solid storyline that's really only hampered by some unique ideas inserted into this one. It's a fine choice to look into for the fan that's looking to keep going with the series or those looking for something new beyond the usual rounds of city-smashing seen previously.

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