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The 6 Ultra Brothers vs. The Monster Army (ウルトラ6兄弟VS怪獣軍団 Urutora Roku Kyōdai tai Kaijū Gundan), known in Thailand as Hanuman vs. 7 Ultraman (หนุมาน พบ 7 ยอดมนุษย์ Hanuman pob Jed Yodmanud) is a tokusatsu Science-Fiction/kaiju/superhero film produced in 1974 by Tsuburaya Productions of Japan and Chaiyo Productions of Thailand. It was released theatrically in Japan on March 17, 1979.
In 1984, the film was reissued in Thailand in an edited form, known as Hanuman vs. 11 Ultraman (หนุมาน พบ 11 ยอดมนุษย์ Hanuman pob Sibed Yodmanud), which contained the unauthorized use of footage from the compilation film Ultraman ZOFFY, and was later edited into the also unauthorized English language film, Space Warriors 2000.
Due to the many legal troubles faced by Tsuburaya Productions because of Chaiyo, the company has, at least unofficially, disowned this movie.
Plot
This film has the 6 Ultra Brothers, Zoffy, Ultraman, Ultraseven, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman Ace and Ultraman Taro, teaming up with the Hindu monkey-god Hanuman, who was merged by Mother of Ultra with a young Thai boy who was cruelly murdered by a group of robbers, to fight five evil monsters. They are Gomora (from Ultraman), Dustpan (originally from Mirrorman), Astromons, Tyrant and Dorobon (all from Ultraman Taro), which were accidentally awakened by a rocket test gone terribly wrong.
Characters
- Koh: A religious boy who died chasing after the robbers. He is later revived as Hanuman.
- Annan: Koh's friend.
- Marissa: Annan's sister.
- Dr. Wisut: A scientist who, dismissing religious beliefs and prayer, tries using scientific ways to resolve the drought.
- Sipuak: A pilot working at Dr. Wisut's center, he often fools around with his partner.
- Sisuliya: A pilot working at Dr. Wisut's center, he often fools around with his partner.
- Robbers: A gang of robbers who steal the head of a religious statue.
Ultras and Other Heroes
Kaiju
Production
This film, along with Jumborg Ace & Giant, marked the only time Tsuburaya Productions and Chaiyo Productions officially worked together. Decades after this film was made, relations between the two companies have deteriorated, leading to the court battle over rights to the Ultraman characters (specifically the ones depicted in this film) and even Jumborg Ace, which was eventually won by Tsuburaya in 2008.
International distribution
The film was released in Chinese markets as 猴王大戰七超人 (Hóu wáng dàzhàn qī chāorén), under the international English title Hanuman and the Seven Ultramen. It was released theatrically in Hong Kong on February 26, 1975, and in Taiwan on June 27 of that same year. It was also reissued in Taiwan on January 25, 1985.
The shorter Chinese version (originally distributed by Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers Studio) is speculated to have been based on a pre-edited export cut of the film, as glue marks appear on the uncut film specific to where edits are made in the Chinese version. The Taiwanese version by extension is counted as an official version of the film.
Gallery
Add a photo to this galleryTrivia
- Sompote Sands himself appears as a photographer at the rocket base. He is also the narrator of the movie.
- This movie states that:
- The Land of Light had eternal peace, ignoring the Great Ultra War that was brought up in Ultraman Taro. Of course, the many other invasions and battles produced in future media could not have been referenced.
- The Land of Light's 300 cities are heated up by 900 heaters.
- Ultraman Taro taught the Ultra Brothers how to fight.
- Mother of Ultra seems to be mother to all the Ultra Brothers, who also seem to be literal blood brothers.
- The Sun goes around the Earth, driven by a god in a carriage.
Differences between the Thai & Japanese theatrical cuts
- Editorial changes to the film overall:
- The Japanese version reworks the majority of the film's sound design from the ground up, and while it shares many of the same Toru Fuyuki cues, they are arranged and placed in the film differently, and none of the cues from Mirrorman heard in the Thai score are utilized. All instances of Thai traditional music are also replaced or removed.
- Chaiyo logo removed from the opening sequence.
- The Japanese title sequence has the credits layered over footage of the monster battles from later in the film instead of the composite of the solar system seen in the Thai version. The Thai Hanuman pob Jed Yodmanud theme is also replaced with Bokura no Urutoraman.
- The Japanese version heavily cuts the subplot with Sipuak and Sisuliya, two pilots who work at Dr. Wisut's rocket center.
- The rain dance sequences are heavily abridged and edited to focus more on Koh and Anan at times.
- During Hanuman's vengeance on the robbers:
- Many shots deemed unimportant/redundant are removed from Hanuman's pursuit of the robbers.
- Hanuman's killing of the final robber is censored, cutting before the bloodshed is shown.
- During the fight sequence between Hanuman/Ultra Brothers & Gomora:
- The Thai cut uses the instrumental version of Ultra Roku Kyodai, while the Japanese cut uses Bokura no Ultraman.
- Hanuman dancing after he uses the Crescent Cutter is shortened in the Japanese cut.
See also
- Hanuman and the Five Riders, another film produced by Chaiyo featuring Hanuman teaming up with the first five Kamen Riders, unlike this movie, it was produced without involvement or permission from Toei Company
