Yuichi Kikuchi has done a fantastic job as the special effects director. The composite work of Shinjuku looks absolutely fabulous. The battles blend with them perfectly and all the explosions are very professionally done. Also the CGI looks quite magnificent. Especially near the end of the movie, when Ultraman and The One are fighting in the air above the clouds, everything on the screen is done by computers. The characters, their rays, the clouds, everything. They look almost like they�re from a masterpiece. In my opinion this movie�s CGI could challenge some of the latest movies, like War of the Worlds (2005).
Last but not least, I�ll bring up the movie�s music. Like the other aspects of the movie, the music is excellent. Tak Matsumoto, a very popular artist in Japan, was definitely the right choice for Ultraman. Matsumoto knows how to mix several styles of music from classical to rock. He�s come up with different themes for the characters, which are repeated in the movie many times. His best ones include Maki�s heroic theme, The One�s chilling theme, and the always compelling heavy metal-style battle music. He also uses the theme for Ultraman a lot. It�s actually the march heard in the first Ultraman show, but it�s only �modernized� just for this movie. Matsumoto has also got a band, Tak Matsumoto Group, which includes American members, too. Their song Never Good-bye is played during the movie�s end credits.
In the end Ultraman: The Next is a well made and entertaining movie. It�s characters are good and interesting, it has enough material of both drama and action and the story is brilliant. When you include the fine special effects and music, the package is full. This movie is highly recommended to the older fans of Ultraman especially. This movie�s material isn�t for the little kids. Remember that!