Directed by Toshitsugu Suzuki. Written by Shozo Uehara, Shinichi Ichikawa. Airdate August 4, 1968.
After the double-tap of “Ambassador of the Nonmalt” and “Nightmare of Planet No. 4” — two of the greatest, most intelligent episodes in the entire Ultra Series — Ultraseven needed something lighter. That’s exactly what “The Terrifying Super Ape-Man” delivers. Like “Nightmare of Planet No. 4,” it takes inspiration from the recent runaway popularity of Planet of the Apes, but in a more superficial way. Rather than explore the future horrors of a human race reduced to obsolescence, just put a super-ape in the episode. Add a dash of 1930s mad scientist horror for flavor. Stir and double strain over a final Ultra fight. It’s no classy craft cocktail, but it’s a decent highball.
The Ultra Guard is getting into police work again, this time investigating a murder. There’s solid justification for involving the UG in this case, however, as the mystery assailant who killed two police officers had apparent superhuman strength and leaping ability. Witnesses describe the attacker as resembling a gorilla, yet his blood left at the scene tests as human.
Dan and Anne again pair up as the investigation team. Their first stop is Monkey Land, a primate sanctuary run by Dr. Mayama (Junji Masuda), a friend of Anne’s. Audiences will immediately know something’s wrong, since the mute custodian at Monkey Land, Gorry (Keiichi Taki), is the human form of the ape-man who killed the two police officers in the opening scene. Gorry tears out parts of the engine on the Pointer so Dan and Anne will be forced to stay the night at the sanctuary.
“Your car broke down, you’ll have to stay the night.” Sounds like the set-up for an old horror film right? Exactly. While Planet of the Apes may have initially inspired this episode, its real influence is 1930s and ‘40s horror movies. Not only do we have the conveniently broken-down car, the story also features an evil science laboratory in a shadowy basement, a chained-up beast man, a captive girl strapped to an operating table, unholy experiments transforming humans into animal-beast hybrids, and whippings. Some of the violence, such as Dan getting into a scrap with the ape-man and Dr. Mayama’s assistant Tamiko threatening Anne with a whip, has a touch of brutality. But after the mass executions of the last episode, this violence seems quaint.
Since this is Ultraseven, the mastermind behind the ape-man at the primate sanctuary will be revealed to be an alien. Alien Goron, who’s disguised as a cute golden lion tamarin monkey, has a scheme to swap human brainwaves for those of apes as part of a conquest plot. Once Alien Goron reveals himself to Dan, he transforms into a giant tamarin monkey to face Ultraseven. The horror movie stuff is done; let’s do the kaiju fight and send the audience home happy.
Aside from the moody Universal Monster style in the primate sanctuary, there’s little substance here. Shozo Uehara is co-credited with the script, but his usual sharp ideas are missing. There are a few interesting possibilities, particularly Gorry the ape-man, who might have worked as a tragic figure in the Frankenstein Monster or Wolf Man mold. Gorry has echoes of the character Goro, the mute custodian who bonds with a giant monkey in the Ultra Q episode “Goro and Goro.” But once the alien plotline kicks in, Gorry ends up as merely an obstacle and plot device. He’s dismissed without comment at the end. Tough luck, Gorry.
The highlight is the fracas between Seven and Alien Goron’s giant monkey form. Giant Goron looks like a budget version of King Seesar from Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (still a few years in the future, so maybe King Seesar is a bougie Alien Goron), but it’s an appealing design that’s more terrestrial than usual for Ultraseven’s opponents. Goron is based on the golden lion tamarin, which is far more colorful than the easy route of doing a giant gorilla. The fight moves fast and is boppier than normal for the show. It’s a fun goof, although Seven again shows how ruthless he can be with his finishing moves.
The kaiju fight plays out parallel to a sequence of Anne in peril in a boat on the rapids. I’ll always approve of action sequences with Anne, even if it’s just to put her in jeopardy, but this river adventure doesn’t gel well with the rest of the story. It feels too much like filler to give Anne and Gorry something to do.
I’m tempted to go harsher on this episode because it feels slight compared to the gauntlet of the previous two. Still, there’s nothing wrong with going lighter on occasion. “The Terrifying Super Ape-Man” hasn’t much to say — quite the opposite of Planet of the Apes — but it has the appeal of its retro-horror style and a final fight that puts a smile on my face.
The episode concludes with the narrator delivering another sign-off that warns about the true nature of the people around us. One of those people might be “an unbelievable creature that looks like a human, but has a primate’s brain.” I’m going to be nitpicky here, Ultraseven, but humans are primates. Technically, humans are also apes … Look, I’m digging myself into a hole here. I’ll see myself out.
Rating: Good
Previous: Nightmare of Planet No. 4
Next: The Saucers Have Come
The Ultra Project 