“It’s morphin’ time.”
That one little catchphrase can bring back a whole childhood worth of memories. Now, after 10 years, they’re back. The colorful, witty teenagers with attitude are back on the big screen. That’s right, the Power Rangers have been rebooted. This beloved franchise deserved another blockbuster movie, especially since the last one, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, left a bad taste in all of the series’ fans. Without further adieu, let’s get into this.
WARNING: Spoilers beyond this point.
PROS:
This movie seemed almost perfect in the eyes of a Power Rangers fan because it kept the essence of the actual series. It had the zords, the de-morphed powers, the drama, the action sequences and the comradery of the tv show. The only big difference is that the characters are no longer perfect superhumans anymore but modern highschool kids who had no business becoming superheroes in the first place. The rangers are all from different worlds. However, they use this knowledge to aid them in becoming a team.
Another thing this movie does really well is establishing a backstory for each character. For example, Jason Lee Scott or the Red Ranger, played by Dacre Montgomery, starts out as a star football player with a promising future ahead of him until he gets in an accident, keeping him from playing any longer. Not only that, but he also gets in trouble with the law which furthers his development as a character. Now, this wasn’t only with Jason, but with all the other rangers as well. I also liked how the rangers couldn’t unlock their ability to morph into their suits until they could control their unmorphed powers as well as work together.
I’ve also seen this next point as a con in many other reviews, but personally, it’s a pro for me. Elizabeth Banks’ portrayal of Rita Repulsa was spot-on. She took the character and used some of her character elements from the original show to create a much more interesting version.
As for the jokes and silliness that Power Rangers is usually associated with, this movie still had that but with more risque jokes. Not only that, but there are moments within the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously which gives some of the same vibes of the original television show. However, don’t take this the wrong way because the seriousness to comedy ratio was perfect.
Lastly, the end credit scene will give all the Power Ranger fans a big smile from ear to ear.
(BIG SPOILER) Just expect the Dragonzord in the next movie.
CONS:
As always, no movie is perfect.
What I mainly didn’t like the design of the zords or the large robots that combine together to create a large battle robot. They looked a bit stale, and I would’ve prefered if they went with a design similar to Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. Also, they kind of robbed us of the actual transformation, but I won’t go into too much detail on that. The other thing I didn’t like was some of the editing in the second act of the movie; it felt a bit choppy sometimes. Lastly, the final problem I had with the movie was the fact that they were only rangers for the final act, but if what director Dean Isrealite says is true, that can be made up in the next FIVE MOVIES. Yes, that is correct. He has outright stated that the Power Ranger reboot will be a six-movie story arc.
Final Thoughts/Rating:
I’m sure when you go and read other reviews, you’ll think I judged this movie too lightly, and in some sense, I did. This is mainly because I wrote this review from the standpoint of a big Power Rangers fan who’s watched all of the shows and movies. I did this because the movie is directed towards Power Rangers fans who wanted a darker toned movie that stayed true to the series, and that’s exactly what we got.
8.1/10.
