I remember watching my first power ranger series on NTA as a little boy and just saying to myself "Omo I want to become a red ranger when I grow up". The power rangers is an over 3 decade long franchise that took the whole world by storm since its debut. The storyline usually revolves around a team of heroes chosen for their pure personality to acquire extraordinary powers to stop forces of evil bond on destroying the world. These team of young heroes ( predominantly high schoolers) morph in colorful high tech fabric with gadgets to fight evil whenever it arises even at the cost of their own safety.
There have been different versions of power rangers since the birth of the franchise however, they all revolve around teens in colorful gear trying to defeat evil. This journey began with the mighty morphine power rangers in 1993 before expanding into different varieties like Turbo, SPD, Time Force, Wild force and many more. I have been lucky enough to watch quite a lot of them since I started and even till this very day I still enjoy them. Despite its unrealistic nature, power ranger films are laced with a lot of themes that revolve around, good over evil, teamwork, determination, strong-willed and for the purpose of this contest - The power of friendship and togetherness. Watching them will not only open one's eyes to the importance of friendship but also the realization that when humans work together in solidarity, we can overcome every obstacle which I think is the major lesson from this series right after good always defeating evil.
After years of being entertained by this wonderful franchise, I have come to realize (always known) that my favorite version of power rangers will have to Mystic Force , why? Because it introduced a whole new element which I never thought was possible MAGIC. This really peaked my interest even more as I was not accustomed to watching magic and science interpolate. The series aired in 2006 but I discovered it three years later and have been in love with it ever since.
Mystic Force is set in the city of Briarwood where five youngsters are chosen by a powerful sorceress called Udonna to become heroes that will save from an ancient evil lurking in the underworld. The leader and red ranger of the team Nick is not originally from the place but came into the city to look for his parents which led him to a music store where he meets four young adults Xander, Madison, Chip and Vida. Nick is taken aback by the revelation of him being a magical hero made to protect humanity as he does not believe in magic. But in a moment of dire need, Nick rises to the occasion embracing his calling and rescuing his newly found comrades from certain death.
The series was more than just the average rangers that people we were used to watching, it brought a whole new freshness into the franchise with the world of magic. Our heroes had capes, wands that looked like flip phones, could cast spells and each had their own unique elemental powers used for battle all of which relied on a belief system just like how magic operates. My favourite character in the series is none other than the villain Korrag - a wolf warrior who turns out to be Nick's biological father and husband to Udonna who eventually overpowers the corruption and mind control put on him to help destroy the big bad.
Oooooh snap did I also mention that mystic force also has one of the best ranger soundtracks and theme songs in the franchise??? Well I guess I should let y'all be the judge of that after you either give it a watch or a rewatch😁😁😭😭. Or just listen to it here
Watching this series, one can easily identify the presence of the theme of friendship right from the first episode as it starts with four friends and a total stranger coming together to become a team. Each ranger had their own individual differences, personal crisis and issues which they all work out together for not just their benefit but for the good of all. Just like any other version of power rangers, mystic force also employs unity and the power of friendship as the ultimate source of strength to overcome challenges. Even the mere existence of a Megazoid displays the importance of working together and creating bonds that can withstand anything and also get the job done. The team supported each other and have each other's back no matter what and if that's not what true friendship is all about then I guess I know nothing just like Jon Snow😞.
After the last run of this show and a reboot of the entire power rangers franchise, years of watching this series has shown that the greatest magical spell is not that which defeats evil permanently but one that draws people together - differences and all.
I'll give it a solid 9.5 for being a childhood gem. Magical source Mystic force
Thanks
Pictures are all gotten from imdb