This is not the Power Rangers you grew up with. With that out of the way, I do want to say that there will be spoilers in this review – up to the first hour of the movie anyhow. For me, that is the only way to properly review a movie but keep some mystery to the film. Those that grew up watching the original Power Rangers television show will be somewhat familiar with about 90 percent of this reboot. That other 10% is what makes it unique and fun.
As you probably know by now, even if you only have seen the commercials, is that this Power Rangers is darker than the original. It is not gritty though, just darker, more mature. That is something the movie gets quite right though as there is no “campiness” to the proceedings like there was in the television series, and subsequent movies.
For me, I stopped watching after the original cast shed off to make room for whatever came next.Power Rangers kicks off with the obligatory introduction to each of the rangers. How this is handled is interesting as there doesn’t seem to be that normal half hour to hour of slow plodding story as we find out about these teens. Slow scenes are broken up with short action sequences, the new rangers are slowly introduced to their powers, and we see their apprehension to the proceedings. That is what helped make the Power Rangers movie step above the television series. We get a bit more emotion from the characters as they at first don’t believe this then when they accept an alien and a robot want them to do something. Then they are unsure about the outcome they are expected to arrive at. Then the first morph happens and all bets are off.
In the television series it was just kind of blown off that they were to become the Power Rangers and that was it. In the movie, the first hour is spent mostly documenting them coming to terms with the situation. I know in a television show they don’t have the liberty of dragging out a transformation like this – I am glad they did it in the movie as it adds to the feel.
The most interesting thing we learn in the movie is the history between Rita and Zordon. The big face was at one time the Red Ranger while the green sexy meanie was the Green Ranger (a slight connection to the television series in both Green Rangers being evil). Zordon sacrifices himself to stop Rita Repulsa but it is for naught as she is simply weakened a bit. Don’t worry, that is the opening to the movie. Alpha-5 transports Zordon’s essence to the ship to save him. That is how he becomes the big face on the wall.
Power Rangers could have been a bad reboot, taking a kid’s television/movie series and making it dark. Instead, they have set the series up for a good start to a series if they are able to keep things moving with the actors. It would be interesting to see where they go from here.
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