With the Hollywood machine gradually working its way through the decades, ruining childhoods and making money, the time has finally come. The industry has made its way into the 90’s. With upcoming movies like ‘Baywatch’ and ‘Jumanji’ on the docket, one can only expect these projects to be lackluster and utterly dwarfed by our love for its predecessors. Despite whatever cynicism you might be carrying for the whole concept, it seems that the one property has managed to completely avoid befalling the same fate.
‘Power Rangers’ is becoming one of the most successful films of 2017. Raking in more than $40 million in its opening weekend alone, it’s now second only to ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in the box office. While the movie is somehow regarded by critics as a disappointment, the fans have spoken in resounding favor of it. Scoring a low 46% by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score of 81% proves that this isn’t a movie built for critics or Oscar nods, it’s designed for the fans…and it more than delivers!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
The story is familiar and true to the source material, with a few cool changes to the lore.
The first worry most fans likely had are the changes that would be made to the story and lore. Not only did the story stay more or less intact, it’s pretty much just the first episode of MMPR. All the events that transpired in ‘Day of the Dumpster’ essentially laid the foundation for the entire plot to the movie. The big difference is their attempt at groundwork for world-building.
In the first five minutes, the audience is fed quite the backstory, but in an easily digestible prologue. Zordon is humanoid and is also the previous Red Ranger, who is all but defeated along with the other Rangers by the new Rita Repulsa…in a Green Ranger suit! The opening sequence could not have been more appropriate considering the idea of Zordon and Rita being former Rangers is probably the most prominent fan theory around. The backstory was basically pre-written by the fans themselves. They even managed to go so far as to set up the future of the new ‘Ranger’ franchise by establishing the Zeo Crystals, the energy source used to create the Zeo Rangers!
Our new Rangers are perfect, even if they don’t seem that way at first.
Probably the biggest upset surrounding the project before its release has to have been the casting. In an attempt to avoid the offensive connotations that were associated with the original casting, changes were made to not only the actors chosen, but some of their personalities and problems in order to relate more to the very real issues facing many kids today.
Our new teenagers didn’t necessarily have attitudes, but more accurately tough home lives and social pressure. The alterations to the characters, however, made for some very compelling performances all around. Jason (Red) is more impulsive and reckless, Billy (Blue) was written to be on the autistic spectrum, Zack (Black) is more unpredictable, Trini (Yellow) is dealing with trying to come out to her parents, even Kimberly (Pink) is overcoming being something of a bully herself. All these changes were tastefully implemented into the growing arc of each character. ‘Breakfast Club’ vibe aside, they forced the audience to get to know and really care about these kids before you could see them as heroes. They earned the loyalty of the audience, instead of just getting their powers and fighting the monster.
Zordon and Alpha are not quite the same as you remember, but don’t panic, they’re great!
The first sigh of relief given to fans during the grueling process of casting the movie was when it was announced that ‘Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston would be entering the tube as the Rangers’ sage-like mentor and keeper of their power, Zordon. This Zordon was new to his confines and was even attempting to leave throughout the movie, which was revealed in a conversation with Alpha-5, played by Bill Hader. In a sense, these new versions were much less sympathetic and actually not as trustworthy, considering their motivation.
This doesn’t really make sense at first, but it becomes apparent that Zordon and Alpha are being portrayed not as the Rangers’ support team, but more so characters that need to grow and mature just like the rest of them. There’s a pretty obvious parallel between the relationships Jason has with his father and Zordon. Both are hard on him because they expect more from him: his father disappointed in him for lacking responsibility and discipline, and Zordon needing Jason to step up and be responsible the team that he can no longer lead. It might be an odd sight if you remember the original versions, but sticking with the characters and allowing them to earn the right to become mentor figures makes you welcome Zordon and Alpha just like the rest of the team.
Rita is NOT over-the-top, she’s just Rita!
One of the few complaints people seem to have with this movie is Elizabeth Banks’ performance as Rita Repulsa. Most are claiming that she’s too “over-the-top”, almost bordering on outlandish. The explanation to that is simple: those people don’t remember Rita Repulsa. The opening shot of every episode of MMPR showed Rita emerging from the Dumpster and screaming into space! Banks isn’t overdoing it, Rita is. Her interpretation managed to stay true to the character, but still emphasized that THIS Rita gets her hands dirty more often. Knowing that the new Rita can have more dimension than her predecessor, they decided to make her truly menacing. She has no regard for human life and makes it clear that being a Ranger for Zordon will not be tolerated.
If you can overlook the design, the Zords, Megazord, and Goldar are still pretty cool.
Like any episode of MMPR, the moment finally comes when they break the second rule of being a Power Ranger and let the fight escalate. At which point…they need Megazord power! The Zords’ design for this version was a topic of discussion for a while. We got our first glimpse when the images of the movie’s toy line leaked, revealing a strange aesthetic. They did in fact resemble the film versions of Transformers, a point which was subtly referenced when Billy says, “Sorry, Bumblebee!” after destroying a yellow Camaro. The overall look of the Zords was less than favorable, and it didn’t get any better with the Megazord.
Despite the changes made to the design, the Zord sequence itself is the first time we really got the full helping of fan service; the Zords gathering together with the theme song rendering the perfect ambiance, the epic Megazord battle with Goldar…who is faceless and drippy. Yes, one of the casualties to the MMPR mythos, along with the absence of Bulk and Skull, is Goldar; no longer one of Rita’s minions with a character and lines, instead he’s a towering plot device who arrives as quickly as he goes. As disappointing as that sounds, it’s appropriate for the world they’ve created for these Rangers, which is very different indeed from the one we’ve come to know. Thanks to the relationship you build with these kids, the battle is so much more satisfying once it begins, instead of just feeling “expected”.
Verdict:
‘Power Rangers’ is one of the most enjoyable, heartfelt, and entertaining movies to come from a known IP. It’s perfect for children who might be enjoying the current incarnation of the show, newbies who never really paid attention to the franchise, and especially those hard-to-please 90’s kids; the ones who grew up with the original series and beyond. It was emotional, funny, and the talented cast behind it is by far the driving force. The issues these Rangers were facing are very real issues kids are facing today, but they were placed in a framework that gets people to pay attention, without being insensitive or over-the-top. This could have easily been a cash-grab, crammed with fan service and gratuitous cameos (there was just the one), but there was real attention and care put into this and it shows. The source material is respected, these new Rangers are perfect, and most importantly, it’s the most fun you’ll have at the movies today!
It goes without saying that Hollywood is steadily running low on new, original ideas. Like one nauseating wave after another, we keep getting fed nothing but remakes, “soft-reboots”, and sequels that no one asked for. It’s easy to assume that among the droll of rehashed nonsense, something like the reboot of ‘Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers’ might come and go unnoticed or even liked. Fortunately, that’s not the case this time.
