“It’s Morphin Time!” Power Rangers Movie Review

1997 saw the last release of a Power Rangers film to the big screen. 20 years later a remake of the classic TV series brings a new audience into the world of the “teenagers with attitude”.

Hiam Saban’s (producer) Power Rangers hit theaters on March 24, and for many fans of the original series this movie was a welcome addition. On the film review website, Rotten Tomatoes, Power Rangers is at a 79% audience approval rating, but only has a 48% critics rating.

The film is centered around five high school teenagers as they uncover ancient artifacts that grant them superpowers. The group must come together to form the Power Rangers team and defeat the evil enchantress, Rita Repulsa.

The plot of the film is similar to the first episode of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series that debuted in 1993. The episode entitled “Day of the Dumpster” sees the evil Rita Repulsa unleash one of her monsters, Goldar, to wreak havoc on the small town of Angel Grove. Five teenagers with attitude are brought together to form the Power Rangers and defeat Goldar.

The plot of the film and TV episode are nearly identical. The biggest difference between the two is the film creates three dimensional characters, rather than the two-dimensional stereotypes of the original series.

The biggest praise of the Power Rangers film is the acting and characterization of each of the Rangers. Jason Scott (Dacre Montgomery) is the star High School quarterback who gets in trouble with the law and must attend Saturday detention. There he meets Billy Cranston (RJ Cycler), an intelligent African-American student with a form of autism, and Kimberly Hart (Naomi Scott), a popular cheerleader who is bullied by fellow classmates.

The three students then cross paths with Zach Taylor (Ludi Lin), a bilingual slacker, and Trini Kwan (Becky G), a Hispanic student who is questioning her sexuality. Each of the five find a colored “power coin,” giving them the ability to become Power Rangers; Jason Saban’s Power Rangers Red Ranger, Billy the Blue Ranger, Kimberly the Pink, Zach the Black, and Trini the Yellow Ranger.

Each character is given their time to shine and have a deep character moment with their fellow Rangers. This allowed for a connection between the audience and the characters in the film; it felt as though every person watching the film could connect with what the characters were going through.

The supporting characters of the film also gave great performances. Bryan Cranston plays Zordon, the mentor of the Power Rangers. Unlike the character from the TV series, Cranston’s Zordon also goes through an emotional journey.

Bill Hader plays sidekick robot Alpha 5, a character who even the most diehard Power Rangers fans will admit was annoying in the original TV series. Although much of the dialogue Hader was given was plot driven, he added both heart and humor to the second-act of the film.

The biggest criticism of Power Rangers comes from one character, and what the character means in the terms of the film. Rita Repulsa, played by Elizabeth Banks, is the villain in which the Power Rangers must come together and defeat. Up until the introduction of the character, the film had a very grounded tone and felt as though these characters existed in our world. When Rita shows up the entire tone of the film changes.

The portrayal by Banks is equally as over the top as the original Rita from 90’s TV series. Her performance was not terrible, but it was a performance that was the exact opposite as the way every other actor was playing their character. This negative weighs heavy in the overall product of the film.

The first two thirds in the three-act structure of the film were realistic and character driven. The final act of the film was an episode of the TV series, over the top action and cheesy dialogue. On its own, this is not necessarily a bad thing, however when this is mixed with a serious tone, that film becomes a mishmash of tones.

Whether you are a fan of the original series, or someone who has never heard of the Power Rangers, you will find enjoyment in this film. The characters are both memorable and relatable. While the action and the villain of the film may turn off some of the audience, there is no denying that Power Rangers is a great time out at the cinema.

Overall score 7.7/10.

Review by Austin Clemen & Casey Kelderman