Back in the ’90s, you probably knew them as “Mighty Morphin,” and these days they take the pre-fix “Saban’s,” but we all know them best as simply the “Power Rangers.” Executive producer Haim Saban discovered the “Super Sentai” series on Japanese television in the ’80s, and brought the concept of teens in colorful costumes fighting monsters to American audiences in the form of the somewhat silly, but much beloved, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” series. Now, of course, we have the big screen reboot, for better or for worse.
Joseph Kahn’s “Power/Rangers” short film that popped up online in 2015 showed just what a truly dark Power Rangers project could look like, but this version of the “Power Rangers” is about as dark as a CW series: just enough to be taken (somewhat) seriously, but with enough of a sense of humor about itself to have some fun too.
The first half of the film is “The Breakfast Club” with way more extreme daredevil behavior, as this posse of misfits discover each other and stumble into their startling new powers, by way of five colorful coins they happen to blast out of a mountainside.
The explosives enthusiast is Billy (R.J. Cyler, who steals the whole movie) a neuro-diverse nerd who befriends disgraced football captain Jason (Dacre Montgomery) in detention. Also on the mountain that day are rebellious former cheerleader Kimberly (Naomi Scott), heavy metal yogi Trini (Becky G.) and adrenaline-addled delinquent Zack (Ludi Lin). Soon they’re being groomed by a 65-million-year-old alien, Zordon (Bryan Cranston, no really), and a sassy robot, Alpha (Bill Hader), to take on Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks), who plans to use Goldar the gold monster to steal the Earth’s life crystal.
The actual power ranger-ing in the movie is blessedly short, focusing more on character and team building. It’s a good thing, because director Dean Israelite and cinematographer Matthew J. Lloyd have a chaotic approach to shooting action. It seems a trend these days to keep the pace blisteringly fast in order to never let the film drag, but the cutting between scenes could give one whiplash.
We are denied a good morphin’ sequence though, which was the best, most memorable part of the series. All we get is slow-motion strolling when they could have been wildly peacocking on a cliff’s edge.
“Power Rangers” maintains the essence of its origins in that it’s rather pleasantly bonkers. It errs on the side of goofy than gritty, and that’s to its favor. Trying to take this too seriously would be a mistake. Ultimately, it’s not much more than an itch on that nostalgic sweet spot that Hollywood is more than happy to scratch these days.
MOVIE REVIEW
“Power Rangers”
Grade: C+
Starring Elizabeth Banks, Bill Hader, Bryan Cranston and R.J. Cyler, Dacre Montgomery. Directed by Dean Israelite.
Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, language, and for some crude humor. Check listings for theaters. 2 hours, 4 minutes.
Bottom line: Scratches the nostalgia itch, but don't take it too seriously
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