Power Rangers (2017) Review

Courtesy: Lionsgate/Saban Capital Group




Starring Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G and Ludi Lin with Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader and Elizabeth Banks
Directed by Dean Israelite (Based on characters created by Haim Saban and Toei Company Limited)
 Rated PG-13
My Rating: ****/5

After 20 years of being absent from theater screens, a reboot of the "Power Rangers" franchise has arrived. It is the third film adaptation of the hit TV series after "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" in 1995 and "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" in 1997. While the film may not be in the same league as other recent superhero blockbusters, it serves as a strong update to the series that combines realistic effects-driven action with a self-aware rendition of the ludicrous nature of the concept.

The premise is a re-imagining of the original "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" series that ran from 1993 to 1995. In the Cenozoic era, an alien being known as Zordon was engaged in battle with the evil sorceress Rita Repulsa. During their final battle, Zordon used the last of his strength to hide the Power Coins from Rita and send them both into hibernation. In the present day city of Angel Grove, Rita awakens and seeks an ancient artifact known as the Zeo crystal to amplify her powers and destroy the world. So, it falls to Zordon and his robotic assistant Alpha 5 to recruit five young teenagers to take up the mantle of the Power Rangers and defend the world against Rita and her army of alien monsters.

 

While the story is familiar to those who are fans of the series, Dean Israelite's take on the the popular action show presents the plot and characters in a darker context. The red ranger, Jason is a former star athlete whose promising future was ruined by trouble with the law and a leg injury from a car accident. The blue ranger, Billy has to deal with losing his father as a child as well as the difficulties of being on the autism spectrum. The yellow ranger, Trini is an outcast with "girlfriend problems" and had to change schools more than once as a result. The black ranger, Zack has to deal with the absence of his father as well as take cake of his terminally ill mother. Even the normally happy-go-lucky pink ranger, Kimberly is bullied by other members of her social circle for her appearance. Still, this is one of many versions of the long-running franchise that never forgets its roots as a colorful action franchise; and balances its darker storyline and edgier characters with slick action and colorful special effects. Over the film's 124-minute run time, the Rangers learn to overcome their differences and master their powers in a snazzy relaunch of the series that borrows heavily but swiftly from other franchises such as "The Dark Knight Saga" and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Boasting a reported $120 million budget, the film also manages to combine the admitted silliness of its source material (itself an adaptation of Japan's long-running "Super Sentai" series) with more than 20 years of advances in special effects since the first film adaptation of the series in 1995. While the Rangers' costumes may be more elaborate than the original spandex suits from the Japanese series "Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger," they still retain the kaleidoscope of colors from the TV show. Zordon and Alpha go from a head in a tube and a costumed actor to a CGI rendition of Bryan Cranston's face and a lanky Roomba with headlights that wouldn't be out of place in "Star Wars." Most of all, the climactic Megazord battle that takes up most of the film's final act combines the more over-the-top action of the live-action "Transformers" films with the more realistic battles of the Jaegers in "Pacific Rim."

Some flaws with the film include the fact that some of the attempts to "Nolanize" the story can get heavy-handed at times, and recall a controversial but popular fan film that was uploaded to YouTube in 2015 while this film was still in production. Also, the pacing can be a bit slow at points; and some of the more "adult" jokes are a bit shaky. A scene where Trini's parents want to test her urine after she explains her plight to them is understandable, but cringe-worthy. Even so, the film's darker and edgier rendition of its premise is balanced with plenty of sly gags toward the franchise's lineage and the idea of rebooting beloved children's properties with darker plots in general. Bill Hader's Alpha makes great use of the comedic talents Hader honed in other films as well as on "Saturday Night Live." Elizabeth Banks' Rita follows in the footsteps of Barbra Goodson as well as the late Machiko Soga; devouring everything in her path to accomplish her goals, ranging from the scenery to gold from a jewelry store to form the monster Goldar and even a fresh donut at Krispy Kreme before she tries to unearth the Zeo Crystal from under the floorboards of the shop. Overall, the film can be easily taken as the daydreams of a generation of Saturday morning TV viewers merged with an increasing obsession with '90s nostalgia (watch for cameos from original cast members Amy Jo Johnson and Jason David Frank during the final battle between Goldar and the Megazord).

If the film is able to resonate with general audiences as much as Lionsgate and Saban hope, the film will be the first in a planned series. For now, though, this version of "Power Rangers" is a delightfully snazzy reboot that delivers on Dean Israelite's promise to make an adaptation that's "mature but playful" and "grounded but fun." It's a film that's "morphinomenal" in every sense of the word. May the power live on forever.