POWER RANGERS REVIEW…

Taking a page from the Breakfast Club the Power Rangers is the story of a group of misfits stuck in detention who ultimately learn to work as a team, but so they can pilot giant metal dinosaurs to save the world. The film based on the old Tokusatsu show that was repackaged for US audiences here in the early 90s, takes the property into “darker, edgier” territory. This is apparently to appease some imaginary need to update a series that is still very alive and well in its campy nostalgic form making this film at times unrecognizable to it fans.

The film has the Rangers, who just so happened to all be hanging out at the same gold mine in the middle of the night discover the power coins when Billy decides to do some late night excavation. Once they have their respective coins the teenagers who all share their original namesakes, spend the majority of the film in human form trying to figure out how to morph as they squabble amongst themselves. This origin story is supplemented with some baffling tonal shifts that seem to come out of nowhere. Chief among these is a revenge porn subplot and a bizarre story about masturbating a cow that really seems like odd choices for a film that nostalgic parents are hoping to bring their children to see in order to share a bit of their childhood.

That being said the film does have its rare moments where it captures what made the original series so much fun and sadly all those moments belong to RJ Cyler and Elizabeth Banks who play Billy and Rita Repulsa respectively.

While Zordon (Bryan Cranston) has become a hilariously abusive stepfather to the Rangers, Rita Repulsa, does basically what she did in the show and delivers a strange levity to the dour narrative whenever she’s on screen.

Billy for the most part is the only real misfit in the group, while also supplying the heart and soul to the film. Most of the other characters are hardly developed to the point of caring, even though you are forced to spend an hour plus with them before anyone actually turns into a Power Ranger.

Growing up and being a fan of the original, Power Rangers is void of all the fun and camp of the source and feels like someone in production really liked what Batman Vs. Superman did for the DC universe. While the last 30 minutes finally deliver on the film’s namesake, it’s the rest of the film that is the let down for most of us fans.

While the film does feels like it’s attempting to channel Chronicle at times the actors lack the chops to engage the audience and pull off the time spent out of their Zords. Instead you have a group of actors who feel like they could starred in the TV reboot of the original series struggle to get their footing in characters on screen while the film moves along without them.

Much like the film’s rather strange and unfulfilling climax the Power Rangers will leave fans wondering what they just watched as they wonder why didn’t they just hire Joseph Kahn who did that youtube short. Ultimately not a great film, but if you’re after pure nostalgia and a throwback to the 90s, than this is the film for you!