Director: Dean Israelite
Cast: Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Banks
Have I Seen It Before: Oddly, yes. One of those moments where I had to get an oil change, the oil change was going to take longer than two hours, and my lube place was within walking distance of a theater, all at the same time.
Did I Like It: I apparently liked it well enough to watch it again which I’ll admit surprised me a little bit. The movie is, at it’s core an incredibly average and occasionally cheap superhero affair. I’m sure that Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Banks managed to quite effectively remodel something in their houses but accomplished little else. The actual rangers are fine enough, understanding the assignment of bringing a pinch of modern* The Breakfast Club (1985) to the convoluted mythology that launched a thousand action figures.
It would be damning praise, one would assume, to say this is probably the best one could hope from for a big screen adaptation of Power Rangers, but as I watch this for what I imagine would be the final time, I’m struck by—despite all of its profound pandering; indeed, because of that pandering—just how effective an adaptation of the old TV show this is. This is filled with warmed over material from other—if not better—more successful films, but have you ever actually watched an episode of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers? If you haven’t, I wouldn’t say I blame you, but the show is actually built around footage from another (it sort of shames me to admit) Japanese TV show, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. It wouldn’t be Power Rangers if it wasn’t sort of disappointing and essentially the cinematic or televisual equivalent of leftover casserole.
*Would a modern audience have genuinely been unable to handle a genuine 90s (or even 80s?) energy to the proceedings? If you’re going to go for homage, follow through does count for something.