To any ’90s kid who raced home after school for morphin’ time, this movie is ode to you.
When candy-colored Mighty Morphin Power Rangers premiered on Fox in 1993, the TV show’s central characters were spandex-clad “teenagers with attitude” who — in addition to dealing with high school romances and bullies — were tapped by an alien life force to protect Earth from extraterrestrial evildoers.
That premise remains intact in the new big-screen reboot, but both the teens and the action have been upgraded inside and out.
Gone are the TV show’s low-budget fight scenes. In their place are special-effects action sequences that could go toe-to-toe with any Transformers movie.
The cast is still diverse, but (thankfully) the Yellow Ranger is no longer Asian and the Black Ranger is no longer black. Their spandex has been traded in for body armor similar to Iron Man’s. And their teenage angst is a result of modern millennial problems.
Pink Ranger Kimberly (Naomi Scott) is a former popular girl who is shunned by her clique after she shares compromising photos of a friend. Blue Ranger Billy (RJ Cyler) is “on the spectrum” and still dealing with the death of his father. Red Ranger Jason (Dacre Montgomery) is a football star whose school-prank-gone-wrong gets him kicked off the team and earns him a police-issued ankle bracelet. Black Ranger Zack (Ludi Lin) is caring for his terminally ill mother. And Yellow Ranger Trini (Becky G) is a transfer student whose sexual orientation has made family dinners very tense.
At times the dialogue can be a bit heavy-handed as the teens navigate their civilian lives, but, for the most part, Power Rangers successfully avoids after-school special territory.
Those who buy tickets expecting nonstop action sequences may be disappointed: The major CGI moments are saved for the final 20 minutes of the movie. But fans of fleshed-out origin stories — and/or of the original Rangers (one or two of whom maaaaay just make an appearance in this reboot) — will be more than pleased with their purchase.
The Breakdown:
The Plot: It sticks true to the original story line so it might seem like a repeat, but nonetheless a good refresher for those who weren’t really paying attention. Plus, keep in mind that this is brand new territory for those 20 and under.
Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa: You may recognize her as Effy from The Hunger Games series. She’s funny and scary at the same time, she’s just SO good. One might even say that she stole the show.
Krispy Kreme Donuts: We predict you’ll be craving some sweet, deep-fried goodness after this film. I know I am!
Power Rangers is in theaters now. check out the official movie trailer below:
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