Power Rangers: A Nostalgic Trip for Fans, a Generic Ride for Others
This teen superhero flick, while not particularly remarkable, caters primarily to fans of the TV series and the old Power Rangers movies. For everyone else, it offers a standard collection of well-worn clichés.
Millions of years ago, a source of life brought to Earth was nearly seized by Rita Repulsa, a hunter of cosmic artifacts. The treasure was saved, but the crystal remained unprotected for ages, buried beneath rock formations in North America. In the present day, five high school students, each grappling with personal struggles, stumble upon the life-defenders’ spaceship. The aliens’ legacy grants them strength and resilience, but in return, the remaining crew of the spaceship asks them to protect the source of life, as Rita Repulsa has reawakened and intends to destroy the city where the crystal is hidden with her army. These five newfound friends must undergo a crash course in combat training to gain the power of the Mighty Rangers.
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For a long time, it was odd that modern Hollywood, where every studio tries to launch a franchise at the slightest opportunity, where any book, comic, or even primitive video game is subjected to the surgeon’s knife of adaptation, and where producers are ready to dig up any old thing from the archives, be it a monster from the 1930s or a cinematic hit from the mid-20th century, and launch a remake, lacked a relevant, expensive, and ambitious film based on “Power Rangers.” It was absurd – this universe has a huge fan base, full-length films with heroes in multicolored armor last appeared in theaters 20 years ago, yet the TV version of “Rangers” thrives. But for some reason, there was no full-fledged, high-budget film project. Strange? Yes, strange. But now we can confidently say: the strangeness is in the past, and fans of Zords now have their big movie. But does it live up to expectations?
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Behind the Scenes
Director Dean Israelite of “Power Rangers” is related to Jonathan Liebesman, the director of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” The Rangers and Turtles teams crossed paths in an episode of “Power Rangers in Space” in 1998.
A Film for the Fans
Despite the fact that the creators of the new “Power Rangers” insistently disavow any connection between their film and its predecessors and the TV series, it should be noted that Dean Israelite’s film is primarily for fans. If you have no idea who Zordon, Goldar, or Alpha 5 are, don’t worry, “Rangers” will bring you up to speed. However, with a certain amount of franchise knowledge, you will appreciate many jokes, references, and quotes with greater enthusiasm – the film draws heavily on its older siblings for inspiration. But therein lies a serious problem: if you are not a fan of “Power Rangers,” then Israelite’s film will be a run-of-the-mill teen blockbuster with flying robots, ridiculous kung fu, and a cardboard plot.
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Controversy in Russia
The film’s release in Russia began with a scandal – instead of a soft teen rating, similar to the American PG-13, the film initially received an adult 16+ restriction, and on the second day of screenings, it was moved to the “porn” category with an 18+ rating due to the presence of a character with unconventional views on relationships.
The Breakfast Club Influence
However, the plot may seem even elegant to many – the story of five outcast high school students is so inspired by John Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club” that it’s impossible not to notice unless you have no idea about the classic dramedy from 1985. The same detention class, the same showdowns with the bully, even the lunchbox is mentioned – and what about the lunchbox when the characters almost exactly match the images from Hughes’ film. With the caveat that “Rangers” also demonstrates diversity of nationalities and tolerance of all forms – the five include a black and a Latina, an autistic person and a lesbian, a failed sports star and an involuntary betrayer of female friendship. Multicolored superhero costumes will make everyone good and equal.
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Action Takes a Backseat
However, you’ll have to wait quite a while for the costumes; with a two-hour runtime, the “might” of the Rangers only manifests itself in the final twenty minutes of the film, and even then, the film looks more like a battle from the TV series, swollen with additional packs of dollars thrown into the budget’s furnace – yes, the graphics are better, but the blatant toy-like nature of what is happening on the screen does not allow you to take the film seriously. “Rangers” is more like a parody of “Transformers” than an independent force. Perhaps the sequel will correct the situation, because then you can not be distracted by the introduction of characters, but that is a matter for the future.
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Performances Fall Short
Outsiders should not count on enjoying the acting either. The main star and hope of the film, Bryan Cranston, hides here behind a thick layer of special effects; he literally plays a talking head on the wall – what kind of halftones and other subtleties are there? Elizabeth Banks, on the other hand, can’t get out of the “Hunger Games” dresses – her antics and passion for elaborate makeup do not allow her Rita to be recommended as the film’s merits. All that remains of Bill Hader is his voice, and even that is only in the original version – in Russia, his participation can be forgotten. As for the “youngsters,” the guys in the film are cute, but not expressive enough to talk about a breakthrough or supernova explosion right now. Average, no more.
Missed Opportunities
But the biggest problem with “Power Rangers” remains the meaning of the film’s appearance in this form. If the film was addressed to fans, then it was not worth lingering so long with the characters; after all, each season of the TV show begins with the recruitment of a new team, and it was necessary to immediately move on to the action. If the authors were trying to increase the army of fans, then for new viewers, “Rangers” will seem completely bland, predictable, and faceless – there are two dozen such films released today, remember at least “Monster Trucks.” If it’s all about donuts, then the commercial could have been made shorter and cheaper. And with the saved money, re-release “The Breakfast Club.”