GO GO POWER RANGERS!

GO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP OF THE BOX OFFICE

“It’s Morphin Time” with the new Power Rangers film as it morphs from a franchise for children to the next big name action series.

The live action movie revival of Power Rangers surpasses all expectations and caters perfectly to the hopes of the creators’ expected audience: adults hoping to awaken nostalgia from their childhood. The movie opened this previous week making its way into the top two highest grossing films in the United States making more than forty million in its debut weekend.

The film itself is littered with easter eggs galore, almost all of which reference the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Bryan Cranston plays the Rangers’ mentor (known from Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle), who also played the villain in the first edition of the Power Rangers show.

As far as the plot goes, it seems reflective of the same go-to plot that was used time after time in the original show’s many reboots. A mystical force chooses the new team of Power Rangers materialized in the form of magical coins. The unlikely friends all end up in the same place by seemingly by accident, but quickly realize this was no simple coincidence. They must all come together to defeat the film’s main antagonist, Rita (Elizabeth Banks), who seeks to end all life on Earth.

The CGI was as good as one could expect from the magical images of a children’s show. It is of course hard to make such imaginative characters such as those in the Power Ranger’s franchise seem realistic. Occasionally, combat scenes were difficult to follow as the camera panned along side the front flips and heel kicks performed by the rangers. But in times where the camera becomes hectic, it’s best to follow the advice of the Blue Ranger, “If they’re in a primary color, they’re the good guys.”