Released: June 1995
Run Time: 95 Minutes
Rated PG
Distributor: Fox Studios
Music: Graeme Revell
Genre: Action, Kids, Science Fiction
Cast:
Jason David Frank: Tommy Oliver/White Ranger
Amy Jo Johnson: Kimberly/Pink Ranger
David Yost: Billy/Blue Ranger
Karan Ashley: Aisha/Yellow Ranger
Johnny Yong Bosh: Adam/Black Ranger
Steve Cardenas: Rocky/Red Ranger
Paul Freeman: Ivan Ooze
Paul Schrier: Bulk
Jason Narvy: Skull
23 years. It’s been 23 years since the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers hit the TV. The first episode of the Power Rangers tv show premiered on August 28, 1993. Growing up, there were a lot of cartoons at that time that I loved to watch: Animaniacs, Tiny Toons, and X-Men. There was some really great stuff going on back then. When Power Rangers showed up, I was captivated. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. The first episode was a massive success. For those that don’t know, Power Rangers was/is based on a Japanese series called Super Sentai. It involved teenagers that were given special powers to defeat the evil Rita Repulsa. The stories in the American version weren’t too dissimilar, but they combined footage from the Japanese series with footage shot here in the states. It was unusual, but it really worked. The 21st iteration of Power Rangers will be coming next year. 21 versions of the Power Rangers. That’s crazy. I stopped watching the series after half-way through the second season. But during the second season, Fox Studios thought that because Power Rangers was so popular, they should try for a movie. In 1995, Power Rangers: The Movie was released. The reactions were……mixed to say the least. But before I do that, I want to share the intro to the original Power Rangers TV show to give you a sense of what I grew up with:
Even the people who didn’t really like the show had to admit that it had an awesome and catchy theme song. It made the show feel epic, despite the fact that the episodes lasted only 25 minutes. In the span of 25 minutes, the story of a Power Rangers episode had an intro, battle and conclusion. They were usually very self-contained, although there were a number of story arcs that lasted multiple episodes. Anyway, I’m getting off track. How does a series like Power Rangers translate to the big screen? When I first saw the movie, it was freaking awesome…..mostly. Basically, the film is a self-contained story with an entirely new villain. The TV series had villains like Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, and Goldar. The film has a new villain by the name of Ivan Ooze. Apparently after 6,000 years of imprisonment, he’s kind of cranky. He’s a slimy wise-cracking villain that’s looking to rule/destroy the universe, as one does. So, he escapes, encounters the Power Rangers and destroys their command center, forcing them to find another source of power. That’s pretty much the story in a nutshell. This is ultimately a kid’s movie so it’s distracting enough. It’s just enough to allow butts to be kicked and things to explode.
This being a kid’s movie during the mid-90’s, the acting is NOT very good. The main players lead by Jason David Frank as Tommy do alright, but I think that they knew they were going to be in a very cornball movie, so they amped it up. The guy that steals the show here is Paul Freeman as Ivan Ooze. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an actor have so much fun playing a goofy villain like this. This guy fires off silly one-liners like it’s nobodies business and is just generally fun to watch. But for the most part, the acting is…meh. The action is mostly okay. The first fight the Rangers have against Ivan Ooze’s henchman is surprisingly pretty good with some nifty stunts and acrobatics. When they morph, the action gets a little crazier with a bit more wire-work. It’s still pretty cool, though. Unfortunately, that fight scene lasts about 5 minutes and is really the best fight scene in the movie. The other stuff that doesn’t involve CGI is alright.
The visual effects in this movie are…..dear god. The CGI effects are abominable, even for 1995. Especially the large insect-like monster and the Zords. Even in 1995, the CGI took me out of the movie. I’ve seen better CGI in the cutscenes from Final Fantasy VII. It’s like they didn’t even bother trying to make these things look somewhat competent. I mean, look at this:
That’s not pre-viz, that’s actually in the movie. I understand that it was a low-budget movie, but I don’t think there’s really an excuse for some of the worst visual effects that I’ve ever seen in a movie. Yeah, things blow up pretty good, but when your CG looks like bad video-game, you’ve got problems. The visual effects in the TV show were better. The music is fine and suitably cheesy, with a rock soundtrack that includes Devo and Van Halen. Not too shabby.
At the end of the day, it’s not a terrible movie, and it should keep the kids occupied. For me, this one of my guilty pleasures that I like to watch every now and again. But ultimately, the TV series is better, because stories are told over the course of an entire season. If you cut out the lame subplots about Ooze turning the parents into zombies, you would effectively have an hour long TV episode. Also, don’t get me started on that scantily clad warrior woman on the alien planet. What the hell was that? You’ve got a warrior woman that’s wearing next to nothing on what is supposed to be a kid’s movie? Yeah, the film is loaded with some bone-headed moments, but it IS a lot of fun, even if it is trying to sell toys at the same time. Paul Freeman makes the movie worth watching, though:
My final score for Power Rangers: The Movie is a 7/10. It’s silly as hell, but it is strangely fun to watch.