Sunday, March 26, 2017

Power Rangers (2017) - Movie Review


The Movie: Power Rangers

The Director: Dean Israelite

The Cast: Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Becky G., Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader, and David Denman

The Story: A group of high-school kids, who are infused with unique superpowers, harness their abilities in order to save the world.


The Review:
Having never watched a Power Rangers movie or TV show ever in my life, this was definitely going to be a new, if not totally foreign experience for me. Of course, I know the basic premise, but none of the back story or history of the characters and mythology of the rangers. All I knew that the Power Rangers has been an insanely popular property for years and hopes have been high that this new theatrical version would propel the franchise to new heights. This new version is definitely still intended for a younger audience, yet I felt like it is still something that anyone could get into and enjoy. The premise is a pretty straight forward origin story with all the elements you would expect, but it never feels stale or overdone.


There's a very intentional emphasis on diversity both in story and in production value so the primary cast members that make up the five rangers are very reflective of that without pandering to classic stereotypes. I wasn't blown away by any of the performances although I didn't have a problem with any of them either. Each of the rangers are very distinct and come with their own set of real world problems and issues to deal with. The one character I was really looking forward to was Rita Repulsa, played by Elizabeth Banks, and she delivered exactly the type of deliciously fun performance I was hoping for as the film's primary villain.


The Verdict:
From what I understand, there are a lot of callbacks and easter eggs as well as a couple cameos that were all put in place to provide an appropriate amount of fan service while not aliening people, like myself, who won't know the difference. Overall, Power Rangers is a fun movie that long time fans will be happy with while still being a great entry point for newcomers to the franchise.





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