To say the new Power Rangers movie is a gritty reboot of the tv series is kind of a given – since just about anything would feel like a gritty reboot of a show made for hyperactive five year olds. But, to be fair, I’ve never seen a full episode of that long-long-long-running show – just basing that on the clips and moments I’ve seen. But that didn’t stop me from going to see this dark and comparably mature new film. And, you know, it’s not a terrible movie. It’s probably not really the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers either, as far as hard-core fans are concerned.
But, yes, it’s a darker and more mature movie – it’s rated PG13 and has a surprising amount of murder and swearing (and almost-swearing)… and a surprising amount of believable and well-done teenage angst. It sometimes feels like The Breakfast Club Meets Chronicle (Meets Pacific Rim). And it pulls off the characterizations and acting well… and that’s for the best since the movie is a little over two hours long and the vast majority of that is the characters out of their suits, getting to know each other, training, being angsty, etc.
There isn’t a legit action sequence until maybe 100 minutes into the movie, when they finally get their suits. That’s a LONG run-time for a movie based on a show that was probably 60% borrowed Japanese kung-fu clips. And the single kung-fu sequence in this movie lasts for maybe two minutes before they get into their vehicles (and they give us the Power Rangers theme song). Then there’s a fifteen minute giant monster fight that’s alright. The design of the creatures and vehicles are muddy and murky… a bit of a Transformers over-design problem.
The movie cast mostly unknowns for the five leads (who are all pretty good) and then stunt-cast Bryan Cranston and Bill Hader in irrelevant rolls. And then Elizabeth Banks as the villain Rita Repulsa. She has fun chewing all the scenery and straight-up murdering people. She’s not really in the same movie as the five leads who are playing it straight.. but that’s fine. She’s not in the movie much so whatever.
Also I should note, the movie is REALLY dark. So much of the movie is filmed in dark and brooding colors that even the initial reveal of the color-coded suits made them all look like the Black Ranger. And they introduce two of the five main characters at night and without much background to the point I couldn’t have picked them up out of a lineup the movie was so dark.
But, regardless of all that, I went into the movie with low expectations and was pretty surprised it was as good as it was. Which isn’t to say it’s great or even particularly good, but it is well acted and fairly well written. I suspect fans might not appreciate it for its divergence from the show… but I’m not a fan so whatever. It worked fairly well. It wasn’t garbage.
Score: 75