Five teenagers with attitude ...
- Opie Akinsilo
- Mar 26, 2017
- 3 min read
The Power Rangers are back in the latest attempt to capitalize on what made the 90's so cool (or cool for me at least) and in this case it may not be a bad thing. While reimagining the origins off the five rangers, the story for the most part brings a more serious tone without making itself so serious to where its unbearable. It does a pretty good job of straddling that line. Those who were fans of the original series from 20 years ago will appreciate a lot of the nods to the past show and some of the liberties they took with this retelling. If you are coming into this for the first time this might not knock you socks off but all in all is a fun and at times very campy movie.
If you remember the original team of Jason, Zack, Kimberly, Billy, and Trini, you won't be met with the same well mannered and friendly teenagers of Angel Grove but instead by what some are calling the super powered breakfast club, which once again isn't a bad thing. We finally get a story that tells us more about the teens of Angel Grove. This new moodier group setups and gives us a reason to believe that they are a team or a family. They have to overcome their own difference before they can actually be the Power Rangers which is a new and nice approach. The movie it self hits on a lot of what makes being a teenager so difficult whether it be peer pressure, bullying, or discovering yourself sexually, being a teenager can be a trying time for some and its this fact that works to make a pretty good first half of the movie. This marks the first time on screen we see an openly gay superhero with Trini the yellow ranger and seeing the Rangers in a more vulnerable state helps to lay the foundation for a believable connection between the team as it progress towards the big moment we are all waiting for "Its morphin time!!"
While Bank's Rita Repulsa and Cranston's Zordon had a few moments where they deliver, the star of the show was RJ Cyler's Billy that truly was the heart of the movie. Billy becomes the connecting factor as well the comedic one, almost facilitating the team's coming together as well as majority of the films hilarious moments. While he comes of as a genius it's Billy's straight forward nature and social ineptness that makes the film work, becoming the glue that holds the team together. It rounds out and takes the edge off the slower parts of the movie.
Its in the second half where the film's serious tone loses its steam and you are reminded of the fact that you are watching a Power Rangers movie. For the die hards and the nostalgic types this is fun and endearing in a sense, reliving the past and for everybody else this can definitely come off as extremely corny.
Power Rangers is not going to be the dark horse triumph and to be honest did you really think it would be? It unfortunately is coming in with a chip on its shoulder with viewer looking for the worst. The great thing about this is that it pleasantly surprises with it being a decent film. So for anyone who ones what its like to get excited as the Megazord comes together to offer that final blow than this is the movie for you but if you are looking of ran action blockbuster you might be in the wrong place. At the end of the day if you are just looking for a fun time Power Rangers has it going on.
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