I’ve written quiet a LOT about this movie, but I shouldn’t be shocked. I was OBSESSED with the show when I was a kid, and I’ve ALWAYS been obsessed with Japaneses superheroes and giant robots. The Power Rangers TV show was my weekly dose of that amazing Japaneses superhero aesthetic…..but it WASN’T a good show.
The writing was unbearable, the characterization was weak, and the splicing the footage from the original series, Dinosaur Sentai Zyuranger was erratic…..but yet so many of us LOVED the show.
It was easy kids fair….with some of the best action and costumes we’ve ever seen. It also helps that it was live action (most kids action shows were animated), it was weird, tons of crazy aliens and dinosaurs (kids will ALWAYS love dinosaurs.)
It was a show that came out at the perfect time and made a massive impact.
So, it only makes sense in this age of rebooting and adaptations that we were going to get a shiny new Power Rangers movie…..
I’ve had my say about the film’s choice of aesthetics already, but in the end….I needed to see some footage to REALLY know what I’m getting myself into.
This morning…we finally got our first peak.
A couple years ago I wrote this article called “Five Movies that the REAL Power Rangers Film Should Model After.” The first thing that comes to my mind after watching the new teaser is…
“Well…these teens certainly got attitude.”
We see Jason having an ankle monitor for some mistake, Trini getting shamed for her looks, Kimberly rebelliously cutting her hair (Sidenote: digging the fact that movie Kimberly was a gymnast like the old show), Zack being moody on a roof and Billy getting bullied (is that kid Bulk??? God I hope so, I would LOVE to know if Bulk and Skull makes an appearance.)
These teens definitely have TUDE…maybe a bit overkill on the attitude, but since the original shows characters were always so vanilla I don’t mind it that much. I know many fans are going to be upset by the way the new versions of the characters will act like, but I’m fine with it.
As suspected, the films influences are as clear as Bay…as in Michael Bay. A HUGE Michael Bay look in terms of the cinematography. I also get a Chronicle/Spider-Man vibe in the way they discovered the Power Coins AND in how they find out they have enhanced abilities. The little glimpse of Elizabeth Banks Rita Repulsa is pretty decent, and they are giving her some crazy alien elements in her design that I find neat.
I see they turned Angel Grove from a Southern California town to a what looks to be more like an East Coast, Martha’s Vineyard vibe. Again, strangely ok with that (but will this new Angel Grove have weird statues in the park and Tokyo Tower like in the old show? Time will tell.)
Actually, that does beg the question…when we get to the Megazord, WILL they have a big fight in a huge city with skyscrapers? Just a random thought.
No real shots of the suits in action, no scenes with Bryan Cranston as Zordon, no shot of Alpha 5, and no putties and monsters yet.
You know, I feel like I should be rolling my eyes at this trailer, be upset that it doesn’t feel like the old show that I grew up with …yet I’m surprisingly open to this movie. Not everyone will feel the same (that’s for sure) but I think this was a decently cut trailer that sold this Nu-Power Rangers take pretty well. It’s got plenty of the weird, it’s got some goofy (the quick bits of the team doing any kind of martial arts pose) and yeah…that TINY musical cue to the shows theme song is pretty sweet.
Dear god….this actually got me kinda hopeful.
Saban’s Power Rangers will be out March 2017.