Power Rangers Review

     Go Go Power Rangers! That was a term that heavily ruled my childhood. I was a huge fan of the old TV shows and the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie. When Lionsgate announced that they would be doing a new movie, I was very eager to see what type of film they would bring. I enjoyed most of the trailers but my biggest worry was that cheesiness from the original series would not fit well on the big screen today. Although it is far from a perfect movie, Power Rangers is a delightful film with a great blend of nostalgia and a story that will appeal to a new, younger generation.

     What's intriguing about this movie is how it's almost two separate movies. The first being the team setup and training, while the second is their action piece. The setup was something that pleasantly surprised me. The team dynamic is really easy to buy into because of the cast. The standout is RJ Cyler as the Blue Ranger. RJ caught my attention in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and continues to show off his comedic chops in Power Rangers. The guy is fantastic. Some other standouts include Dacre Montgomery as the Red Ranger. They could have very easily made him just a stereotypical jock but he was actually a very well layered character with a great on-screen presence. I was not necessarily on board with Ludi Lin as the Black Ranger until around the second act when we got a little more depth to his character. There are also some really good performances from Bryan Cranston as Zordon and Naomi Scott as the Pink Ranger.

     The performance that took me out of the movie was Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa. At first I was very intrigued because the director, Dean Israelite, portrayed her almost as this horror like figure at the beginning of the film. Unfortunately though it seemed to me she was a little over the top when she was delivering dialogue. Although she is miles more tamed then the Rita Repulsa in the original show, for me I felt they missed the mark to make her a great villain.

     I am not sure that this film will necessarily appeal to older people who were not a fan of the original show but fans of the old show and younger generations will really enjoy this movie. It blends nostalgia with an up to date story very well. Once we see the Rangers all suited up for the first time, that's when the influence of the older show is really on display. The pacing for this film is pretty good, although they probably could have cut around 20 minutes from the second act and thrown that into the third. The third act is satisfying that is definitely trying to appeal to the older fans. Although the fighting action isn't the best, it's solid and gets the job done. There are also some glaring plot holes within the story but that doesn't take away from the movie too much.
     This movie is far from perfect but is actually a delightful surprise. I think fans of the original will love this movie and I am hoping it will attract some new fans along the way. It's not necessarily a film you have to see in theaters but I hope you do because I would love to see sequels for this property.

Rating: 6.8 out of 10