Power Rangers Is An Action-Packed Teen Drama

The best way to describe the new Power Rangers movie, as said by a good friend, is quite simple: Degrassi with super suits.

Power Rangers is Lionsgate’s reboot of the iconic Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Directed by Dean Israelite, this reboot attempts to reimagine the franchise in a more mature fashion.

The Rangers consists of Jason (Dacre Montgomery), the Red Ranger; Kimberly (Naomi Scott), the Pink Ranger; Billy (RJ Cyler), the Blue Ranger; Trini (Becky G.), the Yellow Ranger; and Zack (Ludi Lin), the Black Ranger.

Aiding the Rangers are their mentors, Zordon (Bryan Cranston) and Alpha 5 (voiced by Bill Hader). Zordon and Alpha 5 are tasked with training the chosen five teenagers to become Rangers in order to save the earth’s future from villain Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks).

The movie is emotional, witty and at times a bit ridiculous. It’s hard to think of Power Rangers as a serious movie and with this new adaptation, you don’t have to. The overall story is decent. It’s pacing is fluid, the story is interesting and some of the characters are somewhat well put together. In addition, the movie is smart when playing with nostalgia. But the movie’s ultimate downfall comes with the dialogue and some bad acting.

The whole story follows the Rangers, a group of troubled teens, and their path to overcome some hardships. Knowing this, it is expected that we are in for some drama. Ultimately, the movie flips into a typical teen flick. It tries to be serious, but the characters go through very predictable routes that kill the tone of the movie.

There are a couple of characters that are out place in this movie: Rita and Trini. Rita is much too animated in contrast to everyone else in the movie. Rita is supposed to be a character that is awakened in a different time, but the way Elizabeth Banks portrays her, makes it seem like she’s supposed to be in a cartoon. Trini, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Her tone and personality in the whole movie is dull and unrelatable.

However, Billy, the blue ranger was a fantastic character. With a very convincing and wonderful performance by Cyler, Billy becomes the heart of the team. Billy brings in affection and humour which steals the show. Zack should not be forgotten though; at first, he comes off as a bit arrogant but once his story unravels he becomes a very relatable character.

Power Rangers, despite its questionable character interactions, excels in its visuals. From the car scene towards the beginning to the fighting scenes later on, the visuals are admirable. The only problem is that there aren’t enough of these scenes throughout the movie to keep you invested. There is not enough time in the movie, that show the Rangers in full armor.

The message that Power Rangers is supposed to give off is very moving. Coming together as one to conquer evil is a very positive look to have. The movie is supposed to teach one to overcome their own obstacles and learn to relate to one another. When the cast isn’t repeating the words “kill Rita” or “Krispy Kreme” (you won’t understand this if you haven’t seen the movie), the film is not that bad. Power Rangers is an amusing movie that uses nostalgia to please fans, but has many flaws holding it down. Compared to the actual quality of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, this is definitely a step forward.