Power Rangers is a bizarre property, to say the least. Despite the fact that it originated as a kid-friendly equivalent for superhero properties, it has somehow maintained a solid position in pop culture ever since. The show has gone through 24 seasons and multiple different iterations, and this film is the first time an all-out reboot of the franchise has appeared. This isn't a new Power Rangers team, it's the old Power Rangers team with new actors. That, along with bringing in elements like Zordon, Rita Repulsa, and more, this film automatically has a lot of nostalgically-fuelled animosity directed towards it. The very different tone that has been on display in the marketing has also created a lot of worry, because this film moving in such a different direction runs the risk of losing what made the series appealing in the first place.
In Power Rangers, a group of delinquent teenagers - Jason (Dacre Montgomery), Kimberly (Naomi Scott), Billy (RJ Cyler), Trini (Becky G), and Zack (Ludi Lin) - discover a bunch of mysterious coins after a night spent exploring a mine. The next day, they discover enhanced strength and new abilities, and searching for an answer leads them to a hidden ship underground. There, they meet Zordon (Bryan Cranston), who informs them that they have been chosen as the new Power Rangers. Under Zordon's guidance, the Rangers begin to train and master their new abilities to battle Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks), an ancient being who seeks to destroy the world by summoning the monster known as Goldar.
Well, there's no denying that this film has a more serious, grounded tone to it than the original series. That's not to say that it's never silly, because it definitely is. The film does suffer a bit because of this; there are times when the pure goofiness of what's happening on-screen takes away from the dramatic weight that the film attempts to establish early on. The film wants to have its cake and eat it too; be a "gritty reboot" and have the same campy action as the original. What surprised me was how well the two tones blended at times, and I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed the film. I was expecting an average reboot that took itself far too seriously, but this film strikes a balance that creates an very fun experience overall, and paves a promising new road for the Power Rangers franchise.
Power Rangers doesn't feel like a homogenised part of a larger cinematic universe, which its sequels are no doubt destined to become. Director Dean Israelite crafts some unexpectedly artistic sequences at times, which - along with some unique (and inconsistently effective) soundtrack choices - makes the film feel like the result of a very distinct vision. There is a bit too much shaky-cam, but when the action scenes start, everything is filmed very smoothly. Nostalgia is utilised appropriately, and this film really feels like an extended episode of the original series. This film stands out because it really takes its time with the story; the beginning of the film is devoted entirely to the characters, and the Rangers are only really unleashed for the final battle. While the majority of a film being dedicated to teenage drama seems like a red flag, it works here.
The team itself is surprisingly good, with each of the young actors bringing a lot of energy to their characters. The characters are definitely rooted in darker backgrounds than Power Rangers traditionally deals with, like sexting, or the loss of parents. This does make the characters feel more real, and even though the teens themselves feel like archetypes, the archetypes function together well. RJ Cyler stands out as the emotional and comedic heart of the film, and Becky G. is the only actor who seems a bit bland - probably because she's given the requisite "tough girl" role. The diversity of the team is something to be noted, because it's not just different races, but also sexualities - with Trini - and even a character on the autism spectrum - with Billy - which is something you don't see in a lot of kids' films, especially Power Rangers.
While the development of the teenagers isn't really anything special, the film does manage to make the development of the team work. There's the expected amount of animosity and conflict early on, due to the different personalities at play, but the bonds that form between the characters happen at a rate that makes sense. The Rangers' first morph feels earned, and seeing them go into battle feels like more of a payoff than a relief. The overblown, CGI climax isn't revolutionary, but it's fun to watch, and leads to one of the most unexpectedly awesome finishing moves in any movie ever. At that point, it feels like a very different film than it did at the beginning, but it looks like Power Rangers action scenes on a level that the original show only could have dreamed of. As a reboot, that is its primary intention, so I would call it a success.
The main problem with Power Rangers is that its commitment to "grittiness" is so often broken by unintentionally funny moments. The main source of hilarity comes from Elizabeth Banks, whose performance is unbelievably over-the-top. Banks - in all of her cackling, gold-eating glory - is worth the price of admission alone, and I can't remember the last time I've seen anyone clearly having so much fun on-screen. It's something you have to see to believe, and she really managed to capture the cringiness of the original Rita. Some lines and moments of teenage drama made me laugh out loud because they were simply so exaggerated. It made the viewing experience overall more fun, but that likely wasn't the intention of the filmmakers. Above all, the product placement for Krispy Kreme is ridiculous, to the point where the filmmakers actually made a Krispy Kreme store the destination of the film's climax. In a way, that's so blatant it could be applauded.
Power Rangers doesn't reinvent the wheel in terms of superpower origins, but it didn't really have to. Competence was the bare minimum of what it needed to accomplish, and it did. It brings a new edge to the Power Rangers story, reconstructing the mythos enough to craft a new version of an old story. I like this new cast, and I want to see more of them in the future. Haim Saban has confirmed that there's currently a six-movie arc being planned, so I'm interested to see where things are headed. There's definitely a lot of canon that they can draw on, and if they can balance the same level of fun and seriousness that this film did, then I'm more interested in the Power Rangers now than I ever was as a child. Now that the origin story is out of the way, I think that the series will be able to focus on the story, and there is a good story to tell. There's certainly room for improvement, but the core components are in place for a solid franchise going forward.
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