The year is 1999. Someone has thrown a rock at my sisters eye. The rock tares through her eyebrow and blood gushes all down her face. Six year old me is left with the neighbours while Mum and Dad rush her to A & E. When they return from the hospital my sister is fine. She has a cool star patterned plaster hiding her cut, a lolly pop (a bit cliche but okay) and Dad even rented (yes rented) Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie on VHS (I bet you are wondering what a VHS is?) Even though my sister had been hit in the head with a rock earlier that day, we are both pretty thrilled to be watching Power Rangers.
If we fast forward to the year 2016, I think it is safe to say that the Power Rangers was very iconic back in the 90s. And I have to admit that when I heard that the Power Rangers franchise was being rebooted I was surprised. I figured that Power Rangers was outdated and was something best left back in the 90s along with double denim and Save By the Bell. If I were to ask a young child who the Power Rangers were, would they know? I assumed they would not. But, the story of high school kids morphin’ into super heroes who wear tight multi-coloured outfits to fight evil never actually went away. If you look down the Power Ranger wiki page, writers and directors have been constantly rolling Ranger films out since the early 90s. So, if Power Rangers is still such an iconic series even today in the new millennium, then why am I so skeptical about the new film?
Well, the cast line up actually looks pretty good. Elizabeth Banks plays Rita Repulsa. I have liked pretty much ever film she has been in; The Next Three Days being a favourite. I have to admit that early pictures of Banks as Repulsa look pretty good. (Can you remember that awesome episode when the Rangers team up with Rita to fight a common enemy? But I digress…) The Rangers are prominently being played by a bunch of people who I cannot picture off the top of my head, but altogether in their hip 2016 style fashion, they look like a pretty bad ass team. Naomi Scott will be playing the Pink Ranger. Becky G. will be the Yellow Ranger and R.J. Cyler will be the Blue Ranger. The Black Ranger will be played by Ludi Lin and Dacre Montgomery will be starring as the Red Ranger. Hmm, so it isn’t the cast which is making me feel so nervous about it.
Even the suites sound intriguing. Director Dean Israelite commented “one key that’s different to the Power Ranger suites is that they’re not really suites that people get into, they’re suites that morph onto our kids so they already have this almost metaphysical quality to them.” I am not really sure what this means, but it sounds interesting and so I don’t thinks what is worrying me.
Hmm, I guess I will just have to wait for the film to make an informed opinion. I’ve already waited seventeen years to watch another Power Ranger movie, whats another year to wait?
P.s I tried super hard to put in a mighty morphin’ joke, but it would seem my mind is currently out of it, like someone administering morphine. Wow, I just want to beat myself up for that one.