"It's Morphin' Time!"

This past weekend I (with the family) went to see the Power Rangers Movie and to be quite honest, I absolutely freakin' loved it!!

Yes, I am serious and no, I have not lost my mind, lol.

The Screen Rant

I seriously enjoyed it, and I'm not just saying it because of the fact, like many of you, I grew up watching the original Power Rangers when I was a 'wee' one. I loved the fact that the movie incorporated many of the original elements of the beloved show, but also they re-vamped it to fit in with 2017. 

So, here are some of the reasons why I seriously loved this reboot/re-vamping...?! Whatever you wanna call it!

O.G.'s with a Twist:

When it comes to reboots of beloved or well known shows, many reboots fall into the mistake of wanting to depart soooo much from the original material (it's almost like they are ashamed of the original content) that you are left wondering, what did you just see and why does this new rebooted franchise have the namesake of a beloved show?

Well, if you have that doubt with the new Power Rangers Movie, fear not because the film is able to take many of the original elements from the show to incorporated into the new film. I like to think of it as a really good balanced loved letter/tribute to the 90s show. 

First of all, all the 5 Rangers wore their signature colors throughout the film (just like they did in the show). So, yes, Billy wore blue, sweats, t-shirts; Trini wore yellow t-shirts, and so on and so forth. 

The names were kept for the characters, as in with the original show. At a certain point of the movie (one of the action sequences) the original theme was incorporated to the film as well. 

Which in all honestly, having those familiar elements, as a fan of the show, made my inner child giddy in the inside. I remembered what excitement I felt, when I watched the show, and got to re-live that with the film.

Trailers.TUBE

The suits got a more modern look, but many of their elements were also incorporated in them. The Zords and the MegaZord were also updated, but it also felt like it was an omage to the original. You COULD tell it was the MegaZord, it really didn't take much to figure it out. Which I enjoyed that new, yet familiar feel of it. 

Diversity, Darker, Relevant:

One of the things that really made me happy was how open and diverse the film was. Yes, the original show did have diversity, but it also stereotyped.

What do I mean by that? Well, for example, the Black Ranger, was portrayed by a black actor; Trini, being of Asian descent got to be the Yellow Ranger, yes, the cast might have been diverse, but it also fell with some stereotypical roles, like the cheerleader, jock, quiet Asian, etc. 

The fact that the new movie, kept the diversity in, but also switched things around, was an excellent point. The Blue Ranger in the new film, is played by a black actor, there's an Asian guy as the Black Ranger. The stereotypical typecasting is not as present in this new rendition, at least how I saw it. 

Not only was the film trying to overcome the stereotyping, but it also had the Rangers not be so "cookie cutter" clean cut teenagers. Something that always bothered me about the tv. show was how most of them (excluding Tommy) were clean cut, no real problems. And yes, I understand that this was a kids show and the censors had a lot to do with what kind of content they put out, it limited the growth of the characters in many ways.

The new movie doesn't shy away from making the characters flawed, and heck of a lot more realistic. The new rangers are not perfect, clean cut teens. Many have issues and problems that can be relatable to the audience. Zack, despite his outward persona of carefree, rebellious, deep inside he is scared and worried about his mom, and dealing with the potential loss of his parent. Kimberly isn't just the snooty cheerleader, she realized the damage she has done, and has issues with her moral compass. These teens' stories have been made relevant to issues that many young adults face today.

 It also allows the film to have a much darker undertone, in many ways. Rita for example, is far more cruel and sadistic than the original Rita Repulsa, who many times, came as a comical and inept villain. In the new film, there is a real sense of danger, and gravitas, self righteousness and corruption in the character, which helps give her depth that I couldn't fathom before.

Inclusiveness:

The cherry on top of all this was the inclusiveness of the film to have an implied LGBT character, and one of the central important rangers be a part of the Autism spectrum. 

Yes, even though it is IMPLIED and not outwardly said (who knows, maybe in the later films it will be clearly stated) this is absolutely fantastic.

Trini, is implied to be part of the LGBT community, and this is part of the reason why she is so guarded and has trouble identifying with her family.

Billy, plays a crucial part of the film, he is the one who is most accepting of everyone, regardless of their short-comings, he is key to the plot and is also is implied to have Autism/Asperger's.  His character development is fantastic, yes, he is bullied, but he is not helpless, at all. His character carries weight and importance and the rest of the rangers do not alienate him but at the end, he is accepted for who he is. 

This is no small feat for a film to showcase a character who has a disability as first and foremost a person, and not a "disabled" character. Billy is strong, courageous, smart, kind, and his character demonstrates capacity and ability. Something that we unfortunately do not see often in film with people who might have disabilities. We see them as their disabilities first and then the character. With this, we just see Billy and soon enough we forget that he is on the spectrum. 

So, in all honesty recommend the film? Yes, it definitely is a really good film. 

It has so much to offer and I'm definitely excited to see if and where the reboot franchise goes next.

Entertainment.com

Ps: Keep your eyes out for the two cameos!!

If you haven't seen it, go and watch it! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Til' next time!

DISCLAIMER**

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This post is used with Copyright Act of 1976, 17, U.S.C., § 107. All commentaries made in this post (that are not copyrighted) are my own. This blog is intended for entertainment purposes