Power Rangers fans have had to shed a few tears lately after it was announced that Super Sentai, the Japanese superhero series that inspired the hugely popular American franchise, is ending. According to the BBC, the series, which has aired for 50 years, will finally conclude because recent sales from merchandise and events have not been strong enough to cover production costs.
Super Sentai premiered in the mid-’70s, and its template — five teens morphing into masked fighters to fight aliens — was used for Power Rangers in America. More than a TV show, it was a mega ad for toys, attire, costumes, and collectibles. Hopefully, toy company Hasbro, which now owns the rights to the American franchise, will keep the legacy of the original production alive.
Six Power Rangers movies have been made so far, a low number considering how popular the franchise is. There is no doubt that if accorded big budgets and great creative teams, the Rangers would have really thrived over the past 15 years, given the superhero boom. But we’ll take what’s available.
Here is every Power Rangers movie so far, in order of release.
6
‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie’ (1995)
Ivan Ooze (Paul Freeman), a morphological being who ruled Earth 6,000 years before, has just been freed in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and that means trouble for everyone. In no time, he destroys the Rangers’ Command Center and leaves Zordon (Nicholas Bell) for dead. Powerless, the rangers travel to Phaedos to gain new Ninjetti abilities. They then face Ooze in a do-or-die battle.
It was always fun watching the heroes fighting off packs of rampaging miscreants on television. Even when they were down-and-out, they did it more out of a sense of honor than a desire for material reward. Now, for the first time, fans got to see the battles on the big screen. Here, the action sequences are as brilliant as ever, and yet, 96 minutes in, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie never really answers the question: Would you watch this show if you didn’t love the show?
Many critics panned the movie, including the great Roger Ebert, who said it was “as close as you can get to absolute nothing and still have a product to project on the screen.” Additionally, the $66 million box office gross felt tiny considering that this was the ‘90s when everyone was high on… ummm… the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. But it’s highly likely that if you watch (or watched) this as a child, any deficiencies would be invisible.
5
‘Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie’ (1997)
Taking place after the events of the TV series, Power Rangers Zeo, Turbo finds the Power Rangers on a rescue mission when the wizard Lerigot (Jon Simanton) frees himself from the clutches of the evil space pirate Divatox (Hillary Shepard Turner), who intends to use him to maneuver the Nemesis Triangle and awaken the deadly demon, Maligore. Some of the rangers get captured, forcing the remaining ones to gain new Turbo powers to stop Divatox. The new Blue Ranger, Justin (Blake Foster), also joins the team.
All praise goes to the antagonist in Turbo. Actress Hillary Shephard plays the part of the merciless Divatox not with neurasthenic delicacy, but with a sense of euphoria and spidery creepiness. Gorgeous and loose-tongued, she has a bizarre costume and wavy hair that occasionally brushes into her eyes, resulting in occasional and unintentional peekaboo moments. She sure is a symbol of unsettling coquetry.
Away from the over-the-top villain, the film is a major asset in the franchise’s continuity. It serves as a perfect bridge between Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo, explaining the changing powers, costumes, and even the Zords. It also introduces a Ranger that kids can actually relate to: Justin. Regrettably, the plot is super thin, and Lerigot’s costume is disgusting to look at. The climactic antagonist, Maligore, doesn’t impress either. This particular installment definitely didn’t need a “final boss.” Divatox was more than enough.
4
‘Power Rangers: Clash of the Red Rangers’ (2011)
Clash of the Red Rangers ushers us into a battle between the Samurai Rangers and the robotic villain Professor Cog (Jeff Szusterman). It looks like they are being whooped. Luckily, they receive assistance from the dimension-travelling RPM Red Ranger, Scott Truman (Eka Darville). Cog then teams up with Master Xandred (Jeremy Birchall) and the Nighloks, threatening both the Samurai world and the RPM dimension. All the Rangers just join forces to stop Cog and seal the dimension, preventing further breach.
Unfortunately, Clash of the Red Rangers isn’t nearly as entertaining as other 2010s superhero movies, but, judged by the standards of the show and the movies that came before, this is a stilted, thought-provoking, and self-conscious piece of filmmaking — a rare case of dark-toned academic-style storytelling. There is hardly a joke or a slice of wit anywhere in the film.
Generally, the joy of watching the Samurai-RPM crossover is unmatched. Fans never expected to see Scott (RPM Red) working alongside Jayden (Samurai Red), since each comes from a separate universe. Beyond that, Professor Cog is a great villain, with sensible motivations and a cool design.
3
‘The Legendary Battle: Extended Edition’ (2014)
The Legendary Battle is a TV movie serving as the finale of Season 21 of Power Rangers Super Megaforce. In it, the evil warlord Warstar and his extraterrestrial army threaten Earth. After some quick thinking, the Megaforce Rangers realize they cannot deal with the threat by themselves. They thus seek the help of the Legendary Rangers from previous seasons, including Zeo, Mighty Morphin, and SPD. United, they match forward.
There is an Avengers-like feeling in The Legendary Battle, thanks to the appearance of all previous Rangers generations. In movies like these, it’s the little emotional moments that count. Thankfully, there are plenty. That moment when Leo saves a boy’s dog reminds us of the scene from James Gunn’s Superman where Clark saves a squirrel.
The film also resonates with key questions endemic to superhero lore: whether the team that started the fight should take all the credit, and when villains should be held responsible for their actions if they are remorseful. There are things worth criticizing, too. For example, the cameos are too brief. Additionally, several logic issues can be pointed out regarding the transformation mechanics.
2
‘Power Rangers’ (2017)
Power Rangers is a reboot that loosely adapts “Day of the Dumpster”, the series premiere of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. It opens in the tony town of Angel Grove, where five high school students discover mysterious coins that give them special abilities. Guided by the elderly Zordon (Bryan Cranston) and the android assistant Alpha 5, they take up the Power Rangers moniker to defend Earth against the evil alien Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks) and the destructive robot Goldar.
Everyone was trying to create a shared universe in the 2010s, and Power Rangers was intended to launch a new mega-story with multiple sequels. Sadly, plans were canceled due to the film’s commercial failure. At a time when superhero movies were making bank, the reboot only made $142 million at the box office. This led to Saban selling the franchise rights to Hasbro.
What went wrong? On the surface, this looked like a perfect installment. The script, penned by the Oscar-nominated John Gatins (Flight and Kong: Skull Island) was decent. The coming-of-age stories and the characterization were neatly done. The presence of talented actors such as Bryan Cranston and Bill Hader was also meant to boost the film’s quality. Perhaps a more experienced director would have created something more enjoyable. Dean Israelite had only made one movie before this.
1
‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always’ (2023)
Created to commemorate the 30th anniversary of both Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the franchise at large, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always opens three decades after the defeat of Rita Mepulsa. There’s a new threat in the form of Robo-Rita (the evil purged from Rita Repulsa’s original body, now possessing Alpha 8’s body). Now adults, the original Rangers train a new crop of heroes to deal with the threat.
The latest Power Rangers movie is the most appreciated one, with praise from both fans and critics. The title is a reference to the long-standing phrase, “Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger,” first spoken by Tommy Oliver in the two-part season premiere episode of Power Rangers Zeo.
For non-fans, the film’s main appeal is its amazing cast, which includes Karan Ashley and Barbara Goodson. Such a great job they do. For fans, the feeling of nostalgia triggers unimaginable joy. And, there’s nothing to criticize regarding the designs. Robo-Rita looks great, even better during the battle sequences. There has been no talk of another follow-up, but it should happen.
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