The Flickering Myth team react…
Over the weekend at New York Comic Con, our first look at the upcoming reboot of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers landed online [watch it here]. Many compared it to The Breakfast Club while others pointed out the tonal similarities to Josh Trank’s Chronicle and Fantastic Four. But what did our writing staff think?
Chris Cooper: As someone who watched the original run of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and still has a Megazord, I’m impressed. Rather than generally confident do-gooders they’ve gone for misunderstood kids with – I assume – the potential to be good. I like this. Rita comes across as Freddy Krueger-esque. I like this. I have no problem with them being strong outside of their suits and I like the idea of them discovering they’re abilities rather than being great with them straightaway. The only thing I’m not keen on is Kimberley and Jason maybe kissing. Unless they’re setting up issues for when Tommy comes along? Bring on the Zords! Go Go indeed.
Tai Freligh: Meh. I’ll watch it on home video. I was never a fan of Power Rangers. I think I’m certainly way past the demographic age for this one although I’ve watched other movies based on shows I watched as a kid (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles anybody?). It’s just too teen angsty/The Breakfast Club meets A Nightmare on Elm Street for my tastes.
Chris Cooper: The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film is brilliant. Well judged between adult and kid themes. A personal favourite.
Tai Freligh: Exactly. It had something for people who watched the cartoons and are now adults and also something for the younger generation not aware of the history. This new Power Rangers movie seems to only be going for a new generation and perhaps alienating older viewers.
Ben Robins: A little confused. Seems to have set itself up as a semi-rip-off of Chronicle when the whole point of Power Rangers was that it was camp and silly and over the top. But I’m looking forward to seeing the suits in action and the zords. Hopefully it’ll go nuts by that point.
Eddy Gardiner: I’ll admit it looks better than I expected, but I still think I’d rather just watch Chronicle.
Thomas O’Connor: This all seems rather dour for a property about teenagers with attitude fighting a space witch with giant robot dinosaurs. I’m all for Power Rangers getting a dose of maturity, but this feels a bit too Fant4stic to me. I’m also torn on the lack of suit/zord/monster action. I already loathe the art direction in this thing, so the less I have to look at that. But really, not even one full shot of even one character in costume? Not one?
Chris Cooper: It’s a teaser.
Thomas O’Connor: Oh, I get that. But one full shot of a character in-suit wouldn’t have ruined it.
SEE ALSO: Max Landis reveals he was fired from the Power Rangers reboot
Anghus Houvouras: The Breakfast Club get super powers. I liked this because they leaned heavy on character and teased the more bombastic elements which makes me curious to see more. We know there’s gonna be Megazords and huge action set pieces, so to make the first teaser a taste of the more human elements is not only surprising but bold.
Chris Cooper: Well put. We’re very much on the same page. Keep the Zords back for now.
Jake Peffer: Definitely interested with what the trailer offers. Shows enough to get you interested but doesn’t show so much that it spoils the movie. I like the fact they are going in a different direction with the property I just hope that ends up being a good thing rather than a disaster.
Helen Murdoch: Trailer was boring and way too serious. Think the teen actors seemed a bit annoying and stereotypical as well. Will wait for the DVD.
Mark Bartlett: Didn’t love it. Looks like a Chronicle/Fantastic Four rip-off.
Villordsutch: I didn’t like Power Rangers when I was a teenager and I’m not liking this Breakfast Club/Chronicle trailer either. Granted we’re just being “teased” with what’s to come, so I can’t judge the entire film by this glimpse, but I already know I shan’t be reserving a seat months in advance.
Chris Cooper: I guess Anghus and I will go and watch it together then!
Luke Owen: Yeah, I wasn’t that keen either. Felt too influenced by the rise in superhero movies where it should try to be its own thing. I’m still excited to see it because I love Power Rangers, but this was a disappointing first impression.
Chris Cooper: I don’t understand what people are expecting. This isn’t as adult as that terrible fan film a couple of years back and isn’t the cheesy show we had as kids. It looks well judged to me.
Luke Owen: It’s not a case of pitch and tone, it’s the story you’re telling. I’m not saying ‘this isn’t Power Rangers to me’ as I believe in doing your own interpretation of any story, but it does look like a generic movie that has taken too much influence from comic book movies because ‘they’re popular at the moment’. This feels like a trailer for a film where the producers told the screenwriter, “do a Power Rangers movie, but make it like one of those comic book films because the kids like that stuff’. And so the screenwriter mimicked Chronicle and Fantastic Four. Is that bad? Depends on what your tastes are. For me though, it did nothing. I’ve seen Chronicle and didn’t like it. I’ve also seen Fantastic Four and didn’t like that either. But, really, the trailer’s biggest issue is that it’s just boring. Even for a teaser, it’s doing nothing. It doesn’t evoke emotion, it doesn’t create intrigue, it just shows stuff for a couple of minutes.
Gary Collinson: As someone who was only ever a casual fan of Power Rangers, this trailer did very little to entice me to see the movie. If you take away the logo, there’s nothing here to tell you it’s a Power Rangers film, and it seems like it was geared towards attracting non-fans (look – it’s not the campy TV show! We’re doing something different!). Unfortunately what they are doing – or at least, what they have presented in the trailer – looks all too familiar and I agree with the comments that it seems too influenced by superhero movies. Fantastic Four is surely not the film you want your trailer to draw comparisons too. Perhaps I’m being overly harsh, and certainly not judging the entire movie based on this glimpse, but it’s the kind of teaser I’d expect to see eight or nine months out, not five. If we’d have got an extra 15 seconds or so, with the suits, a little action, and maybe ending with a tease of a Zord, I might have been excited.
Luke Owen: Oh, and I actually loved the Adi Shankar fan film. Thought it was pretty great, actually.
Chris Cooper: It felt very try-hard to me. Couldn’t get on board with it at all. Takes all sorts though.
Luke Owen: I just loved the idea behind it. It’s not my Power Rangers nor would I want a whole film of it, but the action was solid and it looked cool. As a bit of fan service, it was very enjoyable.
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So, not a great reaction. It has a couple of supporters in our ranks, but more nervous detractors than anything else. What did you make of the trailer?
Saban’s POWER RANGERS follows five ordinary teens who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove — and the world — is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.
Power Rangers is set for release on March 24th 2017 and will star Becky G as the Yellow Ranger, Ludi Lin as the Black Ranger, Naomi Scott as the Pink Ranger, Dacre Montgomery as the Red Ranger, R.J. Cyler as the Blue Ranger, Bryan Cranston as Zordon, Bill Hader as Alpha 5 and Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa.
Originally published October 12, 2016. Updated November 30, 2022.
