Power Rangers: Once & Always

Just finished watching this, i was 10 years old when i watched the original series so i was looking forward to seeing this for nostalgic reasons. I wasn't expecting to be blown away but I was really disappointed with the outcome. It seemed very rushed and lacking in charm, the zords CGI was like something out of a cheap B-Movie and I found Minh to be a really annoying character. I would have given this a 3 but the extra star was out of respect for those rangers we lost. It was nice to have a memory jog but that is really all this is. I'm sure there will be a lot of fans feeling the same way, just dont get your hopes up and you'll be fine.

Go, go Power Rangers!

Great bit of fun and exciting childhood nostalgia. Yes some of the acting and effects are a little bit dodgy, but I don't think anyone is expecting Avengers: Infinity War here. Was great to see some of the original cast, especially the legend that is David Yost, and some from other incarnations of the show. The way they wrote out Trini, and paid homage to Thuy Trang and Jason David Frank, with a song sung by fellow original Amy Jo Johnson, was beautiful.

If you're a fan of the shows, especially the original, then just enjoy it for what it is.

Once a Ranger, always a Ranger.

More or less exactly what you'd expect of a one-hour special celebrating 30 years of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, for better or for worse. Once & Always may have a serious subject at its core, but it still remembers to have plenty of fun. There's playful martial arts action, weird monster villains, and colourful settings galore. As one would expect from a 30th-anniversary special, it goes hard on the nostalgia, I can't be the only one who started jamming the moment the theme song kicked into overdrive. As with MMPR, Once & Always embrace its cheesiness but with its emotional core brings about a truly heartwarming reunion special that despite the real-world loss of two of its stars, never feels like it's taking advantage of them, merely respecting them even as our cast mourn their losses.

An extremely wholesome special that delivers on the Power Rangers goodness we all loved, Once & Always is a real special of a special. Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger.

I never thought I would ever write a review about a Power Rangers show, but hey, I can actually recommend watching this reunion special!

Honestly, you don't even have to be an actual fan to enjoy these 55 minutes.

Is it cheesy? Sure! Does it have some awkward one-liners? Of course it has, it's Power Rangers! Does the 90s nostalgia hit you right in the face and bring back childhood memories (which also make you feel really old at the same time)? Absolutely!

BUT on top of that, it's so much better than the show which was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in 1993. You can tell that in contrast to the TV show, the returning cast members and the crew deeply cared for this production. (Although to be fair, never seasons like Beast Morphers and Dino Fury have improved immensely compared to the past!) There's lots of fan service in the best way and not at the expanse of the story. In fact, the story is so tightly-knit and moves at a fast pace (without feeling rushed) to fit everything that happens into 55 minutes.

In contrast to the TV show, where nobody ever died and stayed dead, this reunion special has real stakes and consequences, and after 30 years in which they were never allowed to use the words "kill" or "die" on this show, these words suddenly become quite meaningful.

The special is still suitable for the target audience of the TV show, aka primary school kids, but you can tell it's mainly made for these 90s kids who are in their late thirties or even older now. As another fan pointed out: It's wild seeing these weapons suddenly CUT INTO opponents instead of just slashing past and causing some sparks which sent the monsters flying.

So, if you are up for a nostalgia trip into your childhood, go watch this 55 minutes special. I definitely had fun (and also shed some tears).

What's nostalgic is the way it's written honestly. It's very much like the 90's show. Which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it.

It's not a 2010's version that's darker or more serious. The budget isn't amazing. The story is simple. It's not what draws us into movies nowadays where we're now accustomed to really good superhero films and such. But it kind of works. It's pretty kid friendly but the audiences that will truly appreciate the cast and story are those that are a fan of the OG, and I think that's exactly who they made this film for. It's a blast from the past and a tug at your heartfelt childhood heroes. It's pretty cool seeing the cast back with some better CGI all these years later. It's really cool actually. Who would have thought?! The costumes look amazing and slightly upgraded yet adhere to the original. The morphing and teleporting transitions are flawless.

Is it going to be omg amazing? Not really but they don't act like it's going to be either. I think they knew the material they were aiming for and succeeded nicely.

The nods to the previous generations, those that have passed away, and keeping the original overall tone is the best way to honor the original MMPR.

They didn't finesse the story, or characters in a way that would disappoint. They're all good people still, and care about one another. And their actual love for one another shows. Thanks for making this film for us 90's kids! I wouldn't mind a sequel to be honest!