Power Rangers S.P.D.

In the early nineties, the Power Rangers were all the rage. I had fond memories of getting up at the crack of dawn, fixing a bowl of cereal, than racing to the tube to see my once favorite and adored TV heroes kicking evil monster butt!! The story lines were exciting and the action was violent, but in a lighthearted sense which didn't make parents too objectionable to what was being shown on screen. I can vividly recall images of children screaming the catchphrases and begging their parents to buy them oodles of merchandise for their birthdays and Christmas. A sign of being a child and enjoying it. Yes, the Power Rangers were the most popular superheroes of the time, even beating out the vastly superior Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men, and Captain Planet.

But as time went on, things took a turn for the worse unfortunately. The show was beginning to lose all of its magic and charm in favor of more action sequences and less plot and more camp. Who can't forget (especially Die-hard fans) the awesome Megazord battles? These were one of the hallmarks of the series where a giant robot squares off against a giant alien in a Godzilla-style duel of epic proportions. Or when Rita Repusla nearly defeated the Rangers, causing their robotic counterparts to sink into the ground. And another memorable event is when the rangers discover the mysterious "White Ranger" and the comedic relief of Bulk and Skull. Sadly, later versions of the show became more and more flat in execution and style.

As a long time viewer of the series, I'm sad to say that the Power Rangers are nothing more than reheated leftovers. It's just not as exciting and engaging as the the original '90's version. That version was fresh and unique, although a little silly and with no logic, but still entertaining nonetheless. But now, the series is starting to fall apart. The biggest flaw are the story lines. They've lost all the excitement, tension, danger and suspense and humor that made the series so charming and appealing. You never get the sense that the Rangers are in danger or the villains are threatening and menacing as Rita Repusla and Lord Zedd were in the original. Even the action scenes are lacking in excitement. Instead of relying more on strategy and intelligence to defeat their enemies, they rely more on guns, making the fight scenes more of a quick-fix than a dramatic and epic encounter. And finally, the Megazord battles are over too quickly with no rationale behind it all. It seems that the creators simply care more about the money than the material and just go on filming with a "By The Numbers" attitude.

As much as I used to love the Power Rangers, deep down I wish it would just fade into the past. The original, despite it's dated looks, is far more superior in terms of execution and style. But now, as a series working on its own merits, it falls completely apart. I would only hope that someday, that this series, once an entertaining and childhood favorite, ends indefinetly.

Ah, Power Rangers. I used to LOVE that show as a kid. I had the toys, watched the show religiously, and even played "Power Rangers" in the back yard. As I grew up, and more Power Ranger shows came on, I started to cringe at what the new seasons were like. I thought that they had lost the magic that was Power Rangers, and for the most part, I was right. Actually, when I had 1st heard of SPD, I refused to watch it. Just around fall or winter last year, I was flipping around on the TV one morning, and decided to watch SPD reruns. I loved it. The characters were complex, the plot line was good, and the dialog was not super cheesy. I just watched the finale this week, and I found myself not wanting it to end. That's how good of a show it was. It's not super "See This or Die!" like other hyped up shows, but this one has a lot of heart. It leaves a good feeling in my heart, and in the end, isn't that all you can ask from a TV show?

This has been one of my personal favorite seasons of the Disney-era, next to Dino Thunder because it actually does hold up because of the story and the amount of character developments among the B-Squad. Now, if I had some major complaints, then I guess it would have to be the idea of splitting the team-up between the SPD rangers (B- Squad) and the Dino Thunder Rangers into two individual episodes, instead of combining them into a two-part episode, traditionally, Morgana reverting back to Mora, and Dr. Kat Manx not being the SPD Kat Ranger for one more battle. The amount of "Kalishsplosions" being used in the season, Gruumm having the "Christian Bale Batman" voice and the Omega Ranger being a "ball of light" are just small potatoes, to me.

Other than that, I actually enjoyed this season. Highly recommend it for newcomers.

"SPD, EMERGENCY!!!"

S.P.D. is one of the best seasons since Time Force without any doubt. After a long time do we get to see so many characters with multiple dimensions. That Mighty Morphin era of good vs evil is now a thing of the past thanks to S.P.D.

The season begins with the introduction to the main characters: the rangers, Emperor Grumm, Broodwing and Piggy. As the season progresses the characters develop to an extent that everything falls into place at the end.

The Red and Yellow rangers who started as street Robin Hoods discovered themselves and their true potential as Rangers. They realized the difference they could make by getting involved in something big than resorting to petty crimes.Initially ignorant Jack, the Red ranger learned to appreciate friendship and teamwork.The Blue ranger, who we see as being disappointed and jealous of not being red turned out to have a reason for that. It's not about power but because his father was one of the best Red rangers ever! The Green ranger, who we were introduced as being the goof, turned out to have some cool abilities such as psychic ability. The Pink ranger is not just a pretty girl this time. She came from a rich family and was definitely privileged but decided to join the SPD in order to do something challenging. The Commander, an alien from another planet, has his own tragic history in which Grumm destroyed his home planet and took away his wife.

The bad guys are not just bad but they are "good" bad guys. Grumm's goofy yet devious portrayal places him with Mesogog and Lord Zedd as one of the best villains ever. Grumm's history with Commander Crueger adds an extra dimension to the conflict. Broodwing, a mercenary who served Grumm at the beginning had his own agenda. Piggy, an absolute opportunist and a double agent, was integrated so well in the story that despite his limited screen time he was an integral part of the show.

That was just the characters. The story, zord fighting sequences, the team ups, countless cameos and references to the past season is a true treat to all fans young and old. This season was the only one in my opinion that actually responded to the fandom in so many ways that no other seasons have ever done before.

Overall, S.P.D gets an A+.

My almost 3 year old and 9 year old and I watched a few times on Jetix/ToonDisney and enjoyed it. This is my first exposure to Power Rangers and I was impressed enough to buy all 5 DVD's for Christmas. The plot lines and action are OK, and there are values taught within them. If you look at it from the target audience point of view its a good show. I haven't grown tired of watching the DVD's thus far and we've only opened 2 of them. Once we open the other 3 for Christmas the rotation will allow for many hours of entertainment. I even shelled out 150 bucks for some action figures, morphers and gun toys for the boys. Mystic Forces will be starting soon, It looks entertaining as well.