Power Rangers, le film

Lots of nostalgia here. I grew up watching the TV show. And as far as I can remember, I believe this was the first movie I saw in theaters. It has it's ups and downs, the acting is on par with typical Power Ranger acting, but it has it's greats. Jason David Frank as Tommy is amazing as ever. And Ivan Ooze is one of the all time best Power Ranger villains period.

Starting a movie off with Red Hot Chili Peppers is always a recipe for success.

Either you grew up with the Power Rangers or you didn't. If you didn't, this is one of the stupidest movies out there, but if you're like me and were a kid through the nineties there's a good chance you watched Power Rangers. As a result, I watched this movie a lot as a kid, and so even now it's packed full of nostalgia.

Ivan Ooze was a pretty good villain too with clever dialogue. After all, Paul Freeman was the villain in the greatest adventure movie of all time, that of course being 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.

The CGI is pretty rough, but again it's 1995 and Power Rangers, so just enjoy it for what it is.

I hate to admit this, but "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" is one of my major guilty pleasures. I really shouldn't like this movie since it's aimed squarely at kids. But to my astonishment I did. It's no classic to be sure. It's mostly ridiculous. It's absurd in many ways. However for some odd reason, it entertained me. The thing I liked best about the movie is the six young actors who play the Power Rangers. They're all good, although I wish the screenplay would have let their characters delelop better that it did. Then this movie would have been better. I wish this movie, as well as the TV show, could have been aimed at teenagers instead of kids. Then some of it wouldn't be so juvenile. However, this movie is nowhere near as childish as the terrible second movie "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie". One good thing about "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" is that you don't see much of two of the most brainless characters in the history of show business, Bulk and Skull. Cut those guys out! The six actors who play the rangers (Karan Ashley, Johnny Yong Bosch, Steve Cardenas, Jason David Frank, Amy Jo Johnson, and David Yost) give far better performances compared to the two actors who play those goofballs (Jason Narvy and Paul Schrier) in this movie and on the TV show. Of all of these actors, only Johnson has gone on to some fame (on TV's "Felicity"). "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" has better special effects than on the show and in "Turbo", and that helps alot. This is one odd picture. It ain't all that good, but it's not all that bad either.

**1/2 (out of four)

I saw this thing in the theaters, people. Can you believe it? And I actually took the material seriously and thought it was probably the single coolest thing I would ever see in my lifetime. Thank God I went on to my 11th birthday. One of my friends still digs all things Ranger, so he started playing it during play practice breaks. After having it sit on my shelf for so long (yes, we actually own the video...shut up), I couldn't believe how much I had forgotten. The horribly obvious wire work with Billy, the 'cool' new plastic suits (as opposed to the cheap spandex suits of ye olde television era), the offensively dumb Ivan Ooze villain, and especially the giant foam skeleton of a triceretops that attacks our heroes (wow, this movie has EVERYTHING!). The whole thing just screams Early 90's, when all kids could think of to do for fun was pretend to be Tommy and break their buddy's arm while pretending he was Lord Zedd (crap, I actually remember who Lord Zedd is!). Things are just corny from start to finish here, like the new and improved Ninja Rangers with their spiffy Early 90's Computer Animated Zords (gotta love the Frog Zord). From what I remember, Turbo was even more insipid than its big brother, so if you have to choose which one to watch during your Elementary School Nostalgia-Thon Fest Bonanza, go with this puppy. Trust me, even though it's Grade-A junk food, it will make you laugh with the memories. 2/4 Stars

Okay, if you forgive the banal dialogue and the plot contrivances, plus the fact the film tends to become silly and cheesy, it is really mindless fun aimed at kids. Yes the script is weak, and the story is suggestive of an extended TV episode, and does get very silly at times. Despite all this, it does have a sense of fun, and not as bad as the rating makes it out to be. The music is good, and an unrecognisable Paul Freeman as the villainous Ivan Ooze is surprisingly good, with some excellent delivery of the film's best lines. Ooze is not only scary but incredibly funny as well, and Freeman the great actor he is nailed that on the head. The performances on the whole are decent, certainly not Oscar worthy material, and there are some well staged fights, even if the effects are nothing special. I will confess I don't like the TV show that much, but despite the failings that this film has, it is fun to watch. 6/10 Bethany Cox.