Power Rangers Ninja Steel

I watched all 22 episodes of "Power Rangers Ninja Steel" and while I enjoyed them as they were broadcast on Nickelodeon and re-watched most of them, I can't say it's a particularly good season, especially in the wake of the last two cycles (Megaforce, 2013-2014, and Dino Charge, 2015-2016), which turned out to encompass four exemplary seasons, arguably the best since "Time Force" (2001). "Ninja Steel" puts the five Rangers (with a sixth one joining later) back in high school, but dumbs down a lot of the stories with an eye to pleasing the kiddie audience. It also adds two comic relief characters, a conceited jock and his obsequious sidekick, whose antics will make the kids laugh, but try the patience of older fans who may have fond memories of the original comic PR foils, Bulk and Skull.

An interesting angle has the Rangers' exploits serve as material for an intergalactic reality show called "Galaxy Warriors," in which miscreants from other planets can watch on TV as the monsters employed by alien warlord Galvanax descend to Earth to try to defeat the Power Rangers. When their efforts invariably fail, the program host presses a "gigantify" button that causes the vanquished monster to come back to life and grow into giant size, at which point the Rangers call in their Zords to finish the job.

A lot of episodes revolve around problems the five Rangers, Brody, Sarah, Preston, Calvin and Hayley, cause themselves. Brody (Red Ranger) uses his "datacom" device to cheat on tests. Sarah (Pink Ranger) creates clones of herself to do some serious, if misguided multitasking. Preston (Blue Ranger) gets hold of some ancient spells, but thinks he can learn them quickly without paying attention to the fine print. Calvin (Yellow Ranger) is in awe of a local driver with a cool car and offers to fix the engine at a time he needs to be available to help the other Rangers. Hayley (White Ranger) and Calvin get into an argument which leads to them running against each other for student government president. Even their robot ally, Redbot, oversteps his bounds when he writes a book taking credit for the Power Rangers' achievements. They all have to learn from the messes that result from their hubris or irresponsibility.

One of the best episodes has the five banding together to take on a local crisis, caused when Preston's father, a real estate tycoon, buys the land that's home to the town's sacred Ribbon Tree, on which the citizens traditionally hang ribbons with their wishes on them. While two of the Rangers rally the townsfolk and another two occupy the tree to keep the bulldozers away, Preston tries to change his father's heart. It's actually quite a moving episode and features excellent performances by the actors playing Preston and his embittered father.

There's an emotional backstory involving Brody and his long-lost brother, Aiden, who were separated as boys when their father, a ninja warrior, disappeared while fighting Galvanax and preventing him from attaining the prized ninja steel. Brody is held as a slave by Galavanax until he's a teenager and manages to engineer an escape with the help of another human slave, Mick, a wild-eyed, wild-haired mechanical genius from another galaxy. They wind up in Summer Cove, where they set up shop at the local high school and find the ninja steel stored in a clever hiding place. Brody never gives up the hope of reuniting with Aiden, which, if you know your Power Rangers, is bound to eventually happen. There's a significant obstacle along the way, but when the reunion finally happens, it packs quite a punch.

In a most unusual development for Power Rangers, two of the Rangers, Calvin and Hayley, are in a committed relationship before the series starts and remain so throughout. They display a lot of affection--holding hands, hugging, putting their arms around each other, etc. It also happens to be a black-white interracial relationship, Calvin being white and Hayley being black, which makes it something of a first in the Power Rangers universe. The Blue Ranger, Preston, is Asian, Sarah is white, and Brody and his brother are of indeterminate ethnic origin. Even though the characters don't have much depth and their relationships lack the intensity of those in Power Rangers Dino Charge, I thought the actors were, for the most part, pleasant and engaging, with special marks going to Chrysti Ane (Sarah), Peter Sudarso (Preston), Nico Greetham (Calvin), and Zoe Robins (Hayley). They were warm and fun to spend a half-hour with.

The series was based on its Japanese sentai counterpart, "Shuriken Sentai Ninninger" (2015), although its connection to that series is slight. Some fight scenes from the original are used, although many more fight scenes are restaged in New Zealand for the Ninja Steel scenes. The Zord battles offer the only consistent use of Japanese footage in the whole series and are, as usual, quite imaginative and exciting.

ADDENDUM: The new season of Power Rangers premiered on January 27, 2018, under the title, "Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel," so it's a continuation of the previous season with the same cast and some of the same villains, but with the ninja steel upgraded to "super."

This is another under the radar gem, it's not totally overlooked but doesn't really get a whole lot of credit or as much attention as the others which happens in most long running franchises. This was also the last entry in the Neo Saban era and I thought it was a solid finish; yeah it's true the Neo Saban era wasn't the franchise's best era but it wasn't a total loss as there were two solid franchise entries "Dino Charge" and this one; so two out of four isn't bad, it's better than none.

The show is going with the Ninja concept once more, but unlike "Ninja Storm" which was fantasy this one is sci-fi which is cool and something I'd love to see more as it's a combination of two of the things I love in life sci-fi and ninjas.

The plotline doesn't reinvent the wheel as it's the typical alien invasion scenario but one thing that actually is unique is how the aliens have this game show where each monster they send down to attack the Rangers is televised, sort of like the movie "The Running Man". That also isn't exactly a new premise, but I thought it was cool having that in the franchise.

The monsters and their designs are good as usual, especially the two main villains like Madame Odious whom has this fox mask and kimono robes which signify elegance but nastiness which makes the character more deceptive hence her name. But I really like the design on Galvanax it's pretty much an exaggerated Shogun Samurai look but all the same it's cool, and he's really menacing looking. Both are decent villains though not my favorite as they are on the two-dimensional side but they serve their functions.

The music is sold, the theme song is fun really like the fast guitar tunes which fit the nature of the show, and even there is a remixed track or two from the first "Power Rangers" show in a episode or two, one of them is one the track you would hear during the Zord battle which I thought sounded cool. I always like remixed tracks showing you can still do more with the track or making them sound even better or unique.

The Ranger characters are cool as their all unique, my favorite is Preston whom is the Blue Ranger. He's cool I like that he's into magic and has big dreams of being the next David Copperfield or any other great magician. Though he's not perfect as he's a little ill confident and his magic act doesn't always work out the way he wants it to as sometimes something goes wrong in the trick but Presto doesn't give up as he keeps plugging away at it and he does get better every time, especially in his confidence.

Haley and Calvin are solid, Haley I think is cute and kind of hot, she sweet but has a certain energy to her, really like that she's into drama and acting which I am myself. Calvin, he the passive aggressive type as am I, that is into automotive but mainly loves to fix and build them. What I like about those two is the fact they're in a relationship. Which I thought was interesting and sort of a first for the show.

Sure, there have been couples in the franchise, but it was most of time just the beginning of a relationship. The chemistry between both I thought was sold there's a good back and forth between them I bought they were a couple with a history. Though it's too bad these two didn't have more episodes together which I'll admit is one weak point of the show, I really would of liked to of seen a little more interaction time between the two, or maybe even a episode where we would see in a series of flashbacks as to how both became a couple to provide depth to them.

Sarah is sold, she's another one of my favorite Pink Rangers if not high on the list. She's fraking gorgeous and hot, with persona to boot. She sort of the technical officer of the bunch much like Billy in the first "Power Rangers" just like him she's inventive, very much into science and technology as she has that hoverboard all the time, but she's energetic and outgoing as there is always a lot she wants to do.

But of course, we're all in it for the action and it doesn't disappoint as it's ninjarific. The choreography is well done, really like the fluidity of the Rangers movements which makes sense as the martial art Ninjutsu part of it is based on constant flow. Like the design of the Helmets as each of them have a Shuriken of different design.

The weapons are cool, from the Ninja gos they use and those shurikens which are not just the morphers but are a hook up feature to the gos. The Shurikens they amplify the power of the users but what I really like is how they can mix it up sometimes which can double the power as well, which makes the powers the Rangers utilize seem less stationary and keeps the bad guys guessing. The Zords are also cool and memorable looking, there is this one zord that acts as a command chair to help double the power.

Thought this show has some turbulence in its spin cycle. One of the weak points are some bits of humor are weak, but then again that's comedy most of the time there will be hits and misses. The biggest miss is Victor and Monty, these guys are fraking annoying their obviously poor man versions of Bulk and Skull. I honestly didn't find both funny as their loud and obnoxious, let alone self-serving blow holes. They just take up time which would have been in better use for the Rangers.

And last the show has the same fundamental problem as "Dino Charge" where the second season doesn't have as much momentum as the first, it wasn't bad at all I still enjoyed watching but it needed a little more spin.

But the main problem is I don't feel there is much or enough character development. Don't get me wrong the Rangers in this show are solid and seem to be well rounded characters ,but I felt they could of used a little more depth so we could explore and know them even better as well some advancement in their personal lives and not just lifestyles.

Overall, this was a solid entry, it's not on my favorites list but it's good fun all the same that's worth a spin.

Rating: 3 stars

Power Rangers should've stayed in 90s. This was a terrible idea, nobody knows how to act in this show at all!

Still trynna differentiate these seasons since it ALSO has to do with high schoolers like Megaforce, Dino Thunder, MM, Zeo, Turbo, and whatever. It's bland and it's hard to tell the difference when the season is so alike Megaforce.

Ok the Power Rangers parts are fantastic but when the comic relief comes on screen then it gets bad. Its like this- The rangers on screen I smile when the comic relief comes on then i facepalm and shake my head. If they got rid of them then I think this show would be more awesome!