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.
