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01-18-2021, 05:21 AM | #441 |
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Join Date: Oct 2019
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I actually quite liked the 2017 film, I can see it wasn't that great or particularly groundbreaking but given the obviously sparse amount of Power Rangers movies compared to Sentai I thought it was alright out of the three!
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01-18-2021, 09:31 PM | #442 |
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Location: Michigan
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Time Force Pre-Show Preamble Time Force is a show that went way over my head as a kid. I've noticed that as Toku fans continue to grow up and have kids of their own, many of them seem to grow this attitude that kids are being "talked down to." Heck, during one episode of Let's Talk Toku, one of the guests showed this sort of attitude; Putting the latest seasons of Power Rangers down while praising the comics, at one point noting "My kids are not dumb." And you know what? He's correct. His kids are not dumb. But you know who was a dumb kid(and in many ways still is)? Me. I was a dumb kid. I often did need things blatantly spelled out for me. I didn't often pick up on more subtle clues on the first view. Heck, I still don't. Going around acting as though something should be "smart people only" is a quick way of not only coming off as a snob, but excluding a lot of people. Because that's what a fandom needs: Gate keeping! Now, should a story act as though its audience is brain dead? Of course not. But there's something to be said about reaching a common ground, you know? I bring this up because, while I do love Time Force, especially nowadays, I can't help but wonder, how well did it go over with kids my age back when it first aired? Personally I stuck with it despite me not understanding half of what it was getting at, but I could easily see many kids dropping the show due to having less emphasis on over the top action that previous seasons had, on top of its very sophisticated themes and messages. But, if there was one message the season had that definitely did resonate with me, it was the overall lesson that just because someone is different, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're a bad person. Growing up as a rather unpopular Latino, let's just say that there was definitely a layer that I really appreciated. Many argue about whether Time Force managed to convey it properly or not, but personally? I think it did. But now that I'm older, I get to cover what I consider the biggest overarching theme of PRTF: The Cycle of Hatred. Episode 27: Frax's Fury Frax is tired of Ransik treating him and his robots like garbage, so he opts to release one of the most dangerous mutants at their disposal: Venomark. Venomark holds incredible significance, because his bite causes the victim's' flesh to degenerate slowly and painfully, and is the reason why Ransik needs to take serum for the rest of his life. Needless to say when Venomark is released Ransik isn't pleased. We learn more about Ransik's backstory than what we were initially told in episode 4. After his past fight with Venomark, Ransik was saved by a scientist named Ferricks, who devised a cure for the bite, the serum Ransik takes now. Unfortunately, because Ransik is a mutant, he needs to drink the cure forever. It's here that Ransik makes a decision that seems to cause quite the controversy in the fandom: He proclaims that robots are beneath him, and only good as mindless slaves. Ransik then proceeds to kill Ferricks and steal his serum, and goes on to become the criminal leader everyone would soon know him as. Many a fan, especially nowadays, cries foul at this, saying that it removes any sort of redeeming factors Ransik had, and that it makes the anti-prejudice message of the season as a whole ring hollow. I disagree. I'll get into it at the end of this, but trust me, I'll do my best to argue a case for why the story isn't nearly as misguided as many like to claim. When the Rangers deploy to stop Venomark, they are soundly defeated, with only Wes escaping being bitten. It's here we get to see Ransik just utterly brutalize Venomark, with Venomark only being saved thanks to Ransik's' infection flaring up. Wes realizes that the serum is a cure and takes it to the only person he knows who can mass-produce the liquid quickly enough to save all of the people being bitten in the city. Wes' relationship with his father is the the sort of character dynamic many seasons of Power Rangers would try to emulate ever since, and, in my opinion, only the original has ever done it right. Because, and this is just my impression, you are never once expected to actually like Wes' father, and Wes most certainly doesn't like him very much. One of the strikes I had against RPM was the character of Colonel Truman, the father of Scott. On top of coming this close to outright telling Scott that he wished his brother had lived and not Scott, what infuriated me the most was how Scott's' entire arc revolved around trying to win his dad's' approval, when frankly, Truman was never realistically going to give it nor did Truman deserve the attention. I always felt it would've been far more poignant had Scott told his dad off and found his own way, rather than getting berated constantly and asking for more. With Wes though? In this entire sequence alone, you can tell that he hates having to ask his father for anything, and is only putting up with the greedy old man for the good of everyone else. He knows his dad will exploit the serum for money. He knows it'll only make the Silver Guardians look better than the Power Rangers, but he's willing to swallow all of that for the greater good. NOT because he's trying to impress or win over his trash fire of a father. When the cure begins to get distributed, we get a quick but great scene with Eric where he prioritizes curing an old woman on the brink of collapse. Eric is a cold guy, but he isn't heartless. Despite his demeanor, he is still a defender of the city and the people in it, and does his best to uphold that. His Battlizer is also ridiculous and I love it. It's what's used to defeat Venomark. The episode ends with one final twist... Ferricks survived, and used the last moments of his life to convert himself into a cyborg; Frax. Now, Frax seeks vengeance for what Ransik did to him, diving into the same mindset many humans of the year 3000 have. Frax destroys what's left of Ransik's' serum stash, and leaves him shouting at the heavens, slowly dying of the disease he relied on Frax to help keep in check. I feel that this episode more than any other emphasizes what Time Force is all about. Yes, what Ransik did to Ferricks was wrong, but that doesn't change anything. The humans of the future are still prejudiced against mutants, and what Ferricks did in response is ALSO wrong. The hatred Ransik faced in the future is what taught him that you're worthless if you're not domineering over others. The hatred Ransik then placed onto Ferricks and his robots then gave birth to the insane cyborg known as Frax, who, let's not forget, HAS been an active criminal up to now. Hatred only begets more hatred. It is not a cure, it is not a solution, it's only a downward spiral that runs deeper and deeper until it's all-consuming. And on a more personal note... I don't think anyone here would try to claim this, as none of you give me that impression, but I have seen others online make this claim: No, it is not unrealistic that a victim of racism would in turn be racist. Source? My own family. Oh yeah. I hate to say it, but bear minimum half of my family members have the mentality of "It's not okay for people to be prejudiced against me for being Mexican but it is okay for me to be prejudiced against other races/LGBT etc." It's a very unfortunate and ugly truth, because here's the thing. At the end of the day, all it has to do with is people. That's all it ever is. And for those who try to claim Frax is justified, no, he isn't. Not only does he still take his vengeance out on those who are entirely unrelated(like the entire populace of Silver Hills in this episode alone), but, cliche as it is, two wrongs don't make a right. Wanna know what I was told growing up whenever anyone was being racist against me or my family? "Ignore them." Short of anyone actually physically attacking you, taking out your anger on those who show ignorance toward you only turns them into a martyr, and "proves" to them that you're every bit as bad as what they're claiming you are. Instead, work to educate, and spread joy and kindness towards those who deserve it. Lead by example. Hatred cannot defeat hatred. Only love can do that. After-Show Bonus Episode 4 has no less than four different cuts due to 9/11 happening at the time. The point of contention being the scene where Ransik declares war on the city, and has some buildings blown up as an example of his power. The Netflix version unfortunately doesn't restore the original bit of the buildings blowing up, instead showing a mountainside getting destroyed. While I'm sad they didn't restore the original, it is certainly much better than the other two censored versions, which replace the audio of half or the entire scene with the theme song.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 01-20-2021 at 07:12 PM.. |
01-18-2021, 11:06 PM | #443 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,473
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TBH, I haven't rewatched much of the PR shows since I saw them in their original run. Really only rewatched the ones I have a vivid memory of seeing. Turbo's "Trouble by the Slice" is one that left an impression on me as a kid and it never escaped me (The rangers almost get baked into a pizza for crying out loud ).
Time Force then I like to tell myself is my favorite seasons because it had a lot of elements that young me really enjoyed: Time travel from the future, Sci-Fi weapons and vehicles,robots with different alt modes. The only episode of Time Force that stuck with me after all this time is "Movie Madness"; a fun ep that uses almost entirely original footage and has the rangers trapped in different genre films. Great stuff So thanks Dream, if I ever find the time to really deep dive into this season, to see if there's more to it then the fun factor that drew me in as a kid, your write up assures me of it |
01-18-2021, 11:17 PM | #444 |
TokuKnight89
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Central Louisiana (Cenla)
Posts: 2,554
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I am curious as to how they decided that Venomark was a "good" choice with regards to Ransik's disease. The Timeranger counterpart, Hell's Gate Prisoner Emboss, didn't appear till Timeranger 39. In Time Force, Ransik's disease was there pretty much in the beginning. Did someone examine Timeranger Criminals and decide to make Emboss/Venomark the reason for Ransik's disease given his nature, or did Emboss serve as inspiration for Time Force and convince someone that Ransik should have a debilitating disease and that Emboss/Venomark should be the reason for it!?
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01-19-2021, 06:24 AM | #445 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,404
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Quote:
TBH, I haven't rewatched much of the PR shows since I saw them in their original run. Really only rewatched the ones I have a vivid memory of seeing. Turbo's "Trouble by the Slice" is one that left an impression on me as a kid and it never escaped me (The rangers almost get baked into a pizza for crying out loud ).
Time Force then I like to tell myself is my favorite seasons because it had a lot of elements that young me really enjoyed: Time travel from the future, Sci-Fi weapons and vehicles,robots with different alt modes. The only episode of Time Force that stuck with me after all this time is "Movie Madness"; a fun ep that uses almost entirely original footage and has the rangers trapped in different genre films. Great stuff Quote:
So thanks Dream, if I ever find the time to really deep dive into this season, to see if there's more to it then the fun factor that drew me in as a kid, your write up assures me of it
Quote:
I am curious as to how they decided that Venomark was a "good" choice with regards to Ransik's disease. The Timeranger counterpart, Hell's Gate Prisoner Emboss, didn't appear till Timeranger 39. In Time Force, Ransik's disease was there pretty much in the beginning. Did someone examine Timeranger Criminals and decide to make Emboss/Venomark the reason for Ransik's disease given his nature, or did Emboss serve as inspiration for Time Force and convince someone that Ransik should have a debilitating disease and that Emboss/Venomark should be the reason for it!?
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01-19-2021, 08:55 PM | #446 |
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Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,404
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We're in my top 6 now! Can't wait for you all to tell me how crazy I am for having this list in the order that I do!
Zeo Pre-Show Preamble If you were to ask a given fan when Power Rangers truly started to evolve, most would reply with In Space, and I can't blame them. PRIS is what introduced alot of themes and ideas into the franchise that still continue onto this day. I am in no way denying its spot in Ranger history. However, if you were to ask me that question, Zeo is the response I'd give. Even if it only came about due to running out of budget for original suit footage, PRZ was the season where everything changed. New suits, a new character in Tanya, a new theme song, a new set of villains unrelated to Rita, and, most importantly, a new focus on furthering character development for the cast. See, not many people give the season credit for this, but Zeo put alot of emphasis on balancing teen drama with the typical superhero action that the show had become known for. It was here that many characters who were originally left in the dust would get their due. Heck, it's the reason why I will always see Rocky and Adam as Zeo Blue and Green, respectively. It was the point where the writers, directors, heck, the staff of the show at Saban in general seemed to collectively decide "You know, let's step this up a notch." They knew they'd have to put in the extra effort to win people over once the Mighty Morphin' name and aesthetic had been dropped, and I'd say they certainly succeeded! I remember back when I was first getting into the internet as a whole, MMPR fans and PRZ fans would go at it all the time over which was better. Zeo has a big fanbase! And while the increased character development is what I mainly wanna highlight with this episode, it doesn't have to do with Rocky or Adam(well, sorta). Instead, it's about who else other than two of my favorite characters ever? Episode 12: Instrument of Destruction stronger than before... GOOO, ZE-O!! *ahem* Sorry, dunno what came over me there. Anyway, the set-up this time is that it's Queen Machina's birthday, and because she likes classical music, King Mondo decides that the best course of action is to kidnap a mysterious piano player at Angel Grove High. Adam is technically the protagonist this time around, as it's him we follow throughout a majority of the episode. He's the first to notice the Cogs sneaking around school grounds, and I just love that they actively dance while searching for the source of the piano playing. Never gets old. Both parties reach the source at the same time, only for the mysteriously cloaked pianist to escape at the last moment. So now it's Cogs vs Adam, so what do the Cogs do? They go "yeah-no screw this" and leave immediately. That still makes me laugh even today. Afterward, Ms. Rodriguez reassigns both Adam and Skull to the same classical music class. Tommy and Kat are supportive of Adam and cheer him on, whereas Bulk makes the assertion that anyone who actually likes classical music is a total dweeb and not a cool guy, like him and Skull. During the class, Skull actually compliments Adam on his piano playing skills. A rather subtle hint, I'd say. Later, the cogs try to kidnap the Phantom Pianist again, but the Rangers who aren't Rocky and Tanya are there to stop them, and I feel like this whole scene really does go to show how much Adam's' character got expanded. He does some stuff that made me legit laugh like dancing with a Cog while beating other ones up, and then using another one as a surfboard. Pictured: Adam on his way to secure his newfound personality. The hunt doesn't stop there though, because Mondo later opts to just turn the school piano into the next Monster of the Week, Fortissimodo, which prompts the rest of the Rangers into action. Ahh, this brand new Morphing Sequence. I wanna take a sec here to note for the longest time that I never got why they assigned themselves numbers like they did. I always figured "Well since Tommy is the leader, shouldn't he be Zeo Ranger 1?" It was only relatively recently that it hit me: Their number corresponds to the number of angles, points, or sides that their shape has. So the reason Tommy is Zero Ranger 5 is because his shape is the star: Five points. The fight scene is fun like always, but the biggest takeaway in the episode is the final couple of scenes afterward. Adam discovers that Skull is the Phantom Pianist, and Skull fully admits that he's always had a fondness for classical music despite his punk rocker persona. Adam tells Skull he should be proud of his talent, but Skull thinks everyone will make fun of him for it, especially Bulk. Adam reassures Skull that if Bulk is truly his friend, then Bulk will support Skull all the way regardless. The final sequence is just really well done in general. When Skull gets on stage, everyone on the ground floor is snickering, groaning, not expecting anything good, and then Skull plays and everyone is absolutely floored. The look on Rocky's' face especially never fails to get a laugh out of me. Bulk arrives soon enough, and when Skull begins to stammer... Bulk admits that he was wrong to put the art down, and that he's proud of Skull for being able to create such wonderful music. It's a truly heart-warming moment that shows that yes, they might be trouble makers, but Bulk and Skull really are best friends to the end. True friends won't shun you for your interests and hobbies, and will instead embrace them with you. Overall this episode offers a great life lesson on top of wonderful character moments. Bulk, Skull, and yes, even Adam, all get to shine here, and it's the episode that always comes to my mind first and foremost whenever I think of Zeo as a season. After-Show Bonus
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Last edited by DreamSword; 10-08-2022 at 11:37 AM.. |
01-20-2021, 12:21 AM | #447 |
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Location: World of Ataru
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Zeo theme (as well as Dino Charge) to me were the perfect examples of how to incorperate elements of Go Go Power Rangers without sounding forced or lazy imo. Still mostly an original song but with an energy that allows the go go to feel natural and only having the guitar to harken back Go Go without taking away from the rest of the song.
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01-20-2021, 03:19 AM | #448 |
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Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 462
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I have to say Zeo is much more my bag than Mighty Morphin too. I am admittedly surprised it has that big a fanbase, but yeah, I'm a bit grateful for any truly original Power Rangers theme song tbh, I do also much prefer the tone to Mighty Morphin and of course I'm especially glad of Jason, he's always seemed that bit less overrated than Tommy IMO!
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01-20-2021, 06:24 AM | #449 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,404
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Quote:
Zeo theme (as well as Dino Charge) to me were the perfect examples of how to incorperate elements of Go Go Power Rangers without sounding forced or lazy imo. Still mostly an original song but with an energy that allows the go go to feel natural and only having the guitar to harken back Go Go without taking away from the rest of the song.
Quote:
I have to say Zeo is much more my bag than Mighty Morphin too. I am admittedly surprised it has that big a fanbase, but yeah, I'm a bit grateful for any truly original Power Rangers theme song tbh, I do also much prefer the tone to Mighty Morphin and of course I'm especially glad of Jason, he's always seemed that bit less overrated than Tommy IMO!
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01-20-2021, 11:50 AM | #450 |
Most-hated user. Kill him
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Imaginationland
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Can we just stop for a moment and appreciate the orgasmic beauty that is Zeo's instrumental? I still remember how badass the use of the theme during Red Battlezord's first appearance.
Anyways, as someone who has lost faith towards the show aspect of the franchise and wonders if he still can call himself a fan, in Space fortunately helped me realize I still love Power Rangers.
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