MMPR: A Fan Film
 

What an interesting story that this entire thing has turned out to be.

A year ago, a guy by the name of Dominick Sivilli decided he was going to make his own Power Rangers movie - and it was going to be dark and gritty. They teased the tagline: "MMPR", used various references to Power Rangers in their logo, and when the first trailer came out, it featured Lord Zedd brought back to the dark side, plotting some evil revenge scheme in a setting that can only be described as "knock-off Christopher Nolan". Why, a little girl was even killed in the trailer!

(NOTE: It was never shown, but the creators hinted that she died and that the film would be Rated R. Since then, the creators have backed away from that stance saying the girl didn't die and stated the film would be PG-13. Now, it's a web series)

To show their dedication, they even got Robert Axelrod to do the voice over for Lord Zedd, and put it in a revised trailer. They got David Flemming (the voice of Zordon in the actual Power Rangers series). They got Ron Wasserman (music composer for the actual Mighty Morphin Power Rangers). They contacted various Power Rangers actors to see if they'd reprise their role - they even have been in contact with Jason David Frank (who has turned them down each and every time we might add).

And then the problems started.

People who have done their research on Dominick Sivilli have concluded that they believe he is nothing more than an egomaniac - someone so egotistical that any criticism on his projects are seen as direct attacks on him, and he responds in kind. There is a firm belief, taken from others in the fan community (I do not have the links to these points I'm about to make and I apologize) that his entire goal was to use Power Rangers fans and their money to bring him in to the spotlight and eventually amass him his own fame and fortune, and that he stated as much privately to a former co-worker. This is, however, a case of he said/he said.

Dom and his team immediately took to RangerBoard to hype up their project and were disappointed that it was not met with open arms and open wallets. Dom and his team refused to answer hardly any questions regarding the project - continually saying "trust me/trust us" - and eventually the "MMPR" account at RangerBoard was banned, with an immediate follow-up from Dom stating he was about to reveal everything, but because RangerBoard banned him, he was no longer going to do so.

The original plan was for MMPR to be a "Fan Film" of around 2 hours in length, and a Kickstarter that raised over $40,000 promoted that idea. Somehow, along the way, it's been reduced now to a "web series", with only 1 episode actually "produced" as of this date (we have a still image and that is all). There are reports that Dom is now seeking private donations - because he can't publicly ask for more money. However, they did manage to land a former WWE star in to their cast.

The fan community is torn down the middle - half seem to love this thing, half seem to hate this thing. It continues to be split in half over such things as the discovery that the actors of this "dark and gritty web series" visited children with autism claiming to be "Power Rangers".

In an interesting article that the Morphin Legacy website put up, where one of their staffers traveled to NYC over July 4th to meet with Dom, which you can read here, has Dom state he has "Nothing" to say to the 'haters' of his project, because the 'haters' are going to watch it. The fans are going to watch it. "EVERYBODY is going to watch it." He speaks negatively of RangerBoard, and the staffer of Morphin Legacy seems to share the negative sentiment towards RangerBoard, which no matter your opinion of their site and crew, is still the largest Power Rangers message forum out there.

In recent days, like, the last few, the MMPR twitter has sent out tweets stating that they are non-profit, that all their things are copyright to them and that they are in no way related to Power Rangers, Saban Brands, Saban Capital Inc, etc.

Which, if you've been following this whole thing, is pretty ironic as they've been riding the coattails of the Power Rangers intellectual property since the conception of their film-thats-now-a-web-series. Not to mention they use the name "Lord Zedd", "morphers", "Silver Guardians", and their teaser poster has the Red Rangers Tyranno coin in the background.

People say that Dominic actively badmouths any specific individual or internet community that doesn't support MMPR. TokuNation.com has neither expressed support, or lack there of, of the MMPR project. However, based on some reader comments of their official Facebook page, we have also been a target of his and his fans angst and anger, probably because of the last discussion thread we had where support was 30/70.

TokuNation.com has made repeated attempts to contact the production staff of MMPR: A Fan Film/MMPR: A Web Series and have not once received any communication back from the team regarding interviews, press releases, or even a "No thank you".

So the question now arises - with these latest tweets, were they hit with a C&D from Saban's legal team? Staffers stating something is just from a Saban internet, that Saban has no legal grounds, they're going to fight this, etc. etc. etc.?

Let's re-open discussion on this. I'm curious what people's perception to this whole jumbled mess is these days. And since they won't talk to us, we'll just talk about them, and maybe something interesting will come to light.

I honestly dont care if this made or not. Its a "darker" version of the original series, from what I think. But if JDF wont join them, they must be doing something wrong, seeing as how he is willing to do anything for PR.

But I really dont want to support this if the guy in charge will badmouth and bitch about everyone and everything that doesnt agree with him. If you dont answer people and give vague statements, youre gonna get negative response. Plus if you and your supporters will badmouth forums that are in the neutral zone for this, then you need to suck it up and deal with criticism.

Theres my nice little late night rant. :lol

I had no frigging clue this existed, and it seems to me that speaking negatively of the community goes against the purpose of a fan film.

According to the Morphin Legacy interview/exclusive/whatever, they wanted JDF to reprise the role. He would be in his "post MMPR state", so I'm assuming that means after he leaves Turbo, and he's in "exile" and that's why he has the tattoos.

They say JDF has turned it down because he doesn't want to reprise Tommy as "weak or beaten" or that he did something to cause him to be on the outside of society looking in.

Jason David Frank did let it slip in San Diego that he's working for Saban Brands again, and I assume that's something contractual regarding public appearances (the right to promote Power Rangers and use the images). I doubt he'd want to ruin that relationship, especially if he's pining for a Green Ranger movie.

That certainly is...interesting.

With what Ive heard about this film, an not just this post, but the things that have happened previously, Id rather get a Green ranger film than this. At least there we would get a decent film and the production wouldnt equal the staff badmouthin people and not being direct. :lol

Saban certainly has legal grounds to shut this down from what I've seen of it. The references are too direct.

Honestly, whether or not the people making it are "real fans" or not, I just don't understand why people put so much time and effort into making fan films like this.

Suppose you succeed beyond your wildest dreams and it's a great movie, everyone likes it - and you can't release it, because you don't own the rights. It's a waste of effort and resources, IMO. Like people making Star Wars fan films.

George Lucas was a fan, too: of Kurosawa samurai movies and old serials. But he made his own characters, his own storyline(to a certain extent), so instead of an unreleasable Commando Cody or Hidden Fortress Part 2 fan film, he built a franchise that he owned and that became beloved.

And frankly even the best possible MMPR fan film would be of far less interest to me than some new, MMPR-influenced original property they created themselves. People who want to watch MMPR can watch the actual show. Put your effort into something new.

I'm not talking about fan fiction btw - I get that. That's relatively easy(and free) to make and if it gets C&D'd, it's not a waste of months of effort by a lot of people.

Eh. I'm not really surprised, since PR isn't his IP to use.

Not a fan of how he reacts to criticism, either.

No wonder JDF turned him down! Too much ego for one fanfilm! :lol

But anyway, I don't care eitherway, I saw the trailer and it seemed like it was trying to be too mature and in the end becoming the opposite of it. "Ooh, look! We killed a little girl! HARDCORE!"

Agreed. Nothing of value has really been lost here.

I honestly don't know what to make of all this. but a Cand D doesn't suprise me. Same thing happened with that FF7 Fan Web Series Kickstarter and that person who was making FF7 Sprites with their 3D printer.

People are rabid about their copyrights, yo.

Square Enix' copyright reign of terror... most FF fan projects end like that, after all...


Ah, I think I remember that one. Someone posted it a while ago in our german forum and was super-enthusiastic about it, while the rest of us had their doubts. Guess the problem solved itself. Or rather Saban solved it for us.

I also think it would be cooler to have something new instead of an old story retold anyway...

You should be careful about what you wish for, Suzu. I give you.. DragonBall: Evolution.

Ahhhhhh, nooo, take it away from me! Take it awayyyy ;_;

You conjoured the UnHoly One from it's Pit of Hell, you deal with the consenquenses!

Don't make me jump off a cliff okay! After all, you were the one who actually SAID it. I didn't even mean to...

Ah, nevermind. I'll go cry somewhere in a lonely, dark corner...

It's alright. Every DB fan cried in a corner about that movie at some point or another, it's a natural reaction.

I honestly think that if the dude has an ego HE SHOULDN'T BE MAKING STUFF. I mean really, not taking criticism is stupid, especially when you fuck up on Rangerboard. And saying that Saban Brands isn't on legal ground, the guy's a big frekkin moron -_-.

I haven't heard of this before, but it sounds like a right cock-up! :lol
And, just from what I've heard, this guy sounds like he's just in it for the attention.
And to be honest, I hate people like that! :lol

I think this thing needs to be shutdown and legal action taken by Saban. Not much else to say or do at this point. If you want to do something "based" on MMPR, then at least be creative and original. Not some trumped up retelling that uses weak concepts such as "darker" and "violent" to enhance it. This looked subpar to me from the start, and after seeing what has gone on I'm not surprised at all that I feel this way.

No great loss here if this thing tanks.

This thing is still happening?

Anyway, I think JesuOtaku put it best her review of Madoka Magica (which by the way if you haven't seen Madoka yet you should). "Dark and violent isn't a mark of quality, it is an element or a theme and it can fail." I rephrased it a bit here's my point, Power Rangers is known for being campy and light hearted. Taking the original story of MMPR and making it dark just won't work because it goes against everything that the original show was, a fun show for little kids. Don't believe me? Take a look at Kamen Rider Shin and tell me how that turned out.

Also, this is the bigger issue I take with this so here goes. Just because you really like something doesn't mean you have any legal rights to use it. If you want to make your own work that's like MMPR then that's all well and good, but taking the designs concepts characters and story and passing it off as your own for profit that's where I draw the line. Take my own work Kamen Rider Xtreme for example, I have borrowed quite a lot from W in the way the story is set up but all Xtreme and W have in common is the gaia memories, the base design of the main rider and what the monsters are called. Everything else is entirely original.

Long story short, MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE AND LEAVE POWER RANGERS TO THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY OWN IT!

It was made publicly aware that the creator didn't even like PR. He just thought it would be an easy concept to make a film of to help him boost his career.

Oh... THAT JUST MAKES IT EVEN WORSE!

It's a shame though. I wouldn't mind a more adult take on MMPR.

Exactly. This hack decided he would further his career and make money by cashing in on this particular fandom. There's no great love for Power Rangers in this project. He would have the masses who've donated money to him believe that he as a fan, is doing this for the fans. That simply isn't true. He's an opportunist trying to cash in on nostalgia because it's an easy concept and use it to garner attention and launch a career. Any degree of love or nostalgia he claims to have for the franchise is simply fabricated.

Saban has every right to seek legal action over this project. This isn't like a company based out of China making 3rd party Transformers. This is someone in the US using the likenesses of characters that he does not own to create a film for profit. That's the definition of copyright infringement.

Are you kidding me? Thats like me who isnt much of a star wars fan trying to make a "fan film" of the original trilogy and claiming its for the fans, but just using the name "Star Wars" to get ahead in the business. This guy= BULLSHIT!

As I told him on Rangerboard, it's not the fact that people don't like a "gritty" PR fan film, despite that I agree it's not necessary nor warranted, many people would have still probably seen it, including myself.

The downfall here was himself and the way he treated the "fans" for his "fanfilm." The way Kickback mentioned in the first post how he came to Rangerboard and the way he acted is 100% truth. People were genuinely interested in what Dom and his team had to offer, though most were "behind it" without reading through the lines. When Titanium321 (a Mod over there) started asking questions, it seemed to open others eyes. It wasn't until the fans were met with rudeness though that they were rude back. The guy literally expected people to donate while saying "just wait and see what happens" and "if we get this amount of money in a certain amount of time we'll do a sneak peak blah blah blah"

The funny thing is, another group came in shortly after, were open and honest and created a short three minute film about Jason "after the power" and they didn't ask for money, they were showing what they could do, and were extremely professional about the entire thing.

Had Dom shown that, he might be in a better place. But based on his attitude, I can say that I'm glad that this was shut down (if it indeed was.)

Yeah, this is also true. When asked about what he was going to use as far as "timeline" was concerned, he stated that he had "watched a few episodes of MMPR."

Well, the homepage is still online, but that's all I know about it.

Psst! If you want a darker Power Rangers story that is of a good quality, go watch Power Rangers RPM.

This Dominic person, though… :lolol/:cry

In essence, you have someone making a "movie" of a franchise they've never followed, to get money out of fans they don't care about, in hopes of furthering their own careers.

Why the hell would anyone support this?

It's the internet. You described pretty much why half of it exists, sadly. To bilk gullible people out of money they don't have.

makes me wonder why robert axelrod agreed to this to begin with. I look at it this way. yeah zedd is great and one of the best villains ever(second to the fearcats of course) but to try to bring him back in any way just makes zordons death for nothing and demeaning to his powers.

We should add the lie that Dom has told his actors - that they've already discussed licensing issues with TOEI.

Honestly, if it weren't for the creator scandal, I'd say go for it. If this guy would be releasing his fan whatever on the internet, Toei and Saban should cooperate to make it sure it has no potiental to be taken as canon and just a fan project (IE No Zedd or Zordon voices or maybe by doing a Green Ranger movie that would contradict events in this fan thing)

Problem with this is, any money made for this project would legally go to Saban/Toei as it's their IP. It's much more than "go ahead, but it's not official."

Is there anyone this idiot hasn't tried to pull one over on?

Hey Guys-

As some of you may have seen on other message boards, I'm Don Money, the guy cast as the Red Ranger for MMPR. I don't want to get into some crazy long post at the get go here, but I have and do enjoy interacting with everyone on the boards.

I know there is a lot of history with this thing, dating back well before I was cast - but I do know Dom personally, have so for years, and I can tell you he's the real deal. Is he passionate? Yes - does he take some things to heart sometimes that people say about the work he is trying to do? Yes, and has he lashed out some out of that? Yes - but I am the same way sometimes and I feel like anyone who has a great deal of love and passion and damn hard work ethic about their art, their careers & their project is the same way too. I myself am a working actor in New York and Los Angeles, I've been around the block a few times, so you're not gonna get any bs from me. I love an open dialogue about this thing as I am very excited to be a part of it. So with that being said, if there's anything (and let's try and keep things civil this go 'round, that's the only way I roll) you'd like to know about or ask me, please do so.

In the short though, I leave in 7 days to fly to NYC to shoot my stuff and all of us will be at New York Comic Con on Saturday Oct 12th. As for a C&D, nothing has come our way on that front - anything out there on that is just rumors, and I'm guessing that came out of the "Disclaimer"-esque posts on our Twitter & Facebook - which btw way was put out there because the following of this thing is growing daily, we are getting asked for interviews and stuff, the facebook likes and twitter followers keep increasing, so the producers (regardless of what has gone down in the epic saga of this thing apparently) just wanted to put that out there so that everyone keeping tabs on us or checking us out would not be confused as to exactly what we are or aren't and what we are trying to do.

All in all, we are just trying to adapt Power Rangers in a way that we feel hasn't been done before and in a way that we think is cool and works well. And once we do it, hopefully everyone checks it out and digs it, and if not, that's cool too, but at least we took a risk and tried to deliver the baddest-ass (I know this is probably not a word) thing we could!

Like I said though, I love the back and forth with you guys, so let's give each other some respect in that way, let's state our opinions as just that, opinions and not as facts and let's see if we can have some fun taking to each other! Looking forward to hearing from everyone!

-D $

Well, if Michael Bay can do it, I can see why small-time movie developers would try and copy the formula.

Judging by this post, you haven't read much, if any of this thread at all, have you?

Tell me, how can someone have a passion for something they know very little about? How can Power Rangers be adapted in a "different way" then what's been done before if the history of it is unknown?

Unlike Dom, Michael Bay actually took the time to get to know the Transformers mythos. He met with Hasbro reps extensively and then put a spin on the story. While I am a fan of the Bayverse movies, the story is great, the acting and other stuff isn't the best. But, it's campy, which is what Transformers has sorta always been, and it's what Power Rangers is always been. Why remove the camp?