Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always - Reviews
 

Please use this thread to share your reviews / discuss reviews of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always, airing April 19th on Netflix.

Acting could've been a lot better, pacing was a little here and there, and the fighting could've been more dynamic, but honestly, I enjoyed it.
All the little references had me happy, and while they're explanations of how the continuity worked was clunky, just the fact that it's acknowledged was nice.

It was fantastic to see some of these faces back. It was a blast of nostalgia that gave me a smile.

Also how in the fuck did Rita capture rangers from Mirinoi? Whatever ship Adam and Aisha were on needed 6 hours to be in teleport range to Earth, but Rita can capture rangers on a planet on the other side of the galaxy?

Saw it, have very mixed feelings. What I did like was the Veteran Rangers doing what they do best. The sets where good and the action was decent.
What I didn't like was the dialogue and Minh I felt was just bad. Like after Zack delivering this speech to her about what a hero means, she does something stupid like encountering the monsters when she can't morph, plus that whole saving the dude's "friend" (half assed LGBT pandering in current year, what do you expect *rolls eyes*)
I'd give it a 5/10.

I'm currently at half the movie.

The acting is way better than the MMPR series, I still have a problem with Rocky...Damn I don't know but him being the Red Ranger is weird.

The fact that the leaders of the team are Billy and Zack make sense and I like Zack way more than I thought I would.

Also...Yeah! The Hip Hop Kido is back baby.

The reason as to why Rita is back is as expected from some people in the fandom, I wasn't surprised, and it felt acceptable to me.

I'm surprised to not see Zedd though.

As for Minh....well she's a teenager, so her behavior doesn't bother me. I expect her to come around and actually be a good Yellow Ranger.

I'm trying to spoil as little as possible, but them acknowledging the existence of Tommy and Kat's son is pretty great.


Honestly, I wouldn't mind a new MMPR series but I would change the lineup a bit.
Green would be JJ, Yellow would be Minh, Blue would still be Billy, Zack would be Black and I would change Pink and Red. As much as I like Kat here, I don't think she would work in a new MMPR Team.

Really wish they had just used suits for the Megazord fight at the end lol

I think the actings good.

The Megazord being CGI and all.

It's got potential and I think Minh will hold out after her mom.

I loved it. The only thing i didn't like that much was Dino Megazord fight that CGI very lame i think they could delete that and give more time to the Rangers.
I cried when the Power Rangers music played it was very nostalgic and memories of a childhood all summed up in this episode. I'm grateful I grew up in the 90s watching Power Rangers ⚡


Billy will be back in Cosmic Fury and since he hasn't given up on the idea of bringing his mentor, it's likely that Zordon will revive in Cosmic Fury.

just like the old days in my childhoood.

I have so much respect for the returning actors. This is as much a story about the Rangers as it is about the actors who understand the impact they've had through their portrayals.

I understand why it didn't happen, but I would have loved to see the rangers from a different generation in different suits. The CGI was better than I expected but the finisher was too over the top. I like my Zords slow moving and stiff. I can't believe they didn't do the Power Blaster to finish off Rita. Perfect opportunity! Charlie Kersh did an excellent job both in acting and her own stuntwork.

I'm happy this movie was made. It's a thumbs up from me.

Saw it, but it was in the early morning hours not long after it went live.

I do think that it's something you might need to see twice in order to really catch all of the details, but I'll say what I'm thinking right now.

I'll use the "spoiler tape" on things that shouldn't be said to those who haven't had a chance yet to really dive into it.

We start in the middle of a battle with cast and crew names overlaid on the footage. This is a modern take to opening credits and it's one that I feel is maybe not best served here. Mighty Morphin' comes from a different time in American TV, and while this is 30 years hence, I still think that they should've echoed that fact. The entirety of Season 1 opened with Rita and Zordon and then the Ron Wasserman theme. That might've been the right call here as well.

Robo Rita's dialogue is exactly what we've heard in the trailers and is a departure from the use of "destroy" to censor "die" or "kill".

The moment that has been discussed and debated happens rather quickly. It's definitely a quintessential "heroic self-sacrifice to protect a friend" moment, but it...felt hollow. I don't know how else to say it, but it didn't have near the impact as it should've. Maybe its because we all knew it was coming, so the shock just wasn't there. Robo Rita didn't even gloat hard and just up and left almost immediately after.

Billy and Zack inside Trini's house was definitely a more adult conversation than what we heard years ago between these two.

There is a time-skip, but it's virtually negligible. It also makes you wonder what Robo Rita was doing all this time. Did she even know about the recent exploits involving Evox, Goldar Maximus, Void Knight, and Lord Zedd?

The time-skip does show that Minh is now being essentially raised by Zack, who moved into Trini's house after an indeterminate period as a congressman, which is an unexpected but not unwelcome development given the character and definitely adds to the whole "still trying to do the right thing even when you aren't morphed" aspect to the franchise.

Well, naturally Robo Rita isn't going to leave things as they are for two long. She does return, and with Robo-Snizzard and Robo-Minotaur. This doesn't make a whole lot of sense cause it's not well explained how she remade these two as robots or why she specifically chose these two to remake. Then again, they didn't do a good job of explaining where all of these Putties came from. Robo-Minotaur, unlike his predecessor, actually speaks for once. That's about it though as he's basically just added muscle. Robo-Snizzard is central to the plot and the VA is clearly trying to riff on Bryan Cranston's vocal patterns for OG Snizzard.

Since Austin, Amy, and JDF do not physically appear in this special, they're reduced to being throw-away characters and are captured and shrunk by Robo-Snizzard using mini-snakes and are to be used by Robo Rita in her grand plan.

This also happens at a cemetery, where we see the headstone of talk-show host Harvey Garvey from Season 2's "Lights, Camera, and Action" getting smashed by Robo-Minotaur.

This is where I'll more or less stop going in precise order for convenience.

One of the central motivations for Minh, as we've seen from the trailers, is how Robo Rita killed Trini and Minh wants payback. She also has an axe to grind with Billy cause she blames him for Trini's death, and Billy kind of understands the sentiment.

We also why learn more of what Billy's been up to and why Robo Rita exists in the first place. Billy now has a complex known as "Cranston Tech" on Earth and the exterior looks like the Command Center of old, but it also has a secret headquarters underground akin to the Power Chamber which none of his employees know about. All employers have secrets that they don't tell their underlings. We also see how Alpha plays into the story when we see Alpha 9, which doesn't immediately explain things cause we never saw 8 and, if memory serves, 7 was only briefly seen and heard in "Forever Red" while "Once A Ranger" had Adam calling upon 6. It doesn't take long for the Alpha confusion to clear-up (kind of) when we see the lead-up to Billy's guilt and how he and Alpha 8 were trying to rematerialize Zordon using the collected particles of the Z-Wave, only for the energy tube they were using to turn dark and possess Alpha 8 and turn him into a new body for Rita's evil which was dispersed into the far reaches of space by the Z-Wave. And that's why there was a battle with Robo Rita to begin with. It doesn't explain why Robo Rita has the robes and Magic Wand, but I guess Rita's dark magic was a primary factor to begin with.

They have a protocol in place for dealing with Robo Rita, and it's an obligatory Zyuranger reference. We also see a couple of Ranger city names displayed at the same time. For once, a Ranger villain isn't going to attack a single city, but the entire planet all at once with an endless army of Putties, which is far more evil albeit more intelligent than most bad guys in the franchise.

This whole thing about "Proxy Power Coins" comes up here when Kat and Rocky are summoned. Kat is quite clearly JJ's mother, and based on his shirt, I think Rocky is a fire-fighter. There is a debate about how "duplicating active powers is dangerous", which is hilarious when you realize that Season 2 violated that rule by having the New Teens in a morphed state alongside the morphed state of the Departing Trio (though this was admittedly to hide the fact that the actors weren't present at the time). This also brings to mind Trent and the Evil White Ranger Clone from Dino Thunder, but that isn't specifically brought up.

There is a modern take on the old Morph Sequence, and I'm gonna admit here that it's just BAD! I'm not sold on the visuals here at all. The actors are done a huge disservice cause they look unnatural during this. The tendency for Rangers to "insta-morph" during this special is much more palatable.

There is a mild continuity error here in a city fight with Putties when Kat says they still sound like "angry turkeys" after all these years, but that makes little sense when you realize that Kat never fought Putties in Season 3! Tengas had already replaced Putties as the grunts of Rita and Zedd by the time Kat was introduced. You could argue that Putties were being used off-screen in the Moon Palace or that Kat fought Putties during "Grid Connection", but even then it's a stretch.

Going back to Minh, she is constantly being shown in various stages of training, which shows how she wants to kill Robo Rita. This starts to wear a little thin after awhile as there's no other motivation. We don't really know much about Minh and what separates her from Trini other than the drive for revenge. She tries to intercede by stealing Trini's Power Morpher and going to the Angel Grove Juice Bar to fight Putties. A few things to unpack here. How is there a Power Morpher for Minh to steal when it looked as though Trini was vaporized? Why is there still a Juice Bar when it clearly became the Surf Spot during In Space? None of this is ever brought up!

Zack and Rocky go to the Juice Bar to save Minh, with Zack doing the Hip Hop Kido again. Zack really just wants Minh to stay on the sidelines and do nothing but homework, and even tries to sway her from a desire for revenge. Minh unfortunately can't do anything right now cause the Power Morpher won't respond to her desire to morph, and it's basically implied that Minh's desire for revenge is the reason for that.

Back to Robo Rita, she is still using the Moon Palace from years past, which looks no worse for wear than when we last saw it in Zeo, and has captured a number of different Legacy Rangers for her plan which involves draining their energy.

The Veteran Rangers have a brilliant idea of using the metallic nature of Robo-Snizzard and Robo-Minotaur against them and snare them with a large magnet in a junkyard. Minh thinks they should be destroyed, but Billy warns against total destruction. This kind of makes since, but only to a point. Power Rangers fight for a reason, but they've blown-up plenty of monsters. One could argue that because these two have been removed from the fight, that means there is no justification for doing anything else. One could also argue that Minh is too determined to destroy them. All that being said, it was kind of stupid to just leave two extremely dangerous robot monsters out in public like this!.

There is a conversation with Adam and Aisha, and they are part of S.P.A., but it's not specifically referred to as "Space Patrol Alpha" or anything at all really. It's just kind of there to be an easter egg. Adam does mention cloaking tech from Billy and the fact that the Troobian Empire is very much active at this stage, despite the obvious lack of open relations with extraterrestrials on Earth right now.

This cloaking tech comes into play with the idea of using it against Robo Rita. However, Minh has the same idea! She steals the RADBUG 2 and saves a couple from Putties in the process. You might be inclined to call this "pandering", but I can live with it because I do believe in inclusivity. She heads to the still-detained Snizzard and Minotaur and Robo-Snizzard has a pretty funny line when Minh says "Your boss killed my mom!" Robo-Snizzard: "We work for an intergalactic war criminal. You're gonna have to be a little more specific!" Unfortunately though not surprisingly, Robo-Rita shows up and Minh is woefully out-matched. She tries to use Trini's "Preying Mantis Style", which Rita recognizes, but to no avail. The other Vets have used the cloaking tech to invade the Moon Palace and realize that to free their friends, they will in fact have to destroy Robo-Snizzard..

It's no secret that from the trailers that Robo Rita is trying to open a time portal, with the intent of giving years of knowledge to her older self when she's freed by idiot astronauts, but also to kill the Ranger Teens in their sleep before Zordon empowers them. This is, again, very evil and very smart in the annals of franchise villainy.

Robo Rita also reveals that she has captured Minh, who doesn't stay a hostage for to long before a battle ensues and Minh saves Billy by taking a magic blast from Robo Rita much like her Mother did!

Everyone is saddened by this turn of events, but some classic Trini segments and battle footage plays out in Minh's eye and she wakes up with a responsive Power Morpher!

That godawful modern Morph Sequence plays out again and it's not getting any better.

Well, it's time for something involving five Rangers now and the Power Weapons are shown, making this one of the first times that Kat uses the Power Bow (unless she was the Pink Ranger in "Grid Connection").

Robo Rita decides to hurl Robo-Snizzard down to the moon floor and make him grow, which is a franchise first cause the OG Snizzard was never enlarged!

Robo Rita has her ass handed to here when Billy runs the Power Lance through her chest, which is something they never would've done years ago!

The Zords are also summoned on Earth, and I'm not sold here at all. There is no grandeur or splendor from watching this. They are sent to the moon surface by Alpha and combine. The sequence is largely faithful to the Zyuranger footage, but it has no impact. Power Rangers has always struggled with OG Zord footage, but at least they were willing to have actors in suits in the old days! If this is a taste of things to come in Cosmic Fury and in original non-Sentai productions in the future, then they're definitely gonna have to step-up and fix this or this franchise is doomed!

The cockpit isn't precisely accurate, but it's excusable because it's so well done unlike the CGI Megazord itself!

Billy and Minh board the Megazord, while the others destroy Robo-Minotaur, with Rocky delivering a sword thrust which even Kat says is "hardcore"!

Well, Rocky and Kat board the Dino Megazord for the first time (again, "Grid Connection" theories notwithstanding). It's also interesting to hear fandom terminology like "Z-Wave" and "Dino Megazord" referred to by franchise characters. Billy also refers to the Megazord weapon as the "Mega Power Sword", likely as a reference to the inconsistent naming in the old days and to differentiate it from Rocky and Jason's Power Sword. With this, Robo-Snizzard is destroyed with ease after some brawling and headbutting.

Robo Rita isn't exactly down for the count though and gets back up, only for Minh to pin her down and for Zack to blow her up for good for Trini's sake while Kat destroys the time device with the Power Bow.

With the battle over, Adam and Aisha appear and plan to take the shrunken Rangers to Aquitar for healing, cause destroying Robo-Snizzard only saved their lives. Billy's girlfriend Cestria is name-dropped here as well.

Things come to a close in the Juice Bar with Minh and Zack and Billy and things are even better terms than they were. They even talk about the old days and how Shellshock made Trini run constantly.

We end with old footage of Kim's guitar solo from Season 2's "The Song of Guitardo" as well as an In Memoriam for Thuy and JDF.

Oh, and we also get a riff on the classic opener as well. Typical modern trope of putting an "opener" at the end and I've already said how this doesn't help all that well here.

This was all right, but it just didn't give me the right feels or set the right tone. The CGI left a lot to be desired and things would've been better served if they had more time to work with. It's like how New Doctor Who settles things up in an episode or two while Classic Doctor Who was a serialized adventure that took a few episodes to resolve. The approximate 55 minute runtime meant they had to shove in years of nostalgia, showcase classic characters, introduce a new character, make us care about the plot, and swoon over the fight scenes. They succeeded up to a point, and nostalgia is gonna get the high mark without question. The fight scenes involving Rangers and Villains is definitely good, but even then I wasn't particularly enthused. The designs for Alpha and Robo Rita and her monsters are mostly solid and the same can be said for the set pieces. The idea of Kat using a Power Bow and the excess detailing on the CGI Dinozords is clearly, and unfortunately, inspired by the same details that have been incorporated into the Lightning Collection and the Zord Ascension Project. It's trying to showcase some level of symmetry and it almost completely misses the mark for me. I will say that the individual Dinozords look a little better than the Dino Megazord, but that's not saying a lot.

Cosmic Fury is supposedly going to feature Billy again, and bringing Minh back would help give us more time to like her and accept her as the successor to Trini. It would also help if someone like Zedd referenced the events of this special and why he wasn't involved cause you feel as though he should've been chronologically speaking, but he wasn't introduced until the 31st Anniversary and this was mainly to focus on Robo Rita and the glorious return of Barbara Goodson who delivers a mostly solid performance.

Uh, why did Robo Rita come back when the nature of her return meant that anyone who was turned into sand or purified by the Z-Wave could've come back as well? Does this mean that anyone could return? Does blowing Robo Rita up disperse her evil to the far reaches of space or banish it to the Dark Dimension or something else? To that end, why was the Dark Dimension referenced when we never saw Robo Rita anywhere but on Earth or the Moon Palace?

You can like this special for what it is and for what it tried to do. I'm now more interested in Cosmic Fury than I was cause this left me wanting something different. A shame, cause I was young when this franchise was and I remember it from that period. I wanted to like this and I kind of do, just not in the manner that I was hoping.

Well, I hoped this little overview was informative or helpful or something. I tried to be cautious regarding spoilers. Maybe a little too cautious.

For now, be good and keep it Morphenomenal!

P.S.: There is a pretty obvious Bulk and Skull easter egg, but Angel Grove High and Principal Caplan and Miss Applebee are nowhere to be seen and I didn't catch any kind of an easter egg for them if there is one.

Here's my review:

Bringing Back the Cast

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers is one of the most iconic television shows of the 90s, and it has captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world. The series has continued on since 1993 with season themes ranging from dinosaurs to ninjas, to space travel, and more. Three feature films have been produced*over the years – the first*a standalone movie released in 1995, the second that*falls in line with series canon released in 1997, the third a*reboot released in 2017 - but nothing has captured the essence of the original show quite like the latest entry into the franchise, “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Once & Always.” *

Fans of the original television series have been eagerly awaiting this release, and newcomers to the franchise are sure to be entertained by the action-packed adventure.*

“Once & Always” was 55 minutes of nostalgia, sure, but it also was 55 minutes of modern storytelling that will appeal to both old and new fans.*The special occurs in real time, allowing*the overall Power Rangers story to grow and continue the characters’ developments from the last time we saw them. It is also the first time we’ve had 3 eras of the Mighty Morphin’ team represented at one time with season one’s Walter Emmanual Jones as “Zack Taylor, Black Ranger,” and David Yost as “Billy Cranston, Blue Ranger;” season two’s Johnny Yong Bosch “Adam Park,” Karan Ashley’s “Aisha Campbell,” and Steve Cardenas’s “Rocky DeSantos, Red Ranger;” and season three’s Catherine Sutherland’s “Kat Hillard, Pink Ranger” all appearing and interacting with each other.*

Without giving away too much, the episode strikes a good balance between honoring the original series and updating it for today’s audience while giving the the characters the chance to feel more three-dimensional than they have in the past. Yet, it does still have its cheesy moments. But that’s just what Power Rangers is. It’s not too mature, and it’s not too dark. It’s pure action-packed fun.*The acting performances can be weak at times, but they deliver their lines with sincerity and conviction. Especially in the more emotional moments. It is clear the actors slipped back into their roles as if no time has passed, and that they have the same charm and energy that made us fall in love with them in the first place.*

“Once &*Always” does an excellent job of fleshing out each character's personality, and exploring their past and present struggles. Every character has their unique moment to shine and contribute to the plot. Fans will appreciate the interactions and*jokes between the Rangers, and Ranger actors, that we never got to see share the same screen before.*

Rocky still served as the comedic relief as we saw his character growth in Power Rangers Zeo (personally, I think he’ll be one of the standouts to viewers), and it is hammered home that Kat is married to Tommy and are raising a son together – not only keeping in the storyline of the BOOM! Studios comic “Soul of a Dragon,” but with the Power Rangers Zeo Christmas special “A Season to Remember.” And the Rangers have all kept*in contact, and keeping up with Ranger duties while off-screen, being led by David Yost’s “Billy Cranston.”*

The chemistry between the original cast is a highlight of the film. It is heartwarming to see how the actors have aged gracefully and how well they still interact, and act, with each other. The lead actors give top-notch performances, and their chemistry and camaraderie are palpable. The movie also does an excellent job of balancing the action with the emotional moments, which makes for a well-rounded viewing experience.



The Story

The special has the same beats you can expect to find in an episode: a civilian fight, the Rangers morphing to deal with a threat, a Megazord fight, and a feel-good moment to end the episode – STAY FOR THE CREDITS! IT IS WORTH IT – but the extra 25-minute run time gave the story room to breathe.*

I was one of the ones who was vocal about not feeling particularly OK with the idea that Thuy Trang’s (who tragically passed away in 2001)*character was due to suffer a tragic fate in the special. Of course, even I can agree that David Yost and Walter Jones, as close to Thuy as they were, would not have taken part in this special if anything offensive or disrespectful were to be done with her character or her name. I am happy to say that Trini’s tragedy was handled very, very well, and it did work as a central storyline for this special.*

It helped bring some maturity to the special that fans have been asking for in a while, but not in a melodramatic*way or, on the flipside, an overly dark way. It gave Walter and David room to show their acting chops, and to bring more levity to how hard it is to be a Power Ranger. Jones even had the great line of asking what one thought being a Power Ranger meant; “Cool fights? Quippy one liners?” (Paraphrased.) It is about making tough decisions, even when you are working through anger, hurt, and worry to protect and serve justice for everyone – not just one person. *

Newcomer Charlie Kersh, who plays Trini’s daughter “Minh”, is not only effective in the role showcasing a real “teenager with attitude” going through grief, but it also gives her the chance to show off her martial arts background. Kersh is a talented martial artist and stunt actor, and is given time with the Ranger actors, and on her own, to show off her talent. Continuing her mother’s legacy, it is apparent why she was hired to portray Trini Kwan’s daughter. There is a gracefulness and quiet power the two actresses shared (and there is even a similar fight move that is quickly seen in the special by Minh, reminiscent of Trini) that makes Thuy’s absence felt not just in the special but to the viewers watching the episode. Tied in with Ron Wasserman’s scoring under the somber beats, you are sharing Minh’s and the Rangers’ feelings in regard to the absence of their dear friend.*

Since it was revealed that Rita Repulsa makes an appearance in this special, many hardcore Power Rangers fans wondered how she would return knowing her fate in the main series. This special explained this result in a way that makes sense and continues to push the limits of what we already know to be true to the Power Rangers universe. It, and the roles that Adam and AIsha play in the series continues to weave together storylines and plot points of the Power Rangers universe that many fans felt were confined to their respective seasons.




Weak Points

“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once &*Always” is a fun and entertaining movie that will please fans of the original series. The film's cinematography and camera techniques are excellent, and the filmmakers manage to create an immersive atmosphere. The camera work is smooth, and the film uses different camera angles and shots to convey the characters' emotions and the story's stakes.*

However, there were one too many slow-motion actions shots I felt wasn’t necessarily needed. Whether the Rangers were morphed or taking part in a civilian fight, each time a fight came around, there was at least one slow-motion action shot. There are moments that it stood out and worked with the plot (such as the trailer shot with the Blue Ranger flipping over Robo-RIta's sceptor), but a simple jumping motion to indicate an oncoming attack in the streets of Angel Grove, or whenever a Ranger took their shot center camera to charge towards an enemy was a bit too much.*

We also didn’t get the chance to fully understand where Adam and Aisha were, what they were doing, and the overall ties it has to this special. I wish we could have seen more of these two with the never-before-seen S.P.A. they are a part of (as emblazoned on their uniform-like jackets), how they got to be a part of S.P.A. and what all that entails. The special did do an excellent job of bringing back as many people as possible, and who knows if Karan Ashley, Johnny Yong Bosch, Steve Cardenas, and Catherine Sutherland’s characters would be there if Austin St. John and Amy Jo Johnson were slated to return.*

In that regard, the special was already filled*with getting as many*returning cast members as possible, and references to other seasons so it’s understandable why it wasn’t done. It just would have been nice to see as it was new to the Power Rangers world vai this special.*Maybe if this was a two hour special (or maybe even a mini-series with hour long episodes) we could have gotten more of a full explanation to where and how the Rangers got to where they are. *

Another weak moment was how often they*rehashed Minh’s continuous anger at Robo-Rita Repulsa and her recklessness. While it did tie in to the behavior of a real “teenager with attitude,” and it gave Charlie Kersh enough time on her own to prove Minh’s worth, the conversations and Minh’s being told to “stay put” came one too many times for my liking.


Conclusion

If you've been around the fandom for a while, you know details including filming photos, voice actors, and character roles can and will be shared by me - and these may be spoilers for the production. That being said, even knowing how spoiler-filled posts I post can be, it was better that I went into this with little information.

Spread the word about this special. Spread it as far and wide as you can. It was an anniversary episode that was clearly made with love and respect for the brand, characters, actors, and the overall story. It could be a one-off thing, but there is room to move forward from here that could keep the Power Rangers story engaging, and ready for even the next generation to welcome it with open arms. Just remember that this is a special celebrating 30 years of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, and not Power Rangers as a whole – though there are clever references and Easter Eggs to other seasons in the franchise. If you remembered*

Overall, if you're a fan of the Power Rangers franchise or just looking for a fun and entertaining hour of action, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always” is worth checking out. For those who grew up in the '90s, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers was probably one of the coolest things we watched on TV. It was the perfect combination of action, humor, and science fiction that captured our imagination and this special contained those elements.*

It is for every Power Rangers fan who has stuck with the brand since 1993. It is for the Power Rangers fans who stopped watching and have slowly come back to confirm for themselves that, yes, “that show is still on.” It is for anyone who would like a fun introduction to the world of Power Rangers, and maybe it’ll serve as a driving force to binge-watch the series all over again. While the special*may not be perfect for everyone, it was better than what I could have ever asked for.* And I can’t wait to watch it again.



Standout Character(s)/Actor(s): Steve Cardenas (Rocky) for comic relief and Walter Jones (Zack) for his acting in the slower, more sentimental scenes. David Yost (Billy) is truly the lead of this special and it?s great to see more from him.

Standout Moment(s): ?It?s Morphin? Time!,? The Angel Grove Juice Bar Putty fight, Minh and Zack?s fighting styles, and the MMPR theme.

This special really made me wonder what an actual Power Rangers mini series with a decent budget might look like. Something like the Halo TV series where there is more focus on the characters' lives and development, some good action scenes, and a single Megazord fight saved for the very end.

I definitely agree that the pacing felt off, but that's easy to contribute to a 55 minute run time. You just know this production had a limited budget and I think they did the best with what they had. It may not be the final page in the MMPR that people wanted, but it's a miracle we got anything like this at all.

I'll type up a bigger post with my more thorough thoughts on a night I don't have work, but I just wanna say that I loved almost every second of it.

Fuck off man, we exist and we're not going anywhere. Cry harder

Anyway, loved the movie. I was a late 90s/early 2000s kid, so Power Rangers was still huge when I was young. I was obsessed, whenever I got to pick out a VHS to rent I'd always choose something Power Rangers. Same with catching reruns of the original series on TV. I even remember the first book I ever read on my own was some little Power Rangers picture book. This movie comes out at a very stressful yet exciting point in my life, I'm finally finishing college after 8 years, been having to just go part time in order to also work. Seeing my childhood heroes again, now much older themselves too, yet still the same amazing and inspirational characters they always were, it meant a lot to me. Yeah, the pacing was rough, and the CGI Megazord sucked, but overall I adored this movie

Isn't "half-assed" a term to say that it's not properly done?

But hu yeah, that scene was a bit cringey and came out of nowhere.
Still I didn't mind too much about it. (The correct way being what they did with Izzy and Fern in Dino Fury. Tackling it as just a normal relationship)

Maybe I'm tone deaf, but isn't that exactly what the movie did? They just noted the two were boyfriends. The end.

It is worth noting that David Yost said he essentially left MMPR due to continual harassment over his sexual identity as a gay man. So the inclusion of a gay couple in a show about the passage of time is actually a really good fit.

Ho, what bothered me was just the acting, that's all.
I think it could have been just "Can you give me the ketchup" and I would have still found that moment cringe because of the acting.

I mean, I imagined at some point that Zack and Billy would be in a relationship (I don't know why though)

Is that short scene in the movie worth debating? I don't think it is.

But yeah, I completely forgot that David Yost was gay. This gay couple might be a nice nod to him. (What he went through was horrible, no human being should live that.)

Now, I have very mixed opinions about Mighty Morphin' and its place in the mythos of the franchise, but I actually really enjoyed this as essentially the Power Rangers take on a 10 Years After movie. I'd love to see Minh potentially form a team of new Dino rangers in a continuation at some point. Yeah, the Megazord didn't look great, but I'd argue that adds a little to the charm.

I don't care much for MMPR.

I have casual knowledge of PR compared to Sentai.

But that all said I actually very much enjoyed this special. It's not without its issues. I think Minh's acting went a bit too over-the-top in places, especially when she acted angry. On the flip side I think Yost could have done better with some of his deliveries since there are a few that did come off very monotone or in a way that didn't fit a situation's dire atmosphere. The CG fight at the end was also kind of a miss. I love how they recreated the zord summoning and thought the textures on both models used in the fight looked good, but the movements were way too floaty and light-feeling. Something the CG usage in more modern Sentai somehow avoids thanks to using motion capture. Could say it's due to the environment the fight took place on, but even so.

Loved Rita, Snizzard and Minotaur though. The explanation for Robo Rita's existence does make total sense based on what happened to the character and the writers had a great time with their dialogue. A bunch of great lines from them. Also enjoyed the themes of justice vs revenge, learning to forgive, what it means to be a hero (and how it does make it a point to mention that as fun and games as PR is, they're still putting their lives on the line), etc.

Okay, I watched this yesterday, so it's time to give my thoughts!

Which is ironic now that I think about it, as I would've expected a human-like character to use "kill" and a robotic character to use the more dehumanizing "destroy". Other than being another perk of the platform, Rita's decision to use punchier language is a way to express how severely her vendetta against the Rangers has grown since her defeat. This is a version of the character who's been waiting for her revenge for decades and that's what makes her so dangerous, as we saw from her first act. She not only destroyed the Yellow Ranger, she killed Trini. Rita is truly at her most despicable in this movie.

I think it's intriguing how Billy has become a lot like Zordon with how he functions as the voice of reason for Zack in their "what do we tell her?" scene and for Minh (although Zack's wisdom shines here as well). In the absence of co-leaders Tommy and Jason and considering that Zack likely doesn't know Rocky and Kat that well and vice versa, it's an affirmative move for Billy to take charge of the team as the member with the longest tenure and I guess, the Tony Stark of PR now. Billy feeling guilty for what happened to Trini and Alpha 8 reminds me of that time he was brainwashed to sabotage the Command Center. A Friend In Need, I recall?

Huh, you're right. Out of all the Rangers in that scene who could've said that line, Kat doesn't make any sense.

This was one of my favorite scenes! Minh's development from begrudging Billy for causing Trini to sacrifice herself, to doing exactly the same thing after understanding that being a Ranger means to protect others, was totally worth the wait. I like how she doesn't immediately learn that moral from Zack and Billy, but rather, she understands what they were trying to teach her by putting herself in Trini's place and realizing that's just the kind of strong person her mother was.

Minh being the new teenage Yellow Ranger on a team of middle-aged people is kind of like an exaggeration of the PR Turbo dynamic, or for Sentai, you could say it's an inversion of Zenkaiger which had Juran as a middle-aged person and voice of reason to the others. I think it works though, the new MMPR having Minh as a new impulsive teenager in contrast to the now older and wiser members.

Yeah, I appreciate how this movie celebrates not only a point of 30 years since MMPR, but also the many years of non-MMPR content that exists after it. There's a common complaint, that PR nostalgia is too MMPR-focused, so it's a good start with the opening narration to emphasize the legacy of that show more than the show itself.

It's thanks to the existence of those shows that succeeded MMPR that make MMPR worthy of such celebration, as MMPR was the start of something awesome that still continues today. That's something I think is lacking in the Sentai anniversary specials, a reason for them to exist outside of mere fanservice. Once and Always was made with heart by the actors and staff, with a story that feels profound, with respect to Trini and Thuy in a way that understands the feelings the people who care about them.

Yeah, I see this as David having his last laugh on Saban Brands. I think he deserves it, so yeah, good for him. I'm glad that the future of this franchise is in better hands with Hasbro, as they can actually understand the appeal of a team of heroes consisting of characters who are all different, which of course extends to differences in sexuality.

It's pointless to compare a ship like Izzy/Fern to this m/m ship, as the former are major characters while the latter are extras. They're not supposed to be deep and you know, if one of them were a girl, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation.

A Friend In Need was the crossover with Masked Rider on Edenoi.

Tommy did his infamous Command Center rampage in Season 1. When they brought Tommy back, Billy was brainwashed and entered the Command Center in order to steal the Dragon Dagger for Goldar. A Putty assumed Billy's visage thanks to Twin Man (Bryan Cranston again), but merely acted like a bully in the halls of Angel Grove High.

In Season 2, Zyu2 Monster Primator assumed Billy's form in order to try and enter the Command Center during Zordon's deionization phase, but his harassment of Alpha 5 in public led to the initialization of Alpha's self-destruct sequence and it was the actual Billy who knew which buttons to push to deactivate the sequence. Alpha was tampered with again by Finster during the Wedding, and ultimately saved by Billy when he pulled Finster's disc out of Alpha's back.

The closest thing that I can think of is "Blue Ranger Gone Bad" in which an art project is turned into an Evil Billy Clone who had less scientific knowledge than the actual Billy.

https://www.grnrngr.com/episode-guides/

Looked it up and turns out the episode I was thinking of was Return of an Old Friend, where Billy stole the Dragon Dagger, like you said, but he also disabled Alpha 5, so that's probably where I was getting the similarity from. At least I got the "Friend" part of the title right, haha.

Would it have been great to have had the original MM team all together one last time? Yeah, especially because it felt kind of off that the other OG's only got voice cameos or reused dialogue while Billy and Zach got to take their helmets off...I know with Thuy's death you could never have all of them back together, but it still felt like a bit of a missed opportunity (especially since it seems like money prevented some of the originals from coming back). That being said the ending song honoring Thuy and Jason David Frank was absolutely precious.

Barbara Goodson has not missed a beat as Rita. Richard Horvitz doesn't sound exactly the same as Alpha-9, but he still captures those Alpha-isms well.

The flying car! Ahhhhh!

Minh was a little too bratty teenager, especially when she was deliberately out to emotionally hurt Billy, but I guess that's a modern "teenager with attitude."

It was weird how much of a mish-mash this was with Zack, Billy, Rocky who came later, and Kat who came wayyy later. I get it's partially because they couldn't get Austin St. John or Amy Jo Johnson, and I was happy to see them...but still.

So if Jason and Kimberly are the standing MM Red and Pink, do Rocky and Kat still have their Zeo powers? I assume Tanya was the Zeo Yellow they got.

I was actually wondering if they'd acknowledge Tommy and Kat's marriage and their kid, so that was nice. Also shows how strong the relationship is and how far they've come that there didn't seem to be any drama with Tommy working with Kimberly again.

Nice to see Bulk and Skull acknowledged.

You know Billy is the main character when he gets the center seat in the Megazord.

I appreciated how they faithfully recreated the Zords and Megazord in CG even if it didn't feel as weighty and and real as it would have had they used suits. Also that finisher was...underwhelming.

I was honestly worried they didn't make new props for the signature weapons, but boy was I happy to be wrong when they brought them out for the final fight!

I'm disappointed they didn't finish Robo Rita with the Power Blaster.

I'm glad Aisha gave Minh her seal of approval because it means just as much as if Trini did since she was the second MM Yellow Ranger. I also like how we got Adam and Zack together and the successor Rangers standing next to each other since, well, they were each others team.

What's up with Power Rangers SPA showing up? Are they getting a series in live?

SPD is 2025.

The question will simply have to remain a question, and unanswerable for the foreseeable future. There hasn't been much in the way of explanation as of yet (insofar as I am aware of).

Personally, I feel as though it could be a sign of things to come in Cosmic Fury. That is only a guess and not based on anything but presumption and the obvious space theme between the two.

SPA is just the start of SPD and meant to be a nod/easter egg. If you're to believe Simon Bennett on social media, don't expect much more to come out of it.

I didn't think it was anything amazing, but I did enjoy it. The storytelling felt in-line with what I expect from PR, just scratching the surface of some more mature themes. I definitely appreciated the amount of effort put into shooting an original story with new sets, costumes, and CGI. It feels totally fine for a reunion show.

As someone whose favorite Rangers were Trini and Billy, I absolutely loved this movie. But at the same time, I understand why some of the fans could remain disappointed.

The special had gone up on You Tube so I saw it there.

I hope that they continue with the new Yellow Tiger Ranger.

I could see how she'd want revenge over Trini.

As for the episode it was decent.

That bit about Kat and the Putties made no sense.

I watched all of MMPR on Shout DVD so that left me
going "What The.....?"

Kat never fought Putties. She battled Tengas.