[Sentai]

Welcome to, what I hope, will be an ongoing series in Toku Movies and Shows I reveiw. We start today with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. The first, and I wish last, time MMPR came to the big screen.

We're going to start with the acting. JDF, Amy Jo Johnson, and Johnny Yong Bosch are spot on. Atleast as good as they were during the show. And Paul Freeman's portayal of Ivan Ooze is the reason to see this movie. Ivan is the Great MMPR villian. And something I wish they would've brought into the show. Karan and Steve? Not so much. They act worse than anyone you could name from Samurai.
Then we have all the pandering. One extreme sport after another, for no real reason, other than padding the script for time and trying to relate to the youth. And on their Roller Blading. How lax are the laws in Angel Grove exactly? Where you can Skate through Open and Active construction sites. And no one says one word to you. Down stairs, almost knocking people over. And everyone's fine with it. Then we come to Bulk and Skull, who could've been left out of this movie completely. Leaping from a plane without even fastening their harnesses. Yet somehow survive.
And the music. Free Ride, and Higher Ground, And Devo. How many kids watching this movie even knew what the hell Devo was? My guess is that they were only added to the soundtrack so parents could wake up from their coma and say "Hey, I know that song".
The Armored Suits. I liked them. They did what they wanted, seperating the Movie world from the Show world. So glad they added visors and mouth peices. Seriously, google those suits without the visors and mouth peices. Another horrible idea in Saban's long and rich history of dumbass ideas. (RoboKnight? I hope you wake up with hornets in your boxers.)
Dulcea. Why do I have the feeling that many a lad watching that movie went through puberty watching Gabrielle in that short bearskin bikini. Not complaining, mind you. Just pointing that out.
Her acting though, along with Paul Freeman's, are excellent. Well above what we expect from an MMPR outing.
But now I come to the real bitching. The CGI. Oh My God the CGI. Why do I have the feeling they blew the budget on skydiving, costumes, and the getting licenses for the sound track, and had nothing left for the CGI. I know it was the ninties but come fucking on people. The Exomorphicons looks excellent. And while I'm on those Beasts. Why, in the name of Zordon, would you bury a villians Ultimate Weapons so damn close to where you buried him he'd be able to find them in less than 24 hours? Thats like locking Lex Luthor in Stryker's next to his Power Armor and a box of Kryptonite. But back on point. The Zords look good while in Animal mode. But then they combine into a shiney mass of wtf so great it still makes me say wtf. The head alone is an abomination to CGI animation. And the way it moves is a crime against nature.
And since I'm on the Zords. The End Fight. They some how fly Ivan Exomorphicon into space, knowing the only way to stop him is by flinging him into the passing comet they hinted at the frontend of the movie. But a crotchkick? Really? You end this bitch with a crotchkick?! Thats like getting to the end of Hostel, where he's escaping the dungeon, and having him use a banana peel and a Home Alone paint can on a string.

And I have a random question. Why does Zordon, Gosei, every Mentor wait until the great, all powerful, destructive evil is already slaughtering people to tell their group of Rangers about the evil? They never meet the rangers and say "By the way, this is probally nothing and I wouldn't even worry about it, but about 6000 years ago I trapped this galactic morphilogical being that dominated the world with two giant silver insects beneath Angel Grove. And one day he might get free and kill you. So how was high school?" Stupid floating heads. None of you can be trusted. Name one floating head that be trusted. And Jombie from Pee Wee's Playhouse doesn't count. (Mecca Lecca Hi, Mecca Hiney Hiney Ho)

And another problem. Really, Sentai? Yes. When their on the planet, after they get their powers, and are trying to head home. Why, exactly, are they randomly attacked by statue monsters? Someone explain that to me? And how does defeating Ivan magically save Zordon? SO MANY PLOT HOLES...

But I promised to end this on a good note. So let me see. The movie's good for what it was meant to do. Bring the show to the movies with an original story, not one pasted from Japanese footage. The soundtrack was good for all the sense it made. And there were genuinelly good moments. Paul Freeman's Ivan Ooze alone is worth sitting through this movie.

So what do I give this American Toku movie?

3/5 Headder Brothers.

It's good, worth seeing once, but not a classic by any means.