[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljacone

You guys are totally over-analyzing this. MMPR exists to simply entertain, to be consumed in bite-sized, 22 minute chunks with the occasional multi-part episode (more as the series progresses). It's goofy and silly but you watch it with a smile on your face and as a kid it spurs your imagination. Same with VR Troopers and Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad.

I much, much prefer this method of pure entertainment than a season like RPM, which is trying entirely too hard to be serious, and ends up coming off as grit-teethed, poseur, live-action fanfic. Especially considering that the source material for RPM would lend it self well to a lighter show.

There is a happy medium to be had -- I'd say that In Space, Lost Galaxy, Lightspeed Rescue, and Time Force form a 4 year block of very strong televsion which mixes bite-sized "pure entertainment" with longer form stories and characterization. I am not a huge fan of Time Force but there is no denying that the show is rock solid from a storytelling standpoint.

I never understand why people always act like being critical of a series is a bad thing, if you don't complain things won't get better. Samurai sold billions of merch, so we're gonna get more Samurai. Being critical of shows is how I process, appreciate and enjoy them. And taking the faults apart and exploring them makes for much more interesting discussion than 'yeah it was fun'. I'm sorry if you don't like it but it's just how I have my fun.

Time Force, RPM and Jungle Fury are my three favourite Power Rangers shows because they actually felt like real stories. They had an established world, which would constantly develop in a forward motion and actual characters with faults and depths to tell the story with. I much prefer a Power Rangers season that is about something more than just entertainment.

And I think if you're going to just accept any season that is about entertainment only, then you're never going to get another truly great season, we should push and demand for more.

[ljacone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

I never understand why people always act like being critical of a series is a bad thing, if you don't complain things won't get better. Samurai sold billions of merch, so we're gonna get more Samurai. Being critical of shows is how I process, appreciate and enjoy them. And taking the faults apart and exploring them makes for much more interesting discussion than 'yeah it was fun'. I'm sorry if you don't like it but it's just how I have my fun.

Time Force, RPM and Jungle Fury are my three favourite Power Rangers shows because they actually felt like real stories. They had an established world, which would constantly develop in a forward motion and actual characters with faults and depths to tell the story with. I much prefer a Power Rangers season that is about something more than just entertainment.

And I think if you're going to just accept any season that is about entertainment only, then you're never going to get another truly great season, we should push and demand for more.

First off, please show me where I called your criticism a "bad thing." Just because I disagree with your assessment doesn't mean I think it's invalid.

Secondly, calling a show "shit" over and over again is not a constructive criticism. It's just name calling.

Finally, you list Time Force, RPM, and Jungle Fury as your favorites. Jungle Fury is one of my favorites as well, but you can't tell me that the show does not have a good deal of episodes which exist just to tell their story and sell merchandise, without any real revelations in the larger story arc or character. The Five Poisons is a good example. It has a very minor arc in and of itself, and those episodes and monsters therein are excellent. But it's just a little arc of no real significance, compared to say, the Overlords arc or whatnot. This is what I meant when I said there is a happy medium -- you can do both, you don't need Super Serious (TM) all the time and still tell a good story as well as entertain the target audience.

I lump JF in with the four I mentioned, they all have a similar approach; JF just chronologically didn't fit with the point I was making.

Honestly, I really have no dog in the fight as to whether you or Kain like MMPR, you guys have decided that it stinks and only exists on a "so good it's bad" level, so have at it. But recognize that not agreeing with that assessment is not dismissing it.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljacone

First off, please show me where I called your criticism a "bad thing." Just because I disagree with your assessment doesn't mean I think it's invalid.

Secondly, calling a show "shit" over and over again is not a constructive criticism. It's just name calling.

Finally, you list Time Force, RPM, and Jungle Fury as your favorites. Jungle Fury is one of my favorites as well, but you can't tell me that the show does not have a good deal of episodes which exist just to tell their story and sell merchandise, without any real revelations in the larger story arc or character. The Five Poisons is a good example. It has a very minor arc in and of itself, and those episodes and monsters therein are excellent. But it's just a little arc of no real significance, compared to say, the Overlords arc or whatnot. This is what I meant when I said there is a happy medium -- you can do both, you don't need Super Serious (TM) all the time and still tell a good story as well as entertain the target audience.

I lump JF in with the four I mentioned, they all have a similar approach; JF just chronologically didn't fit with the point I was making.

Honestly, I really have no dog in the fight as to whether you or Kain like MMPR, you guys have decided that it stinks and only exists on a "so good it's bad" level, so have at it. But recognize that not agreeing with that assessment is not dismissing it.

You said, "You guys are totally over-analyzing this." I'm saying there is no such thing. And once again, I used the expression 'shit' to compress down all the many many faults of MMPR as I'm simply watching it on the entertainment factor this time around and trying my best to gloss over the bad. If you want me to go at length into the problems with the show, I can do, I have done many a time on this board.

Honestly I thought the lack of filler in Jungle Fury was one of the biggest problems actually, ironically, every villain was basically a General character and every moment was hyped up to be the most crucial moment in the series. There was never a moment of downtime and it made the show overwhelming at times and caused problems further down the line when they had to try add in new Rangers and what not.

But I'd still gladly take that, than another episode of MMPR which feels like an episode of Saved By The Bell with randomly chucked in Japanese Clips every now and then.

[ljacone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Honestly I thought the lack of filler in Jungle Fury was one of the biggest problems actually, ironically, every villain was basically a General character and every moment was hyped up to be the most crucial moment in the series. There was never a moment of downtime and it made the show overwhelming at times and caused problems further down the line when they had to try add in new Rangers and what not.

I'd call the clip show a moment of downtime.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljacone

I'd call the clip show a moment of downtime.

Oh yeah I forgot about that! I skipped that episode when I realised what it was

[ljacone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Oh yeah I forgot about that! I skipped that episode when I realised what it was

Me too.

But I get where you are coming from with MMPR. I may not agree with you, but I respect how you are approaching it. Personally, I find that a lot of the episodes before Green With Evil have the cast and crew still finding their footing. I much prefer the later parts of season 1, including the Zyu2 episodes, to the earlier part. That's one of the beauties of PR (and Super Sentai for that matter), it's been running for so long that there's something for everybody in there.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljacone

Me too.

But I get where you are coming from with MMPR. I may not agree with you, but I respect how you are approaching it. Personally, I find that a lot of the episodes before Green With Evil have the cast and crew still finding their footing. I much prefer the later parts of season 1, including the Zyu2 episodes, to the earlier part. That's one of the beauties of PR (and Super Sentai for that matter), it's been running for so long that there's something for everybody in there.

That is kinda the thing with MMPR, it isn't so much bad, as it is just bad in comparison. When you've seen where the franchise has gone (not including the poor efforts from neo-Saban) MMPR just really doesn't hold any kind of candle.

If every season was just a high school drama rooted very firmly in the year it was made - "this is SO nineties!" Kimberly chimes, once a very true statement, now a hilarious meta critique of the series - with Japanese Clips thrown in every now and then MMPR would probably hold up a lot better because, for example, I think MMPR is better than Megaforce, which is just trying to be MMPR as done in 2013 with a whole lot less imagination and heart.

But I just can't physically hold it against the three I listed as my favourites and say that MMPR has anything to offer.

[ljacone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

But I just can't physically hold it against the three I listed as my favourites and say that MMPR has anything to offer.

And that's totally fair. MMPR will always hold a place for me -- I ordered the MMPR boxed set without hesitation immediately upon it's release -- but is it as good, objectively speaking, as Lightspeed Rescue? Or Jungle Fury? Nope! And yet both types work.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljacone

And that's totally fair. MMPR will always hold a place for me -- I ordered the MMPR boxed set without hesitation immediately upon it's release -- but is it as good, objectively speaking, as Lightspeed Rescue? Or Jungle Fury? Nope! And yet both types work.

Pretty much all the Power Rangers I watched as a kid, I can't stand now. (Although I still love Time Force and respect Lightspeed for probably being a big part in why Time Force is so good). And a lot of the ones I never saw when I was younger because I was at that point in my life where I wanted to be grown up and mature, I actually adore now I'm an adult and gave the franchise another go.

[Dr Kain]

Jungle Fury... good? lol

That is a good one guys. I think I stopped watching it after 4 episodes because it was so bad. The guy they got to play Rio's US counterpart acted about as good as he looked, which was nothing, because he was butt ass ugly. Even Mele was down right terrible in both departments. If you are going to hire actors that don't have the looks, at least make sure they can act to make up for it. And sun glasses for the morphers, REALLY?!

I also don't understand the mentality, "I got older so I stopped watching it to be mature" that people have. Just because you get older does not mean you have to stop liking something. Sure, things seem more childish, but that does not mean they are good. Plus, you have things that improve the older you get such as BTAS, Animanics, and Gargoyles. You notice more things in these shows, get the jokes that went over your head as a child.

The only reason I really stopped watching Power Rangers in the middle of Lost Galaxy is I got sick of new costumes, mecha, and characters every year. Funny how watching Sentai and Kamen Rider has changed that mentality now, but when I was a kid, I got sick of having to buy new toys every year, as did my parents. Well that, and Beast Wars just came out at that time.