Let me start off this review by admitting that I have never been a fan of Power Rangers, despite being a 90s kid. I started watching the show kind of late, and by then I was already old enough to realize that it was very repetitive and predictable. However, I'm actually glad that I am not a fan because it allows me to come into this movie with an open mind and not let nostalgia affects my review.
And the reason I think it's important to keep an open mind is because this movie will not be what you expect it to be. It strays quite far from your typical Power Rangers shows, especially in terms of characterization. In this movie, the whole saving the world thing isn't the central point. Instead, the movie spends most of its run time on the teenagers themselves, exploring their personal lives and their relationships. And it didn't do a half-arsed job at that either. There are actually moments of clarity and connection that feel sincere. In fact, this one movie has more character development than hundreds of episodes of the show combined. And with that, the Power Rangers world suddenly becomes more realistic and interesting without having to go grim and dark to the point of ridiculousness like the new Fanstastic 4 did.
On the other hand, it still manages to somewhat maintain the cheesy aspect of the original show. The main characters are still teenagers that do dumb teenage things every once in a while, and the giant robots and colorful armors that people love still remain intact, they just don't take center stage until the final third.
Acting wise, I think the cast mostly did a good job. My only complaint is Elizabeth Banks's portrayal doesn't seem as complex and interesting as it should be, given the character's background. But maybe they was saving it for future sequel.
All in all, I like the direction the franchise has taken and I really hope to see its sequels get made.
And the reason I think it's important to keep an open mind is because this movie will not be what you expect it to be. It strays quite far from your typical Power Rangers shows, especially in terms of characterization. In this movie, the whole saving the world thing isn't the central point. Instead, the movie spends most of its run time on the teenagers themselves, exploring their personal lives and their relationships. And it didn't do a half-arsed job at that either. There are actually moments of clarity and connection that feel sincere. In fact, this one movie has more character development than hundreds of episodes of the show combined. And with that, the Power Rangers world suddenly becomes more realistic and interesting without having to go grim and dark to the point of ridiculousness like the new Fanstastic 4 did.
On the other hand, it still manages to somewhat maintain the cheesy aspect of the original show. The main characters are still teenagers that do dumb teenage things every once in a while, and the giant robots and colorful armors that people love still remain intact, they just don't take center stage until the final third.
Acting wise, I think the cast mostly did a good job. My only complaint is Elizabeth Banks's portrayal doesn't seem as complex and interesting as it should be, given the character's background. But maybe they was saving it for future sequel.
All in all, I like the direction the franchise has taken and I really hope to see its sequels get made.