So, as the gritty reboot of our childhoods continue, we have now gotten our first trailer for the upcoming Power Rangers movie. And…. here it is:
So, there it is. I’m going to come out and be honest about it: I’m not sure this trailer is selling me. I know that this is only the first trailer and even that you can’t necessarily judge a final film based on trailers alone. But, as this is the first time that we have truly seen anything from this film outside of a few promotional stills and posters, this is what I have to work with right now. So with that said, here’s what I got out of it. (Possible spoilers if you really don’t want to know anything about this movie before you see it)
First off, the story details that the trailer gives us (or wants us to assume at this point). I finished watching it and all I could think of was: so this is The Breakfast Club becomes the X-Men by way of Transformers/Pacific Rim? Nothing, not one shot, not one image, nothing felt or said Power Rangers to me. In other reboot films, especially in the marketing, there is something that harkens back to the original, if only to cash in the nostalgia factor. Nothing here. No part of the story, of what they have given us as far as story at least, is anything remotely similar to Power Rangers as we know it. The only thing that remained the same was the names of the Rangers, which they are using the Mighty Morphin’ characters for.
(although there should be dinosaurs, after a fashion)
Now, this remains to be seen whether any of this is a good idea or not, but for now I can presume that they are using very little from the show at all, outside of a few broad details.
I also want to talk about the look of the thing itself. Visually, much of it was lit darkly without a lot of the brightness of color that the show had. Even daylight, outside shots are blunted by clouds or shadow or just lack warmth in their light. The mid-to-end quick cut montage gives an unpleasant Michael Bay Transformers feel that I had hoped to avoid. There are no shots of zords here (not a huge surprise), and only the briefest look at the suits at the end as they appear on the Rangers. And it’s like the Venom Symbiote wanted to go for a look that was a little bit Mass Effect and a little bit Iron Man.
(With a splash of Carnage as well.)
Overall, it just looked so very modern. If the original Power Rangers show had a look that was very much a product of it’s time, then I think this reboot might hit that aspect right on the head. It’s almost painful how by-the-numbers, absolutely 21st century this looks, and somehow there’s a wrongness about that that I can’t quite describe.
There’s one last thing I want to touch on about this trailer. There’s hints of action and romance and serious tone as if to say ‘this ain’t your parents’ Power Rangers folks, this is the new, modern, Nolan-Batman-trilogy-esque Power Rangers!”. And that’s all well and good that the folks making this film want to make something more serious and adult than the source material. But it kind of feels like a half measure at this point. Why? Because this short film came out beforehand that introduced a truly dark, gritty, and absolutely adult version of Power Rangers. Perhaps this is my bias showing because I loved it (and also the Punisher short he did), but this film seems like it’s trying to go in that direction but not able to fully commit. So it went over lukewarm for me. It was also seemed to take itself way too seriously. I get trying to limit the campiness of the source material, but just a touch of humor, of self-awareness would have benefitted it greatly. Otherwise we’re going to end up with some cringe-worthy melodrama on our hands in a series that always had at least some aspect of fun about it. So just… lighten up a little, guys. I really hope I’m just reading too much into this first trailer, that I’m taking way more out of this two-and-a-half minutes than is actually there. But Power Rangers, especially Mighty Morphin’, holds a place in my heart, and I just want to see this movie be good. Not just for the seven-year-old me either, but for my seven-year-old that watches not only the old episodes I watched, but the newer ones too.
So what did you guys think of the trailers? Good, bad, meh? Do you think this movie is going to pan out, or just end up another forgettable reboot? As always, let me know down in the comments!
I missed Power Rangers by a couple of years. At 24, my nephew is a still a fan and my nieces play with his old action figures. They are Elsa’s palace guard.
The trailer is as you describe, melmo. Every studio wants a movie that is dark in tone and on-set with plenty of explosions. This Power Rangers uses the Transformers formula heavily. Shiny to appeal to kids who grew up watching the show and asking Santa for a zord. Yet brooding to appeal to young adults who are buying the tickets.
As for the Power Rangers: Bootleg, I only made it halfway through. It ran like an over-extended Robot Chicken parody. Punisher: Dirty Laundry… where was that movie?!? Makes me wish that Netflix and Marvel had got together in 2004. Thomas Jane would have been perfect.
(Please, PLEASE tell me that this is a dream brought on by me watching a GOOD movie today) No seriously though I never really like power rangers. I think this looks worse.
Honestly, one of the reasons I like watching reboots is to see it modernized. I mean, if they kept everything the same, and just updated it, it would be a cheesy little kids’ show by today’s standards. I just find it pointless when the reboot is exactly like the original, with better effects and in modern day.
Power Rangers… Not my thing.
If you decide to do a critique of the new Iron Fist trailer however…..
https://youtu.be/0sEJeWB3RA8
That’s very true, and there’s nothing wrong with a more serious tone. But this was just so overwrought and angsty to me. Like I said, even a little bit of humor or self-awareness would do it wonders.
I know, right? That would’ve been amazing. He did reprise the role in a video game in 2005 that was a lot of fun. It’s too bad he didn’t get a better movie.
I’ll have to give that one a watch.
My principal observation, is how much influence the trailer derives from the infamous “Power/Rangers” short, which starred James van der Beek and Katie Sackett. The visual style is almost identical, and while toned down, the grittier re-envisioning of the characters & setting clearly hearkens back to the earlier semi-parody.
I’m not sure whether to put this down to copycatting, or to giving the fans what they seemed to want (since the short was so popular), because some of the ideas actually make *sense*. There is a certain logic, in these downbeat times, to reconsidering whether Angel Grove is such a perfect small town, or whether or not the original characters should be squeaky-clean A students and “cool kids.” The idea of reform-school kids on a super-heroic quest for redemption is potentially compelling, especially since the original opening sequence had Zordon specifically requesting, “a team of teenagers with attitudes.”
So, it might work. My only real complaint is with the casting, which doesn’t seem to have been done carefully: Kimberly and Trini look too much alike for my taste, and a Latina performer (Becky G.) is playing an Asian character (Trini Kwan). If “whitewashing” is unacceptable, then in theory, so is this.
So, we’ll have to wait and see. But I think that the influence of “Power/Rangers” explains the differences from the original show, far more than any more elaborate comparison.
I wonder why none of the kids seems to be a drug addict. Another could have do prison.
And I sure hope the big bad’s mother is Martha.
It lacks some rain, too.
At some point, the rainbow does become impractical. The trailer is sketchy enough that it might be for a great or a horrible movie. I’d keep an open mind and take my time before renting like I normally do.
That was my feeling about this trailer. I saw the Power/Rangers so I can see the influence…It would be cool if they had some of the original living cast appearing in it.
Sadly, that seems unlikely, as they’ve all firmly moved on with their lives: “Tommy” is now an MMA fighter, “Kimberly” has a career as a singer & songwriter (and hates being reminded of the show), and “Billy” has openly spoken out against homophobic treatment he received while part of the cast. Even more sadly, Thuy Trang (“Trini”) was killed in a car accident, years ago. :'(
Eh they could get a cameo out of Jason David Frank, he came back for Dino thunder and Super Megaforce, if any one is willing to embrace having been a power ranger it’s him.