Ok, before you roll your eyes too hard, Power Rangers is not really a kids’ movie. Even the wife said, “ I like it. Had it not been titled Power Rangers, I would have taken it for a sci-fi action movie. And Rita was scary!” Yes, that is a direct quote. This is a reboot, I guess, of the original series and the original rangers are all here, Jason Scott, Trini Kwan, Kimberly Hart, Zack Taylor and Billy Cranston. They are all in Angel Grove, too. Along with a few other bits, all of the basic components are present, but that is where the similarities stop. 

Starting with Rita, she is not a goofy, over the top villain like she is in the TV version. She kills, ok? She kills, and nothing is left… fill in the rest. Then there’s Zordon and, well, he’s is a bit of a dick, and Alpha 5 is a full-on smartass. There’s a darkness to this version that was not present in the series, although it could and should have been. But, it works here.

Now, the rangers, themselves… each is flawed in their own way. They are either delinquents, loners or total outsiders. They all go to Angel Grove High, but barely know each other. The personality changes to the characters is a boon to the attempt to make this movie appealing to a wider audience. Billy is “on the spectrum” as he puts it, but reaches out to Jason, albeit for self serving reasons. Jason, former football star, is trying to find the road to redemption. Kim has a dark secret, Trini is a loner and Zack has some serious problems at home. It was refreshing to not see a regurgitation of what was on TV 26 years ago. There was a depth that went to what would lead to them becoming a team, not just “the spirit of friendship”.

I did thoroughly enjoy the movie. Not just as a fan of the franchise, but a fan of sci-fi action, in general. If you’re looking for something to do, or something to watch, give this a shot. I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed.