Superhero
Acolour-coded, spandexcoutured smorgasbord of high camp and heroics, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” has stood astride popular culture for a quarter-century as one of television’s most successful franchises. The show — which premiered in 1993 and promptly became a global hit, supported by a vast range of toys, video games and comics — is on its 24th season as “Power Rangers Ninja Steel” on US children’s network Nickelodeon. Smelling a potential goldmine, Lionsgate has turned it into a $105-million movie, but with poor early reviews and fierce competition in a market saturated by comic book characters, critics are asking whether it might be a superhero movie too far. Power Rangers centres on five high-school kids who are all dispirited sorts. Jason (Dacre Montgomery) is a disgraced jock, Billy (RJ Cyler) is a nerdy kid on the autism spectrum, Kimberly (Naomi Scott) is a broody ex-cheerleader, Trini (Becky G) is a loner with overbearing parents, and Zack (Ludi Lin) is a thrillseeker who cares for his ailing mom. Adapted from Japan’s long-running “Super Sentai” television series, the “Power Rangers” are a group of teenagers who “morph” into superheroes in bright spandex suits and helmets, ready to combat evil.
Due to hit US theaters on Friday, “Power Rangers” follows five high school teenagers — played by Dacre Montgomery, RJ Cyler, Naomi Scott, Becky G and Ludi Lin — who unite to battle the nefarious Rita Repulsa, played by Elizabeth Banks.
Scott said she remembered playing make-believe “Power Rangers” with her brother as a child and was in awe of a rare depiction of female superheroes.
“I think that already was a great thing and shows that it was so iconic. Whether you watched the shows or not, you wanted to be one,” she said.
Bad reviews are not always a portent of box office failure, according to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore, voicing optimism that the movie might find its niche.
“The bar has been raised so high over the years and, of late, the R-rated, harder edged superheroes have really resonated, a year ago with ‘Deadpool’ and now with ‘Logan,’” he said.
“But maybe that leaves open a space for a more teenoriented group of superheroes.”
The analyst said Disney’s box office phenomenon “Beauty and the Beast” would continue to dominate while there would also be strong competition from “Kong: Skull Island,”“Logan” and surprise smash hit horror “Get Out.”
“I would never underestimate it, though. Reviews, depending on the genre, matter at times and don’t matter at other times. A more important element will be how social media reacts to the movie,” he said.
Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, said that based on “fairly strong” social media buzz, “Power Rangers” ought to open in the mid-to-upper $30 million range, which would be a respectable debut for March.
Its box office, he added, would largely be driven by the nostalgia of its older audience while themes of inclusiveness would extend its appeal to the younger generation.
“The potential for counter-programming is also significant since ‘Beauty and the Beast’ doesn’t have the same monopoly over young males as it does other demographics,” he added. — AFP