New release hits glut of comic franchises
ACOLOUR-coded, spandexcoutured smorgasbord of high camp and heroics, the “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 the children’s television network Nickelodeon.
The movie was released in East London last Friday, 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.
Described by Britain’s Daily Telegraph as “the most flabbergastingly misconceived reboot of recent years”, the movie has an average rating of five out of 10 on online movie reviews collator Rotten Tomatoes.
In an excoriating review, Telegraph critic Robbie Collin said the movie’s “ugly and incomprehensible” climax appeared to have been “shot by the Hunchback of Notre Dame and edited by a monkey wearing oven gloves”.
Other writers have questioned its relevance in an era that has seen the release of more than 50 Marvel and DC movies, with the hotly-anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Wonder Woman due for release in the coming weeks.
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.
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. — AFP