Rangers reboot has the power to entertain

‘GO! GO! Power Rangers!” perfectly describes how much fun the new movie reboot of the legendary children’s show is. Saban’s Power Rangers follows five ordinary teens who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and, before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.

Nostalgia movie-making has officially moved out of the ’80s and has made its way into the ’90s with remakes and reboots now playing to the heartstrings of millennials. As one myself, the Power Rangers played a huge role in my formative years. I even kept on watching the ridiculous show well into my 20s.

Initially when it was announced that Saban was doing a new movie based on the original series, I had very little hope of it being vaguely watchable. But as time went on and trailers started dropping, I started to get excited about the new reboot.

I’m pleased to report that the new Power Rangers movie is one of the best superhero films to be released in the past four years. Who would’ve seen this coming? Certainly not me. From the characters and the action set pieces to the screenplay, everything about this movie works in harmony.

The actors especially are surprisingly good. With most of the cast consisting of unknown actors, and sans Elizabeth Banks and Bryan Cranston, you would expect mediocre acting.

The Rangers give great performances especially the blue Ranger (Billy), played by RJ Cyler. The Rangers truly represent different kinds of teens in today’s society. The yellow Ranger (Trini) is a gay teen, the pink Ranger (Kimberly) is a reformed mean girl, the red Ranger (Jason) is more than a star quarterback and the black Ranger (Zack) comes from an immigrant family. This is the last movie I expected to be both fun and socially conscious.

The way the Rangers meet is also very organic. Unlike the most recent Fantastic Four movie, the way the new Power Rangers meet never feels contrived. This is also thanks to the brilliant screenplay by John Gatins. The rangers feel and sound like real people, all the punchlines for the jokes land and the characters have true depth.

Director Dean Israelite does a brilliant job of coaxing stunning performances from the actors. He takes a very cheesy concept and makes it very relatable. For most of the movie the Rangers retain their ordinary forms and it really is a character-based story until the third act. They are fully formed characters who take you on an unexpected emotional rollercoaster.

This movie guarantees a fun time at the cinema and is what DC was trying to do with Suicide Squad but failed. Power Rangers will be enjoyed by die-hard fans and casual moviegoers alike.