‘POWER RANGERS’
Cast: Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Becky G., Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader (PG-13), 2:04
When “Power Rangers” arrived in this country, it was a Saturday-morning show that cobbled together shameless merchandising, English-dubbed Japanese action footage and high school shenanigans. The material was treated seriously, which might not have been the best call for a story that still involves a villain named Rita Repulsa, who wanders around town eating gold.
This big-screen reboot seems to be going for “Friday Night Lights” meets “Fantastic Four,” as it follows five high school students who wield their newly found superpowers to save the world. Imagine how weird things get when they crash a car and wake up with the ability to crush iPhones and scale mountains.
It’s hard to muck up the excitement of testing out your newfound superpowers — until the film’s ridiculous plot kicks in and Banks’ Repulsa starts devouring every piece of gold she can find. Actually, Banks is fairly fun, but man does this film overstay its welcome!