Power Rangers Watch Party

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I'm watching through every season of Power Rangers from start to finish, and I can't help but review em as I go through and give final thoughts. This was initially just in a Google Doc, but I've decided to document it here too, for fun!

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Season 1 — B

The first season of MMPR has its good parts, but overall I still think it's kind of a taxing watch in the year of our lord 2023. It has its charms, but uh... it's still very much a product of its era. The cast is very iconic, and some of the main plot beats they hit with the overall plot are pretty fun watches (all of the multi-parters). Rita is an absolute delight every time she is on screen, and I actually really like Goldar despite having such a silly voice. His design is extremely cool.

I actually started this project as someone who didn't buy into the Tommy hype, and I came out of the end of the season thinking he was okay. (I like Billy more!)

Recommended, if you like cheesy crap!

Highlight episodes: "Foul Play in the Sky", "Green With Evil", "Green Candle", "Doomsday"

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Season 2 — C

MMPR2 is... very hit and miss, unfortunately. Most episodes pre-"Power Transfer" are decent, of average quality with the original cast, so it's all rock solid. However, the Zyu2 footage is pretty apparent, and it feels just a little frustrating to be watching the same mooks from last season, even if Zedd is the one at the helm.

Speaking of Zedd, he was fun at the start, being OVERLY direct in a way that just made me laugh, but just around "The Wedding" (and such good timing for that multi-parter), I started to get very tired of his schtick. Goldar gets his badass wings this season, but he gets done so dirty. He basically comes in drunk at the start of every episode, sucking up to Zedd big time, and Zedd just berates the hell out of him. He lost his menacing status from MMPR1, and it's so disappointing.

New rangers: Rocky, Aisha, and Adam. I like Adam, he's good from the start! But uh... Aisha just isn't stand-out and Rocky is actually kind of frustrating. Jason had so much personality and chemistry compared to him. God, I miss Jason, Trini, and Zack. Also, I think Tommy comes a lot more into his own in this season, I kind of prefer him here as the White Ranger rather than in MMPR1; his place as the White Tiger Ranger is, honestly, also just much cooler. The Dairanger suit just kicks ass...

Post-"Power Transfer" is just... WOW. Middling to downright bad. It gets alright, I guess, but the show had really awful growing pains trying to get these new characters in gear and giving them spotlight episodes, and none of them really made those character feel unique. I am hoping to see them grow next season, at the least...

It's definitely important to the identity of Power Rangers as a whole, so if you're interested, I would give it a light recommendation.

Highlight episodes: "Green No More", "When is a Ranger Not a Ranger?", "Wild West Rangers Pt 2", "Blue Ranger Gone Bad"

BONUS!: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The MovieC
A very interesting product of its time, from an era where the popularity of the MMPR series was at its peak and they had to capitalize on it. The soundtrack is pure 90s (rivaling Digimon: The Movie's, imo) and all of the original music for the movie is actually pretty good! This movie's reputation made me go into it thinking there were going to be a LOT more extreme sports scenes, but it's just the first two scenes of the movie, I guess! And honestly, I don't hate the suits, they feel like evolutions of the standard suits from the show... I would not be surprised if they designed them to look so bulky for the sake of the toyline, lol.

I... really don't like Ivan Ooze, he's a bit too annoying for me. All the cartoon sound effects in the first half of the movie really irked me as well, and kept taking me out of each damn fight scene. The subplot with the parents and that one kid trying to stop them from literally throwing themselves to their death was kind of neat, which lends to the whole "90s kids movie" thing. The CG in the Zord scene is amazing (read: charmingly bad) until it's run out of charm, right about where Ooze turns into a big robot or whatever.

Half of the stuff on Phaedos works surprisingly well, drawing me in with the mystical nature of the planet and the Ninjetti powers. It reminded me a lot of something like The Neverending Story, with its atmosphere and magical qualities and all; the scene with them attaining their ninja animals was great. But I also think that it reminding me of Neverending Story leads to a bit of a downfall, where some of the scenes feel like they could be out of any generic kids movie of the late 80s/90s... So, give and take, I suppose.

Llllllight recommendation, if you enjoy 90's cheese.
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Season 3 — C-

The final season of the original series... and I hate to say it, but I did not really care for it very much. I was, in fact, happy to see it was only 30 episodes long, which I'm not sure is actually a good thing! Nearly everything about this season felt superfluous and unimportant, like an extension of the bad of Season 2. And yeah, Season 2 (and 1) had their share of bad episodes, but there's a lot more going on to necessitate their existence. Not sure I can say that about Season 3.

Rito Revolto is kind of fun until he's not, and, while Master Vile's design is really cool, he didn't really leave a lasting impression on me. As much as I enjoy Rita (and sometimes Zedd), I'm excited for something completely new by means of Zeo.

Admittedly, I do not care too much for Ninjor or the Ninja powers as a whole. I know that they were just a means to reusing footage from Kakuranger, but my takeaway from it was just kind of an eyeroll every time they transformed to use the Ninja powers. Likewise, the Tenga Warriors were cool for a few episodes, and I liked their theme at first, but near the end I just found myself zoning out during those parts. Ninjor's design is cool from afar but... well, watching him on screen as an adult is kind of frustrating.

THAT BEING SAID. I thought Kim's leave of the show was handed REALLY WELL compared to Jason/Trini/Zack in Season 2! Her leave actually felt like it was supported in the show and wasn't some out of nowhere decisions — "Power Transfer" was set up in advance, yes, but it still felt very out of nowhere, especially now compared to this set of episodes. I was skeptical of Kat when she was introduced, but by the time of "Different Shade of Pink Pt. 3", I found myself warming up to her quite a bit. I'm excited to see what more comes of her character!

I also thought that the "Changing of the Zords" multi-parter was really high stakes for what MMPR is. As much fault as I'll give Season 3 for feeling kind of pointless in the grand scheme of things, I'll give it this: it felt the most serialized out of the entire series, which I greatly appreciated as an adult.

Not recommended. I feel like it's worth one watch and that's about it. The other two seasons of MMPR are far more deserved of revisits, unless you are a big Kat fan.

Highlight episodes: "Changing of the Zords", "Different Shade of Pink"
BONUS!: Mighty Morphin' Alien RangersC

I went into the Alien Rangers mini-season not expecting much of anything, and ended up liking it quite a lot! After the mediocrity of Season 3 and Season 2's worst parts, it felt like a breath of fresh air. It was so nice seeing proper Sentai footage of fights that wasn't just the Zord fights... I also loved the tension of the series, and the final moments of the entire series were GREAT.

The kid actors did a fine job, no complaints there. It probably helps that this was only ten episodes long, so they didn't overstay their welcome. The Aquitian Rangers aren't really characters, honestly, but I also didn't dislike them either. The voice modulation felt odd at parts, but shrug, I got used to it by the end.

The only thing I can really bring up is, I guess is Aisha's sudden leave. I actually had no idea this is where she left the show, and her being replaced with someone from the past is... certainly a choice! But I suppose I'll have to see what comes of Tanya next season..!

I'm not sure I can recommend it, though, given its strange placement in the show and also sort of required viewing of Season 3.

Highlight episodes: None, I guess??? Maybe "Attack of the 60' Bulk"?

Power Rangers ZeoB+

Power Rangers Zeo feels like the more distilled and idealized form of Mighty Morphin. This is absolutely what they were aiming for with those first three seasons, and they're finally hitting their stride here. When Zeo is good, it gets REALLY good — and though I don't have many personal standout episodes here, I feel like the bulk of the season is still a very fun watch. It takes a while to get going, around episode 10 is where it started getting better and better before I really settled into things, and I think there's kind of a pacing/plot issue during the time that King Mondo's been defeated, but I still really enjoyed Zeo!

Also in terms of pacing, I feel like the show sort of started grinding to a halt with the seven part Gold Ranger arc. I didn't hate the premise at all, but it just felt like it could have been shortened down an episode or two to make the writing a bit snappier and less repetitive. It sort of got exhausting to get through, and ultimately it made me sort of like that arc a bit less... even if it was cool that Jason came back as a regular for a bit longer.

It was sad seeing Billy downgrade to being the tech guru of the group, but at the same time, I wasn't too bummed out, because him being the tech guy is where he really shines. I also ended up really growing to like Rocky in this season, I feel like his actor is a lot more comfortable being in the role of slightly-goofy but heartfelt Blue Ranger than being a Red Ranger. That or his actor just improved his performance a LOT since MMPR2.

I'm not too attached to the Machine Empire, though I think Prince Sprocket is kind of fun as the whiny, spoiled rotten kid who's trying to defeat the Power Rangers. It was also nice seeing Rita and Zedd again, but a lot of their inclusion this season felt... weird and confusing. I didn't really get it, but I'm not about to say no to more of their antics.

The Bulk and Skull B-plots were SO entertaining this season, especially as they "graduated" from police force to detective agency. This is my favorite season of them so far, even if I do sort of miss their role as bullies on the show. I do kind of love a good over-the-top 90's bully character.

I'd recommend this, sure! If you're someone with interest in early Power Rangers, I'd say watch MMPR2 then Zeo, for a back to back feel of the show.

Highlight episodes: "Instrument of Destruction", the "Tommy's Brother" four-parter, "King for a Day Part I" and "II"

BONUS!: Turbo: A Power Rangers MovieD-

I went into the Turbo movie with an open mind. I knew what this was setting up, I knew what to expect... and yet... oh god, what a viewing experience.

I'm going to preface all of this with this point: I don't hate Justin. I don't even hate the concept of a kid Ranger joining the team! But EVERY WRITING CHOICE HERE DROVE ME INSANE. Why didn't we get to see anything about the choice being made for Justin to take Turbo Blue in place of Rocky? Why are the other Rangers just so willingly going along with this?! Don't they have any questions, concerns, anything at all?! Is there a REASON that the writers just fast-forwarded through all of this aside from "this needs to set up the upcoming season?" I have... so many questions... Mostly I'm just annoyed as an adult fan who would have been interested in team dynamics...

Half of this movie I just felt completely baffled. I could understand what was going on, I wasn't lost or missing the plot or anything, but watching it all with my own eyeballs just... there was some kind of disconnect in my head from my comprehension and what was playing on the screen. All of the Lerigot stuff went over with me, an adult, as well as you'd expect. And while the surprise of Kimberley and Jason being in this was nice for a moment, it was kind of dumb that they pulled the "hey kids, it's your favorites from the first season", only to throw them in the hull of a submarine for half of the damn movie. Literally what.

Um, nice things to say... I'm so excited to see more of Divatox, and the music that Ron Wasserman made for this movie is great.

Honestly, I think my biggest takeaway from this is that I'm absolutely amazed and a little afraid of the fact that this was a theatrical release. God help the parents who had to sit through this.

Power Rangers TurboC-

It is really hard to review Turbo for me, because at the heart of it? I don't think this season deserves all of the hate that it's gotten... at least, the last third of it. I can sort of even compare it to Zeo with how rocky it is at first, but I wouldn't say that it's as good as Zeo is. Where Zeo's highs soar and make you want to cheer for the rangers, Turbo's merely achieve liftoff and not much more. Even when the episodes are fine, they're just that: fine and not anything to write home about.

So many people throw Justin under the bus in order to complain about this show, but I don't think it's as simple as that, and that people are more eager to hold onto their opinions from when they were children rather than look at the larger picture. In that poor half of the show, yes, there are a lot of Justin-focused episodes, but... honestly? What they do for Justin is just how they treated the MMPR rangers back in those seasons, incapable of doing wrong, practically perfect in every way. I do agree that it feels like Justin gets the limelight in a way that makes the rest of the team feel like they're out of character, but he's just as much of a Mary Sue type as the rest of the team. I came in expecting his character to be genuinely annoying and frustrating, but he's just just fine. In fact, I think his dynamic with the team is kind of interesting, considering he's the only kid ranger in the entire series.

No, the problem with Turbo lies with both the lack of stakes in the plot and also the multiple, multiple plot threads that, frankly, do not go anywhere. Phantom Ranger was a cool idea, but a complete nothingburger overall, and I have no idea why he was given a god dang seven parter aside from appearing frequently in the Carranger source material. The Blue Senturion could have easily been that, given that his Millennium Message goes nowhere, but I give him a pass on multiple parts — his design is cool, his character is charming, and he interacts a lot more with the plot and rangers than Phantom did. Not to mention, the "twin sister of Dimitria" plot beat dropped at the start of the season, which only minorly gets resolved in In Space (soon...) There's just a lot left hanging in the air, and nearly the whole season ends up being forgettable episodes one after the other. I'm actually still in awe that this season has the BEST finale thus far, with all of that in consideration...

ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE PIZZA EPISODE REALLY QUICK: EVERYONE SAYS THIS IS THE WORST EPISODE OF POWER RANGERS, BUT I THINK IT'S A STANDOUT IN THE ENTIRETY OF TURBO, BECAUSE EVERY OTHER EPISODE AROUND IT IS SO UNINTERESTING AND KIND OF GENERIC, AND SEEING SUCH A STUPID PREMISE BE ACTUALIZED HERE IS HONESTLY VERY ENTERTAINING. DIVATOX WORKING AT A PIZZA PLACE IS HILARIOUS. "THE EVIL PIZZAS WERE NO MATCH FOR A SIMPLE STOPLIGHT"/10

Don't have much to say about the new cast because I like them all! They're a breath of fresh air from everyone who's been on since Mighty Morphin', especially Tommy, whose performance just felt so phoned in. I respect his legacy as a ranger by now, but man, just wasn't feeling it this season. Alpha 6 makes me want to tear my hair out, though, and Dimitria is kind of weak overall...

The highlight of the entire season, for me, has to be Divatox. Both actresses who portray her do an amazing job of hamming up every scene she's in, and she was an utter delight from start to finish. If In Space didn't have such good villains, I would be a bit disappointed that she's not the main one anymore...

Anyways, yeah... um, I don't think this is worth an F-- like a lot of people would personally rate it. At its worse, it is pretty bad, but everything levels out near the end. It wasn't an awful experience. Probably wouldn't recommend it, though.

Highlight episodes: "The Millennium Message", "Honey I Shrunk The Rangers Pt II", "Passing the Torch" two-parter, "Trouble by the Slice", "The Robot Ranger", "Chase into Space" two-parter

Power Rangers In SpaceA+

Full disclosure: I watched the entirety of In Space last year with my girlfriend, and honestly, most of my thoughts about the show are still the same, having watched all of the seasons that led up to it.

In Space is straight up space opera for kids. There are episodes that genuinely feel like they could have been retooled to be on any sci-fi show of the era and they would fit well in as even a show for adults. Gone now are a lot of the iconic trappings of Power Rangers, with a number of its plots played completely straight and with surprising seriousness behind it. Of course, there are a few episodes that stand out against this, but the bulk of the season feels like it's grown up so much since the days of Mighty Morphin'. The music used for the show, in tandem, has shifted away from shredding metal guitars to synthetic orchestras, which changes a lot of the show's tone overall. It's all very... cinematic. At this point, this shift is kind of nice, though I did really enjoy the over-the-top nature of the show's old sound.

All of the characters in this are great — the Rangers have all really aged into their roles, and I like Andros and Zhane a lot. Astronema just might be my favorite villain of the show so far, as she's not a cut and dry villain, and her whole "will she, won't she" with the line of good and evil is very engaging. Even on the second watch, I still felt pretty attached to seeing where her story would take her... even if I sort wish she kept her edge factor even after everything. Ecliptor, similarly, is also very memorable, and not just for his absolutely badass design. I love his fatherly dynamic with Astronema, and that he's more compelled to follow her than Dark Spectre. Dark Spectre I have less thoughts on, because he's a bit too cartoonishly evil for me to really be that invested in. His voice does not help.

I think about the only character things I didn't like this season was Bulk and Skull — honestly, this is their weakest plot line they've had of the entire series (them being monkeys and being invisible do not count because they were just that bad.) Something about the crazy scientist character just feels like it's one too many... and I didn't feel that way about Lt. Stone! Perhaps that's because Stone was the straight man to their antics, and the professor just felt like too much.

Just about everything from this season works. I think it would be easier to list what I didn't like, instead of what I did like, then: "A Rift in the Rangers" is an episode type I hate, though I think the ending is pretty funny; "Andros and the Stowaway" is completely inconsequential aside from the Astro Delta MegaZord's final appearance; and I mean... we don't talk about the TMNT crossover.

Incredibly cap-off to the entire Zordon Era. Highly recommended!

Highlight episodes: If I had to pick a few episodes, it would be "A Date with Destiny", "Always a Chance", the Astronema is Karone five-parter, "Countdown to Destruction"

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy?
(Upcoming!)
Power Rangers Time ForceS
(Previously watched, will rewatch for project)
Power Rangers RPMS
(Previously watched, will rewatch for project)

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