Five trouble making students, Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Zack and Trini, who hardly know each other come together one night and stumble upon five stones. They feel stranger than usual and develop these powers. They go back to the spot and find an underground lair where a robot called Alpha 5 and Zordon inform them that they have been chosen to become a fighting force to protect the world from evil.
Blaine: I’ve never watched the “Power Rangers” TV shows and movies, but this movie looked like something that I’d really go for. It looked more advanced than cheesy. My friend Rich was interested in it and he told me he watched the TV series and movies with his kids and so I joined him in seeing this movie. I like that it shows an origin story of how these kids become the Power Rangers because it makes it easy for me to understand what is going on. I also like the idea of these students who are different from each other, who are almost like people who have done time make something of themselves by becoming superheroes. The characters in this film have been described as the Breakfast Club because they’re a band of misfits who come together and get to know each other. Director Dean Israelite wanted the movie to capture the spirit of the “Power Rangers” he grew up on, but at the same time he wanted to enhance it with more of today’s technology. It also had to be different from every other superhero movie. They wanted new and fresh faces to play the Power Ranger characters. The actors they found were still in drama school and it was a dream for these actors to be in a “Power Rangers” movie because they grew up watching the show and they loved it. They also were happy to be working with each other because they got along so well and they had a lot of fun making this movie. And it was exciting for them to be reimagining “Power Rangers” into something new.
Director Dean Israelite wanted the actors movements in the fighting sequences to look and feel as real as they could be. The actors would have to train and exercise for three months before principal photography began. The Power Ranger suits had to stay true to the iconic look, but also have a new design to them by looking like armor.
Bryan Cranston has a history with “Power Rangers”. Early on in his career he did voiceover work for two of the monsters in the original “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” TV series and now he is playing Zordon, the character who is the guide for the Power Rangers. The makeup department would apply makeup only on Bryan’s face and he would just sit in front of a green screen while the camera was focussed on his face. He would move his head around a bit up and down, side to side. Bill Hader plays Alpha 5, the Rangers' trainer and he brings so much character into his performance. Bill would have to wear a CGI suit and do all these physical movements which is what I like the most about his performance. Alpha 5 can’t show facial expressions because he doesn’t have a face so he shows it through body movement instead.
Rita Repulsa was one of the villains of the show and for the movie they wanted to give her a whole new look, but sort of keep the spirit of who she is on the inside. Casting someone for the role of Rita was a challenge because what they wanted was someone who could make the character scary, but also funny and sexy at the same time. The reason why they chose Elizabeth Banks was because she has had a lot of experience in acting. What Elizabeth liked about Rita is that she is someone who doesn’t really give a shit if a lot of people get killed. She is someone who doesn’t have a conscience and is free to feel whatever she wants. It was intense for Elizabeth to sit still in the makeup trailer for four hours while six people applied the makeup on her. Dean Israelite didn’t know how Elizabeth Banks was going perform as Rita, but she brought a lot into her performance as the cameras were rolling and Dean got a learning experience of how an actor can do so much to bring a character to life.
During the final fight between the Power Rangers and Goldar, the Rangers are almost defeated. They try to pull Goldar away from the Zeo Crystal and use the Zords like a wall. But Goldar out powers them, but the Rangers bond, friendship and courage is even more powerful and it helps the Zords combine as one to form Megazord. I like that they use all their strength to stop Goldar from getting to the Crystal and how they don’t give up. They thought they were going to die, but they knew if they were they at least had each other.
My rating on “Power Rangers” is five out of five stars.
Music Score done by Brian Tyler
Song: Unstoppable
Artist: The Score
Song: Watch Me Walk
Artist: Jay Watts
Song: Heroes (Generdyn Remix)
Artist: Zayde Wolf & Generdyn
Song: Legendary
Artist: Welshly Arms
Blaine: The Power Rangers, RJ Cyler, Naomi Scott, Becky G, Ludi Lin and Dacre Montgomery
