Go go Power Rangers — reboot.
The multi-colored warriors are blasting back into action with their first feature film in two decades.
Just when you thought the gang hit its crime-fighting peak in the 90’s, the new movie has a major budget, recognizable stars and, for the first time in the franchise’s history, a PG-13 rating thanks to violence, language and crude humor.
So no, these aren’t your children’s Power Rangers, even if the characters remain the same.
Here’s what you need to know before the new movie zooms into theaters this Friday.
The storyline
It’s no secret there have been many, many new installments to the franchise over the years, but let’s be clear, this movie goes all the way back to Power Rangers’ original roots.
The characters, setting and general storyline are all being rebooted from the very first piece of Power Rangers media, the beloved “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” TV series of the mid-90s.
Just like in that saga, the new “Power Rangers” flick centers on five “teenagers with attitude” — Jason, Bill, Kimberly, Trini and Zack — who obtain superhuman powers, which they must use to defeat the villainous Rita Repulsa.
It’s filled with callbacks to the original series — which ran for three years — which is sure to conjure up significant nostalgia among viewers of a certain age.
Who’s in it?
The Power Rangers themselves are portrayed by mostly unknown, up-and-coming actors, but the movie still boasts some serious star-power.
Elizabeth Banks takes on the role of the classic baddie Repulsa, while “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston serves as the Power Rangers’ venerable mentor, Zordon. Bill Hader offers up some comedic relief as the voice of Zordon’s trusty robot sidekick Alpha 5, a character known for providing laughs during the original series.
So why did such big stars decide to join a franchise that hasn’t been particularly relevant in years? Aside from the fact that Banks is in everything nowadays, it just goes to show this is a production that people are taking seriously. It cost $105 million to make, after all.
Perhaps the Power Rangers’ return will remind some of the “Transformers” comeback in 2007. The live-action movie starring Shia LaBeouf revitalized a long-time favorite kids series and repackaged it as suitable for both adults and children.
There’s more to it than action sequences
Sure, there are plenty of memorable battle scenes in “Power Rangers,” but more importantly, the movie makes strides in breaking down societal barriers.
Trini the Yellow Ranger — played by Becky G — is the first LGBT protagonist in big-budget superhero movie history, an updated version of a character who was straight in the original series.
“I think what’s great about that scene and what that scene propels for the rest of the movie is, ‘That’s OK.’ The movie is saying, ‘That’s OK,’ and all of the kids have to own who they are and find their tribe,” director Dean Israelite tells The Hollywood Reporter.
Meanwhile, Billy the Blue Ranger is autistic in the movie, and RJ Cyler — the actor who plays him — hopes his portrayal helps others develop a greater understanding of those who have autism.
“I knew that it was my job to show, you know, that people that are on the spectrum are just regular people,” he told ScreenRant.
It’s the third Power Rangers movie overall
The first, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie,” was based on the original TV series and premiered in 1995, between the show’s second and third seasons. It grossed over $66 million worldwide during its theatrical run — proof of the series’ popularity during that era.
The second, “Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie,” didn’t do nearly as well, taking home just over $9.6 million after its March 1997 release.
The 2017 “Power Rangers” premieres just four days before the franchise’s movie-less draught would’ve hit 20 years.
But it might not be the last
Whether we get “Power Rangers” sequels will largely be up to Lionsgate, the studio delivering the new movie.
The company’s CEO Jon Feltheimer seems to have given his vote of approval.
“We are really, really excited about the ‘Power Rangers’ movie,” he told analysts last May during a conference call, according to Variety. “We could see doing five or six or seven.”
Fans will have to settle for the one due out March 24 in the meantime.
