By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
Like most kids, I fell in love with The Power Rangers, and now, thirty years later, we return to the place where it all began!
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always is a one-off celebration of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, featuring Series One veterans David Yost (Billy) and Walter Jones (Zack). Sadly, their fellow original Rangers, for various reasons did not return, so in that sense, I feel like this had the potential to be even more special! The missing Red and Pink Ranger roles were filled by Steve Cardenas (Rocky) and Catherine Sutherland (Katherine), who were the respective replacements from the original series anyway, so there is still a huge sense of legacy, and it was great to see both Steve and Catherine reprise their roles one more time! Then, of course, we have the issue of the Yellow Ranger, which actually was at the heart of the story.
With Thuy Trang (Trini), sadly, passing away I was interested to see how they would handle this in regard to their decision to work her character, also dying, into the story, thus allowing her ‘daughter’ to take focus. It was handled pretty sensitively, and I can only assume that permission was given by Trang’s family prior to filming. While her presence lives on in the movie, it is the introduction of her daughter Minh, played by Charlie Kersh, that takes on the mantle and whose journey is at the very heart of the story. I thought Kersh was a wonderful addition to the Ranger family, and given her real-life martial arts expertise, she excelled in the role.
With the legacy of the Yellow Ranger at the heart of the movie, other themes that were just as important were the concept of family, dealing with loss, the healing process and turning tragedy into a force for good! Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always explores every avenue of what it means to be a Power Ranger, and the classic tale of good versus evil is wonderfully executed in a fun and exciting way! This very much felt like an extended episode of the original nineties series, as the runtime flies by at breakneck speed, although this does leave gaps in the story and character development – but it’s fine!
As for production? Look, it is what it is, and that in itself brings with it, its own charm! I felt like a kid again, the visual effects are a little silly but, as I have already mentioned, I felt like I was a kid again! Nothing had changed! The props, sets, costumes, and monsters… all looked just as I remembered! Embrace it as it comes, and you’ll have fun with it!
Is Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always reliant on Millennial nostalgia? Absolutely! But in the depressing times, we are living through right now, what’s wrong with being made to feel like a happy kid again?
And finally, I just want to say that the touching and emotional tribute at the end of the movie was perfect!
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always is an action-filled and charming nineties throwback, crafted with passion and a fitting tribute to those who, sadly, are no longer with us. “Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger!”
X-Geeks 