The 2017 moviePower Rangersis now streaming onNetflix, and it’s the perfect time to give it a shot, despite its reputation. ThePower Rangersfranchise began in 1993, with the now cult classic showMighty Morphin Power Rangers. The show originally starred five teens—Jason, Kimberly, Zack, Trini, and Billy—all of whom came to possess incredible powers that enabled them to fight myriad villains and defend the planet. Since then,Power Rangersmovies and TV showshave expanded considerably, with more than 20 shows and a handful of movies to date.
Plenty of nostalgia has built up for the franchise over the last 30 years, but that doesn’t mean every show or movie has been a success. On the contrary, severalPower Rangersadditions have been quite poorly received. The 2017Power Rangersmovie is sadly among them. However, as someone who grew up onMighty Morphin Power Rangersand has been watching these shows and movies from the very beginning,I don’t thinkPower Rangers(2017) is nearly as bad as its Rotten Tomatoes scores would have you think.
2017’s Power Rangers Is Now Streaming On Netflix
Now Is The Perfect Time To Give The 8-Year-Old Movie A Chance
Power Rangers(2017) has only just arrived on Netflix, eight years after its initial release. This meansnow is the perfect time to give the movie a watch. Although the movie does not follow all the same beats thatMighty Morphin Power Rangersdid, the characters inPower Rangers(2017) are the same as the original characters inMighty Morphin(albeit with a few personality shifts and some other story changes).
Throughout the first half of the movie, Jason, Billy, Kimberly, Zack, and Trini all find one another and obtain their powers after a massive rock slide puts them in contact with the iconicPower Rangerspower coins. They then find the equally iconic characters Zordon and Alpha 5, who act as guides for the team of rangers in bothMighty Morphin Power RangersandPower Rangers(2017). The team must then face off against one of the most well-known villains fromMighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita Repulsa.
10 Best Power Rangers Series That Still Hold Up Today
The most famous Power Rangers seasons were released in the 1990s and early 2000s, but some of these series have aged much better than others.
Saban’s Power Rangers Movie Is Better Than Its Rotten Tomatoes Score Suggests
Power Rangers (2017) Doesn’t Have Egregious Rotten Tomatoes Scores—But They’re Not Good
Currently,Power Rangers(2017), or Saban’sPower Rangers, has relatively low critic and audience scores onRotten Tomatoes. The critic score is only 51%, and although the audience score is slightly better, it is still only 65%. While these certainly aren’t the worstRotten Tomatoesscores, nor are they even the worst scores for thePower Rangersfranchise,these scores are so much lower than the movie deserves.
Power Rangers(2017) is not a flawless movie, it’s true. There are moments when the humor and, at times, even the acting fall a bit flat. Certain character choices are also surprising when compared to the originalMighty Morphinstory (Trini’s personality is entirely different, as just one example), but all those things can be forgiven because the movie is such fun to watch and because it is so successful at drawing upon the nostalgia fans have for the original story while still making it feel new and interesting.
All those things can be forgiven because the movie is such fun to watch.
Again, as a fan of the original series,it’s hard not to feel delighted when the Power Rangers are each in their Zords, racing off to fight Rita Repulsa with the iconic"go go Power Rangers"lyrics playing in the background. The movie also maintained much of the original messaging and feeling thatMighty Morphin Power Rangershad. The camaraderie, loyalty, bravery, and dedication among the rangers are very reminiscent of the original, and that alone makes it feel worth a chance.
How Power Rangers' Underwhelming Reception Prevented The Cinematic Universe
Unfortunately, This Movie’s Poor Reception Prevented An Entire Cinematic Universe From Happening
Sadly,beforePower Rangers(2017) performed so poorly, there were plans for an entirePower RangersCinematic Universe, not unlike Marvel or DC. Specifically, there was aseven-moviePower Rangersplanthat would have followed this particular group of Power Rangers.ThePower Rangers(2017) endingeven teased this by name-dropping Tommy Oliver, although he doesn’t appear on screen in the movie.
Fans ofMighty Morphin Power Rangers(and beyond) will know what a massive deal this name-drop was, as Tommy Oliver became the Green Ranger inMighty Morphin Power Rangersbefore eventually becoming the White Ranger later on. He also unquestionably became one of the most popular Power Rangers, especially of that era.
Tommy Oliver became the Green Ranger inMighty Morphin Power Rangersbefore eventually becoming the White Ranger later on.
Power Rangers(2017) including an end-credits scene that foreshadows Tommy Oliver’s arrival confirms that there was hope for this franchise to grow and continue and suggests that there were already story plans in the works to make that happen. It is genuinely a shame that this never came to be, because the universe had so much potential. Even so,Power Rangersis now available to stream on Netflix, and it is absolutely worth the watch—no matter what the scores say.
