Power Rangers: why so serious?

Despite providing decent entertainment value the film fails to capitalise on room for comedy

KARACHI: Wretchedly, we are living in very difficult times. Climate change, refugee crises and terrorism are some of the many grave issues faced by the modern world and it is indeed our response to the problem that is going to decide the future.  You can either become the solution or wait for someone to come and save you from the crises - the latter, an almost biblical notion, is often repeated in films. Apart its obvious economic feasibility, our craving for a messiah is also one of the psychological reasons behind the huge comeback of the super-hero genre; people want the crises to end but they don’t have the means to.

While every super-hero film at the end of the day is about saving the world, it can be done in a lighter way especially when you have a platform like the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Of course you don’t have a Deadpool at hand but its unexpectedly welcoming response at the box office should have encouraged producers to deliver the Power Ranger message in its true essence; daring but goofy. Far from that, the latest rendition of the morphing superheroes relies too much on shallow nostalgia and too little on its essential quirkiness.



For those who are new to this, Power Rangers debuted as a live-action super-hero TV series in 1993 that entered Pakistani pop culture through its film renditions in 1995 and later on through its videogame on Sega and Mega Drive 2. A certain group of the 90s kids would always know why being the White or Red Ranger was the coolest thing to be and why the blue ranger wasn’t. Why every guy would fall for the pink ranger not because of her super powers but because of Amy Jo Johnson. All this and more is given a fresh spin in Dean Israelite’s reboot which stars Dacre Montgomery as the Red Ranger and Naomi Scott as the Pink Ranger.

Five teenagers discover five power coins after one of them ends up detonating a gold mine in search for something unique and precious. The coins lead them to an ancient ship where they meet the robot Alpha 5 and Zordon’s consciousness. Zordan, who was once a Red Ranger tells them how a former Green ranger has turned outlaw and all they have is 11 days to save the world from ultimate destruction. The rangers get their act together for what turns out to be a life changing experience.

A central problem with the film and the root cause behind its lack of humour is the absence of Bulk and Skull. These two characters made for most of the comic relief in previous films and have been completely ousted from this one. While there are a few moments such as when the blue ranger starts swearing and dancing within the Mega Zor, there aren’t enough for the film to stand out among competing franchises.

As an old-school Power Rangers fan I may have been slightly disappointed but as a regular cine-goer the film didn’t leave me asking for more. It’s a kid’s film at the end of the day and features enough heroics to keep them glued to their seats while inspiring them to be better human beings.

Verdict: 

2.5/5

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