Power Rangers 2017 Trailer Recap: The Good, The Bad, The Verdict

Most kids these days probably don’t remember the Might Morphin’ Power Rangers. Most are probably familiar with later adaptations such as Power Rangers Ninja Storm, so for those who don’t know: The ‘Might Morphin Power Rangers’ is an American adaptation of the Japanese Super Sentai series called Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. The Power rangers are considered as icons of ’90s culture, most notably for having developed a pose so awesome, it makes grass explode in the background.

Power Rangers’ Multicultural Cast

Lionsgate has already announced the official list of cast members. Naturally, we’re most interested in the faces behind the five ranger helmets themselves, so here they are.

Dacre Montgomery as Red Ranger Jason

I’ll be honest here and say I don’t know much about Dacre Montgomery. I haven’t seen any of his previous roles, so I can’t judge him. Either way, his character has to be my favorite among the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. I mean the guy piloted a tyrannosaurus rex robot. What could be cooler?

RJ Cyler as Blue Ranger Billy

Not my first choice for the Blue Ranger, as the original series had the black kid play the Black Ranger. Not that I support racial stereotypes, but I’m a fan of the original series, and when I watch reboots, I tend to look for a bit of fan service. RJ Cyler himself though? I think he’s a good actor. I remember him from the 2015 movie “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.” He did a good job there, and so I feel he can pull this off. I heard he’s also on the HBO series Vice Principals, but I haven’t watched that yet.

Becky G. as Yellow Ranger Trini

Personally, I’m not very fond of Becky Gomez’s on-screen appearances. I believe she’s a great musician, definitely, but acting is a diffrent story. Also, the original actress — the late Thuy Trang — was Vietnamese. I guess I should give Becky G. the benefit of the doubt, of course. I’d have to say I’m worried, though. On a brighter note however, the trailer shows Becky wearing a shirt labeled “1973.” That hits me right in my childhood, as that year was Thuy Trang’s birth year.

Naomi Scott as Pink Ranger Kimberly

I sincerely believe Naomi is a solid choice. She’s done some minor roles in big movies including “The Martian” and “Lemonade Mouth.” You may also recognize her from her appearance on the 2011 series “Terra Nova.” What really makes me believe in her though is the fact she was born in 1993. This means she likely has watched reruns of the original series as she was growing up.

Ludi Lin as Black Ranger Zack

Again, I find it strange that they picked an Asian actor for the Black ranger. But as I said, that’s just a tiny fan service complaint I have. Much like RJ Cyler, I don’t know much about Ludi Lin. Still, people around Asia talk about him as someone to watch out for, so… watch out for him, I guess.

The Good: Power Rangers 2017 Appears Faithful to Roots

Right from the start of the trailer, I can pick out details that pay tribute to the original series. First of all, the Rangers have access to Power Coins, which allow them to “morph” into their color-coded suits. I’m not particularly fond of how the coins appear in the trailer, but at least they’re there.

We also have the “Sixth man” missing from this movie, it seems. The Green Ranger makes no appearance, and that’s a good sign. The Green Ranger (Later the White Ranger) is one of the most loved characters in the franchise, and I feel it’s a good thing that Lionsgate didn’t just go and throw him in right off the bad to cash in on his popularity. It’s also a good thing because it sets the stage for a potential sequel that introduces him in the same way he was introduced in the show.

I also like the casting choice for the villain. Elizabeth Banks stars as Rita Repulsa, and I have confidence in her since she was also the voice behind Wildstyle in “The Lego Movie.” She did nostalgia justice in that one, so I expect her to do the same here.

Finally, what the trailer DIDN’T show is the presence of two more iconic characters. It did however, lead me to check the cast list, and I found that Lionsgate does in fact care about the fans. Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame is going to be starring as Zordon — the being that brings the rangers together in the first place. Meanwhile, Bill Hader of Saturday Night Live is going to play the comic relief of the movie: the robot Alpha 5.

The Bad: Power Rangers Reboot Looks Darker Than It Should

Honestly, I’m not sure why Hollywood feels the need to make every reboot dark. Michael Bay did it with Transformers. Every movie between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Fantastic Four did the exact same thing.

Let me explain. When I watch the trailer, I immediately see that they’re going to be setting up a world for a potential sequel. And that’s not a bad thing. The problem is, fans of the original Power Rangers didn’t watch the show for the backstory. We watched it to see technicolor heroes beat down on evil monsters. We watched it to see grass explode when the Rangers pose. We didn’t want to know who the characters were and why they were chosen to have these powers; only that they DO have their powers, and they use them for good.

I’m telling you right now, Lionsgate won’t allow grass in this movie to explode for no reason.

When I look at this trailer, I see a movie that essentially tells a lot of backstory, making us feel for the characters, and in the final scene, a threat appears, and there will be one epic fight where the good guys unite and beat Rita or whatever underling she summons. And truth be told, I have no interest in watching five young adults going through the last stages of teen angst. I don’t want this to be Twilight Times Five.

Oh and there’s one last thing: The trailer gave NOTHING about the Zords. If you don’t know, the Zords are giant robots the Rangers pilot after the Rita casts the obligatory hugification spell Rita on defeated minions. Every episode of Power Rangers ended with a Zord battle against a giant enemy.

I will be so pissed if they close with an end-credits scene where they sneak peek the Megazord for Power Rangers 2. Don’t do it, Hollywood. Don’t do it. I’m begging you.

The Verdict: Power Rangers Trailer is Underwhelming. Still Excited For The Movie

At the end of the day, it’s still Power Rangers. I was born in the ’90s, and I love this kind of content. I’ll definitely watch this even if every inch of my body tells me they’ll mess up. I have mixed feeling about the cast the way it is, but at the same time, I want a newer generation to fall in love with the franchise, and this movie is a big chance for it.

Now it’s a new world we live in. I get it. We can’t have Power Rangers as it was before. And I accept that. But more than anything, this trailer just makes me nervous. Power Rangers is a classic, but it’s never really been the most profitable of franchises, and that makes me question the dedication that went in producing this movie. I’m fond of the writing team, especially Ashley Miller, who is most known for her work on Thor and X-Men: First Class. On the other hand, I’m not too fond of director Dean Israelite.

Will the Power Rangers movie live up to the hype? Time will tell.

Power Rangers is scheduled for theatrical release on March 24, 2017.

WATCH: Power Rangers (2017) Official Teaser Trailer via verified Lionsgate YouTube Channel

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