Power Rangers review: ‘A huge step in the right direction for LGBT+ representation’

Twenty-four years ago the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers first burst on to our televisions, leaving a generation obsessed, full of energy and reaching for their brightly coloured morph suits.

This week, the Rangers return to the big screen in a reboot that takes us back to the very beginning, as a group of five high-school misfits are called upon to save the planet from the evil Rita Repulsa.

Although there is a clear, ambitious intent on giving this reboot a modern flare, while still keeping its retro essence, the overall feel is off. The confusing tone can mainly be put down to its clunky script, which never fully commits to what it wants to be. We all love a bit of ridiculous, over-the-top escapism, and we know you aren’t meant to take something entirely seriously when it’s a film about a group of multi-coloured-suited teenagers fighting intergalactic evil.

But the film lacks the self-awareness to make it as funny as it thinks it is, and it ends up floundering somewhere between trying to be genuinely meaningful and being downright silly.

Among the cheap corniness, you’d hope, at least, that the fabulous Elizabeth Banks’ rendition of iconic space witch Rita Repulsa would give us the high camp, drag-like caricature we wanted. Yet, whether we can put it down to writing, direction or the acting itself, her performance is strangely subdued and therefore forgettable.

For a franchise with the catchphrase ‘It’s Morphin’ Time!’, very little actual morphing happens. We love a good origin story, but this takes a really long time to get to the point. Yes, it’s important to get to know our heroes, but it’s also important to make the character development interesting. The classic, suited up, hand-to-hand combat that you’ll be excited to see is used sparingly, before they swiftly move into the less interesting Transformers-esque climax.

There are glimpses of hope, however, as Power Rangers makes a solid attempt at bringing its heroes into 2017.

The red ranger may still be your typical, athletic, white, straight lead, but his counterparts are less archetypical. Billy, the blue ranger reveals early on that he’s autistic, which shows a different viewpoint of people on the spectrum and captures the heart and meaning behind the Power Rangers in that “underdogs” can also be heroes.

Then we have, as reported earlier this week, Trini, the yellow ranger (played by Becky G), who opens up a discussion on sexuality within a superhero movie, something that the DC and Marvel films have so far failed to do. The moment in discussion is, admittedly, more ambiguous, and fleeting than the reports would have had you believe, but it’s still a huge a step in the right direction for mainstream cinema, and something the franchise should definitely develop, if it we’re granted a sequel.

If Power Rangers passed you by growing up, or you were too old or young and therefore missed the boat, this probably isn’t the best introduction to their world. But if you were one of the legions of fans who have been eagerly awaiting this return, there’s enough throwback fun to keep you happy.

3/5 

Power Rangers is released in the UK on Friday (March 24).

Words: Joe Passmore