The Power Rangers franchise, which started in 1993, revolves around five teens adorned in colored suits. There have been many retellings over the years in many forms, from a dinosaur-based character style to a samurai-based one. The latest version is a movie that acts as a remake/reboot of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This movie is the first major motion picture in Ranger history.

Within each new retelling of Power Rangers, there’s often a recurring enemy: an ex-Power Ranger, Rita Repulsa. At the start of these series, she is awoken from imprisonment. In this 2017 remake, the movie opens with a major battle scene that takes place millions years ago between Rita and the Rangers she betrayed. She is then thrown into the ocean after the Red Ranger, Zordon, buries a set of coins that hold the power of each Ranger, killing himself, and imprisoning Rita. The buried coins remain buried until millions of years later when a ragtag team of misfits from present day find them, in addition to an alien-like spacecraft. This is where the movie starts, telling the story of the 11 days leading up to Rita’s imminent attack.

Power Rangers is a huge improvement compared to the original version where there was almost no budget, causing the actors to run around in spandex suits with toy-like weapons.  For a child who grew up watching these shows, the bright colors of their “armor” and cartoon fighting style were nevertheless entertaining. With this movie, there was a much larger budget, leading to higher quality sets, costumes, and effects. This reboot had vibrant colors and flashy effects that didn’t detract from the story; they only added to what was going on. The movie also had well-thought-out jokes and irony. There was also a nice sense of inclusion with a LGBTQA+ Ranger (Yellow), and an autistic Ranger (Blue).

Elizabeth Banks, who plays Rita, is known for her role as Effie Trinket in the Hunger Games franchise. Her physical appearance was a major improvement to the original look in the 1993 television show. While her character’s villainy was well-developed, it takes a while for her to become as prominent as she was in the show. Banks had an interesting take on Rita but it seemed as though she was rushed into the character.

Overall, the movie, like any other, had its ups and downs. There were funny moments, sad moments, and dramatic moments. There was a well-planned script and great performances by the cast, especially Becky G, who played the Yellow Ranger, considering that this is her first movie. As a fan of the series, I had modest hopes, because I was afraid the new movie would ruin it, but it highly exceeded my expectations. However, the entire movie as a whole was just an hour and 45 minutes of the Rangers training with a 10 minute fight. The movie included many special effect upgrades compared to the original show, such as a more realistic fighting style, and more realistic weapons. In my opinion, any fans of the original TV shows would enjoy this retelling of the story. It could also introduce any new fans to the franchise in a positive way, unlike many other reboots.