With the end of Power Rangers Dino Fury, this team of Rangers had another chapter of their story coming. The Morphin’ Masters had returned Zayto from the Grid to his team for a special mission. Lord Zedd had escaped, and it was up to the Dino Fury Rangers to help capture him once again. The story of that recapture is told with Power Rangers Cosmic Fury.
This ending chapter to the Dino Fury Rangers’ story is an interesting one in that this is one continuous story. Told across ten episodes, each episode follows directly on from the last. And aside from the zord footage, it is all original footage to tell the story. The original suits were a point of much contention when first seen, though I was among those who liked them back when first revealed. And I still like them now, having seen them in action.
Those new suits aren’t introduced straight away, giving one last supply of Dino Fury Power! before the Cosmic Fury powers are used. Of course, it’s not just the Dino Fury suits in the action. Billy is here, and with an opening credit! Having already returned for Once and Always, David Yost again takes on the powers of Mighty Morphin’ Blue Ranger to battle against Lord Zedd and those who had freed him. And he isn’t alone on this galactic research trip of his, as Mick Kanic, the mentor to the Ninja Steel Rangers, accompanied him.
The battle is a furious one, and sets up straight away a major theme of the series. Dealing with loss. Not just in terms of death, either. Zedd uses the same poison from Dino Fury to bring Ollie back to his side. The first thing Ollie does is activate a cosmic portal to send Zayto across galaxies unknown. And then, later in the episode, Javi takes a risk in activating the altar that brings forth the Cosmic Fury zords. But in doing so loses an arm. The arm is easily replaceable, as shown with the second episode, but getting used to it is another matter. Chance Perez shows the frustration and uncertainty of that well, with a slow change back to the more positive charm Javi possesses as he becomes used to it.
Amelia and Aiyon are hurting from what has been done. Ollie is the more pressing issue, with Amelia having captured him and returned him to the base on Earth. She’s hopeful that it’s an easy fix. That he can be restored quickly. With the first method not working, a second is tried. It’s unfortunate timing that Lord Zedd has arrived, knowing how to cut the Rangers off from the Grid. And with the Morphin’ Masters captured, there’s no way to restore those powers. Quick thinking from Solon allows the entire base to teleport away before being destroyed, but now they are stranded galaxies away from Earth.
Ollie is still evil, however. Kai Moya plays that evil persona brilliantly throughout the series, even with just his expressions. Amelia is not phased, even if devastated, by her boyfriend now trying to kill her. She sees it as a problem that can be solved. Some time in the future, they will figure it out. In fact, that drive in Amelia carries over to becoming a leader of the team, driving them forward to try things and keeping hopeful of the future. No wonder then, that when relinked to the Grid, her energy has changed from pink to red when it comes to first morphing into the Cosmic Fury Rangers.
Hunter Deno had been a favourite of mine from Dino Fury, with how she expressed both playful and serious sides to Amelia (and bonus points for that smirk she pulls after a one-liner). With Cosmic Fury, she carries the weight of all that’s happening well. Including the realisation that she is now Red Ranger. Such a great scene on that first morph, which would have felt out of place had it occurred directly before a battle.
Of course, Aiyon’s handling of the situation is in contrast to Amelia’s. He can’t seem to look past the fact he has now lost Zayto again. And even when finding him, there’s the feeling that not all is as it seems. Once that uncertainty is confirmed, Aiyon is still unable to let go. Jordon Fite expresses the darker side of dealing with loss well, while still expressing the upbeat personality of Aiyon when it calls for it.
Izzy has plenty of time to shine, but she is also fearing a loss. Having been unable to contact Izzy, Fern had travelled to Dinohenge. During the battle taking place as the Rangers tried to turn Ollie good again, Fern is attacked. Javi jumps in to protect her, teleporting her inside the base. With no-one but Javi aware of what he’s done, Fern is dragged across galaxies with the Rangers when the base teleports. When she reveals herself, Izzy now has to struggle with her fear of Fern being attacked in galaxies unknown.
Jacqueline Joe does a lovely job of showing a Fern delighted in being able to get involved in Ranger business, even if she doesn’t understand certain facets of it at first. Both Jacqueline and Tessa Rao sell the idea of Fern and Izzy being a couple in a dangerous time, with a very heartfelt moment between the two after a very important development happens.
Russell Curry keeps Zayto’s serious mannerisms alive, with a calm outlook on the situation. His happy side comes through on occasion, but it’s clear Zayto is holding something back. Without spoiling anything major, Russell also manages to imitate the mannerisms of a certain other quite well. Despite his reduced screentime, Zayto still has impact when it comes to important scenes, all tying into the situation he finds himself in. The bond he shares with Aiyon is also tested thanks to it.
As stated, Ollie as a villain is great. Zedd is also a standout. The other villains are fun, with the main two being Bajillia and Squillia, a mother and daughter duo. Bajillia is head of the excellently named Squid Ink Inc., which fits with the theming of these villains. They’re squids, who travel around in vehicles called Squidrills. It’s a very light-hearted side to a more serious Rangers story, though that doesn’t mean they’re pushovers. In fact, that outward appearance can be easy to fool anyone. Even the Emperor of Evil.
Every episode contributes a lot to the overall story, and it is nice to see returning civilians and allies from Dino Fury making contributions to that story, however small they may be. Lani Akana, Ed Jones, Jane and J-Borg, and especially Tarrick. It was nice to see Lily, played by Special Olympics athlete Sarah Dalton, make a cameo with the Garcia family during the jailbreak. But that jailbreak leads me onto two things I wished we could have seen.
The first is that it felt like there was a Ranger reveal coming at some point. Both Amelia and Ollie’s family know they’re Rangers from Dino Fury, with both of those being excellent Ranger reveals. The Garcia family is still in the dark, however. With both Izzy’s slip when talking to the warden in Ranger form in the second episode and the obvious oddity that is Javi’s robotic arm they see during the jailbreak, it felt like it was building to a Ranger reveal. But… it didn’t happen.
The other thing I was wishing for was more time spent on this invasion of Earth. Once the Rangers get their comms back, the first thing they’re hearing is of this invasion of Earth. It’s built up quite a lot. The entire Earth conquered and Ranger teams captured. But then the time comes for the Cosmic Fury team to finally head back there and put an end to it, and the entire thing feels like… background scenery. The story that is told during it is still an important part of the invasion. The Cosmic Fury team, or at least part of it, is the catalyst that gets the entire Earth fighting back, after all. A small act that ignites a grander rebellion against the invaders.
But then with the jailbreak, the rebellion spreads. Though the Cosmic Fury Rangers join that fighting in other parts of the world, we never see any of it. Now, I admit, my feelings have me wanting to see it more for how awesome it would have been for Cosmic Fury Rangers to team up with others, even if just suited. For the story that Cosmic Fury wants to tell, however, anything except for that cataclysmic moment is secondary. Which leads into the finale and the master plan of Lord Zedd. I’m not saying anything about it. It is worth not having it spoiled and seeing the conclusion of these events for yourself. But, the theming of loss is important for this finale.
Cosmic Fury is a great continuation of the Dino Fury Rangers’ story, and overall a great series on its own. That it is just one continuous story can make it feel odd for any Power Rangers fan, since aside from specific multi-part episodes or general throughlines of a series, there has never been a plot so tightly focused as this one. That is to its credit, though, as it serves as a standalone series without needing someone to have seen Dino Fury before it. It is well worth a watch. I’d even recommend it to non-Power Rangers fans.
Images Taken From:
Power Rangers Cosmic Fury | S1.01, S1.03, S1.07
