Back when this special was first announced, I was interested to see what kind of a story it would have. What connections it would make to the larger Power Rangers universe. After all, despite holding the Mighty Morphin’ name, a lot has happened since that original series. It wouldn’t make sense to keep the universe locked from anything past In Space.
It certainly managed that. Even with just the Mighty Morphin’ team in the on-screen action, the call to action involved all teams, as seen in the trailer. Those teams get captured. Fractured. Just as the original team does. And we know that SPA is exactly what was speculated, with two major parts of things introduced in SPD mentioned.
For the story, centring it around Minh and her journey to becoming a Ranger was a good call in my eyes. With Minh being the daughter of Trini, who was portrayed by the late Thuy Trang in the original series, there’s a lot of focus on that. Dealing with that loss is part of Minh’s journey, and is the connective tissue of the whole special. It’s full of a lot of heart as it navigates all that.
Starting with the death of Trini at the hands of Robo Rita shows the power of this resurrected foe. That Trini was protecting Billy also ties into the understanding that Minh will come to in her journey. Of all the original team, only Billy and Zack are here in person. The rest are suited up for all their appearances with archival voicework making them feel there. It works, but does mean that for most of the special they have to be kept away.
A year separates that first battle from the second where Jason, Kimberly, and Tommy get captured. In two of their places come Rocky and Kat, who take the mantle of Red and Pink once again. The two feel here only to make up numbers, but I can excuse that considering the main core of the plot. Neither has much connection to Minh, so the interaction between her and the two barely exists.
With Billy and Zack, however, the interactions flow easily. The history between the three can be felt. And that history is another part of the core of the plot. When the special takes the time to let the interactions between these three, or even just two of three, take centre stage, it really feels special. All of that development of Minh’s journey makes the payoff and final battle worth something.
Yes, this is Power Rangers, so action against monsters and foot soldiers is here in plenty. And seeing these original suits in action once again is nostalgic, even for someone such as me whose first series was Dino Thunder. The fights, both morphed and civilian, are full of the usual action Power Rangers is known for. And there’s even a Megazord fight at the end.
The CGI used for the Megazord fight feels a bit iffy, but then the franchise – for all its love of special effects – has never been the best when it comes to CGI. The modelling for the zords and Megazord are awesome, however. The look and feel of it have been captured perfectly, even if the proportions on the Megazord look a bit thin. A lot better than the monstrosity of the original 1995 movie. Even if that was a different Megazord.
The nostalgia is in full gear here, with recreations of the morphing sequence and Megazord transformation being used to full effect. Ron Wasserman returns to give the special that Mighty Morphin’ feel to its music. And even if Kat and Rocky have little interaction with the main core of the story, it’s still fun to have them back and be more involved with events in civilian form. The dedication to those of the original team who have passed at the end was lovely to see.
For fans of the series, this is Power Rangers. A true love letter to the franchise in how it feels. In how it looks. And it is an easy recommendation for me to give. Watch it. You won’t be disappointed. Unless you were somehow expecting Power Rangers to be something it’s not.
Images Taken From:
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Once and Always
