In this Power Rangers 30th anniversary special on Netflix, members of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, recovering from a tragic event, try to stop the evil plans of Robo Rita (voiced by original voice actress Barbara Goodson), the evil energy of original PR Rita Repulsa reconstituted within a robot body (makes more sense when you see the special, still goofy but it makes more sense).
Man, this was surprisingly dark for the original franchise. I mean it's still Power Rangers, it doesn't veer too far off-course from the campy nature of the show, but it's the first entry in a while to show a human die, and I don't think it, though the series has dabbled with more serious plot points from time to time, especially during the ABC Family years, has had the characters handled as maturely as this. (Also, the continuity is unexpectedly on-point for a show that's been going almost non-stop since the 90's.) The whole thing is a lot more compelling than it has any right to be, even serving as a tribute to late Yellow Ranger actress Thuy Trang who perished in a car accident.
Unfortunately, the special wasn't able to include the entire original cast due to them either declining to appear or being on probation or deceased. (To make it clear, original Green Ranger Jason David Frank, who sadly committed suicide, was still alive at the time this was made. He just declined because he was working on something else.) But, the special manages to snag actors who played replacement Rangers in later episodes in order to fill any absentees' boots.
If your memories to the very original MMPR are shady or nonexistent, most of the cast are not great actors. David Yost as original Blue Ranger Billy is definitely the weakest and has trouble seeming natural. Original Black Ranger Walter Jones does the best with the material and comes the closest to believably selling their character. Charlie Kersh, who plays the daughter of original Yellow Ranger Trini, is also one of the better elements in this.
Nice to see they got Goodson back instead of a replacement actor, which they've done before. She hasn't done the voice for decades, but she's still got it and brings Rita's trademark cackley voice. The Rita here is so much more evil and convincing as an evil threat.
It's PR, so naturally the budget isn't much, but I give the creators kudos for effort. Unlike most PR shows, which are built off of the Japanese Super Sentai shows, this has completely original footage and costumes. I'm rather impressed by the design of Robo Rita, which is a smidge off-putting. (Also, kudos to the designer's hutzpah for retaining Rita's infamous cone brassiere.) The costumes for the Putty Patrollers, Rita's foot soldiers from the original show (which are still comical but can come off as a bit menacing this time around), are accurate-looking but the fabric in the head areas noticeably bunch up some times.
Kinda recommended. I mean it's Power Rangers, this probably appeals more to younger kids or nostalgic adults (i.e., me). By the show's standards, though, it's as high quality as it can get.
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