8 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Movie Almost 30 Years Later

Summary

The original Power Rangers movie is not canon, only Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie fits in the main chronology.
The Power Rangers movie suits had armored designs, making them more realistic and advanced compared to the show’s classic spandex.
The 1995 Power Rangers movie is a standalone, nostalgic experience.

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You are watching: 8 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Movie Almost 30 Years Later

Rewatching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) almost 30 years later can be very nostalgic, but it also reveals some harsh truths about the first Power Rangers film. There have been only three theatrical Power Rangers movies since the inception of the franchise in 1993, with only one of them being canon to the main Power Rangers chronology. As a Super Sentai adaptation, the focus of the Power Rangers franchise had always been on the small screen. Still, the release of the Mighty Morphin movie in 1995 was a huge event.

The Power Rangers movie was not a box office hit, yet it found some success in home video and is now regarded as a nostalgic 1990s classic. Power Rangers is still synonymous with Mighty Morphin, which is why everything that comes from that era continues to be special both for fans of the franchise and casual audiences who remember the original show. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie holds up surprisingly well 29 years later, but some things are hard to ignore.

8 3 Of The Original Power Rangers Are Not In The Movie

Jason, Zack, and Trini were no longer on the team

The Power Rangers movie was filmed shortly after Austin St. John, Walter Emanuel Jones, and Thuy Trang left the show midway through season 2. The film was one of the first shootings Steve Cardenas, Karan Ashley, and Johnny Yong Bosch were part of, as production started shortly after they were cast. While Rocky, Adam, and Aisha were worthy replacements for the previous Red, Black, and Yellow Rangers, the fact that there was never a movie featuring the original cast is disappointing. What the film would have looked like with Jason, Zack, and Trini is difficult to say.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie Cast
Character	Color
Tommy/White Ranger	Jason David Frank
Kimberly/Pink Ranger	Amy Jo Johnson
Billy/Blue Ranger	David Yost
Rocky/Red Ranger	Steve Cardenas
Aisha/Yellow Ranger	Karan Ashley
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Ivan Ooze	Paul Freeman
Zordon	Nicholas Bell
Gabrielle Fitzpatrick	Dulcea

Regardless, now that Jason was no longer on the team, Tommy was the leader of the Power Rangers. Jason David Frank’s character was front and center in the movie, with the White Ranger leading the promotional material of the movie. It is interesting to notice that Tommy’s Green Ranger form never appeared in any of the Power Rangers films. In Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Tommy was the Red Ranger. Though it would have been cool to see the original cast together in a movie, the 1995 film was a great introduction for Adam, Aisha, and Rocky.

7 The Power Rangers Suits Look So Much Better In The Movie

The Power Rangers never looked better

One of the most glaring differences between the theatrical Mighty Morphin movie and the show is the suits. Whereas the TV show used the classic spandex from the Super Sentai shows, the film gave the Power Rangers armor. The designs of the Power Rangers’ costumes in the movie weren’t too different from the ones used in the show – they were still based on the Zyuranger suits. Still, by making the costumes into armor, the Power Rangers movie added a level of realism to the story that the show never had.

Whereas the 2017 Power Rangers reboot tried to reimagine the Zyuranger suits and delivered something radically different from what fans of the show were used to, the 1995 movie didn’t try to go too far in terms of changes. The Power Ranger still looked like they did in the show, just with an increased production value. Considering this was the first Power Rangers movie, keeping the visual identity of the hit show was the right idea. Unfortunately, the movie’s suits were so good that they made the ones from the show look worse in comparison.

6 The Power Rangers Only Morph Twice In The Movie

The Rangers lose their power at the beginning of the film

Although Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is full of action, the Rangers only morph twice during the film – and only one of them was a traditional morphing sequence. The Rangers first transform at the beginning of the movie to fight Ivan Ooze’s foot soldiers, with Tommy leading the morphing call as the White Ranger. After a great fight sequence in which all Rangers got to show off their moves, the heroes mysteriously lost their powers. This was because Ivan Ooze had attacked Zordon and destroyed the Command Center, leaving the Rangers powerless.

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The film then follows Tommy’s team as they go to Phaedos for a new power that would help them save Zordon and defeat Ivan Ooze. Most of the movie takes place on this planet where the Rangers have to prove they are worthy of the animal spirits. By the end of their quest, the Rangers were ready to morph using their new powers. This leads right into the final battle, meaning the Rangers only use their main costumes in two segments of the film. Everything else happens when they’re in civilian clothes or Ninja costumes.

5 The Different Command Center Is Hard To Ignore

Zordon also looked very different

As a theatrical movie designed to expand the Power Rangers brand, the 1995 film was expected to look different – and more expensive – than the show. While that made for a great experience that the show could never provide due to budget limitations, some differences between the film and the series were hard to ignore. In addition to the costumes, the Command Center from the film looked way too different from the one that appeared on the show. The Command Center was now bigger and with a different aesthetic.

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Even Zordon’s tube looked quite different from the one on the show. Zordon itself was a notable difference between the movie and the show. In Mighty Morphin, all of Zordon’s scenes came from the scenes David Fielding recorded. In the movie, Zordon was played by Nicholas Bell, with Bob Manahan reprising his role as the voice of the character. Seeing Zordon out of his tube was also quite shocking, as this had never happened on the show. The only comparison that can’t be made is regarding the Zords, as neither the Dino Zords nor the Thunder Zords appear in the film.

4 Ivan Ooze Proves How Incompetent Lord Zedd & Rita Repulsa Were

Ivan Ooze was a menacing villain (despite his goofiness)

Ivan Ooze is one of the most iconic 1990s Power Rangers villains and arguably the most effective of them all. Although Ooze was a silly character like most Power Rangers monsters – starting from his name – he made for a surprisingly great antagonist. Ooze almost killed Zordon a few minutes into the film, and he was powerful enough to scare both Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. Ooze was never afraid of the Rangers and thought it was funny how Rita and Zedd still hadn’t handled them.

Ivan Ooze’s plan was hilarious, but it made for a fun side story. With all the adults under Ooze’s mind control, the kids had to work together alongside Bulk and Skull to save the day as the Rangers fought the giant monster. The TV show rarely incorporated civilians as part of the final battle, which is why the film’s third act feels bigger than anything Mighty Morphin ever did. Seeing the Rangers saving people amidst the battle was a nice change of pace compared to the show.

3 The Power Rangers Movie Isn’t Canon (& Never Will Be)

None of the events of the movie happened in Power Rangers canon

One of the most disappointing facts about the 1995 Power Rangers film is that it is not canon. The only TV-canon Power Rangers film is Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, which takes place between Zeo and Turbo and serves as “episode 0” of the latter. Despite featuring the same cast as the show, the original Power Rangers movie was designed as a standalone experience that would not require audiences to be familiar with the show. The idea was simply to bring Power Rangers to the big screen, meaning canon and continuity weren’t exactly the focus.

Bryan Cranston played Zordon in the 2017 Power Rangers reboot.

It’s also important to notice that, due to different studios and distributors behind each project, whatever had been created for the film couldn’t be brought into the show. This is why Ivan Ooze never appeared in the Power Rangers show, or why none of the events of the film were ever incorporated into the franchise’s multiverse – not even in the comics. Although the movie doesn’t contradict the TV show apart from the different sets and costumes, the show contradicts the film and makes it impossible for the Mighty Morphin movie to be canon.

2 Mighty Morphin Season 3 Redid The Plot Of Movie (Sort Of)

The Ninjetti powers replaced the animal spirits

Watching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers season 3 after watching the 1995 movie can be frustrating considering the former redid the plot of the animal spirits. Using the same Super Sentai series the movie used as a reference, Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, MMPR season 3 saw the Rangers losing their traditional powers and replacing them with the Ninjetti powers. The ninja costumes featured in the movie were back, but instead of Dulcea and Phaedos, the Rangers were now assisted by Ninjor.

Parts of Ninja Sentai Kakuranger were also used for Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers.

The Tengu Warriors from the movie were now the Tenga Warriors on the show, and the Rangers once again have to prove they are worthy of this new power. Mighty Morphin season 3’s Ninjetti arc makes it clear that the film cannot be considered canon, offering a completely different explanation for the Rangers’ new powers. There is no mention of Ivan Ooze either, and the Rangers don’t lose their powers because of something that happened to Zordon.

1 Power Rangers Never Became A Movie Franchise

Power Rangers couldn’t launch a movie franchise

Perhaps the harshest reality of rewatching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is realizing Power Rangers never became a movie franchise. Although Mighty Morphin would be the first entry in a very successful saga that has been around for three decades, Power Rangers never established itself on the big screen. Two years after the Mighty Morphin movie, Power Rangers released a new film – Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie. Unlike its predecessor, the Turbo film didn’t look that different from the show and almost felt like a TV movie.

In 2017, Power Rangers tried to launch a new movie saga with a Mighty Morphin reboot that would reinvent the original series with a new cast and fresh concepts. Despite featuring a promising cast and receiving solid reviews, Power Rangers (2017) was a box office disappointment and never received a sequel. Reports and rumors of a new Power Rangers movie have floated ever since, but the saga’s future appears to be on TV and streaming for now. Regardless, almost 20 years later, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie remains a classic.

Most Power Rangers seasons are streaming on Power Rangers‘ official YouTube channel.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
TV-Y7
Action
Adventure
Superhero

Cast Austin St. John , Thuy Trang , Walter Emanuel Jones , Amy Jo Johnson , David Yost , Paul Schrier , Jason Narvy , David Fielding , Jason David Frank , Johnny Yong Bosch , Karan Ashley , Steve Cardenas , Catherine Sutherland Release Date August 28, 1993 Seasons 3 Main Genre Action

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Category: Entertainment