It’s now just three days to go until ‘Power Rangers’ hits cinemas. Yesterday the embargo on publishing reviews finally lifted and we have begun to learn what the press think of the film. As of writing this the film is holding a score of 50% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes showing a decidedly mixed response.
We’ve pulled together some choice words from some of the reviews for you:
Alonso Duralde (The Wrap)
It packs enough zing to make you forgive the origin-story cliches. And the predictable save-the-world stuff. And the insanely ubiquitous product placement. (Whatever Krispy Kreme paid to be a plot point in this movie, they got their money’s worth.)
Justin Lowe (Hollywood Reporter)
Israelite … orchestrates a vastly more complex array of characters, action set pieces and technical resources for a combined effect that maintains dramatic tension even while teetering on the brink of excess.
David Ehrlich (IndieWire)
The film is a blast during the few brief moments when it embraces the cartoon craziness that’s made the television show into such a cultural fixture, but it sheepishly backs away from every one of these giddy indulgences as if it’s afraid of getting caught with a hand in the cookie jar; why play the series’ unforgettable theme song (‘Go Go, Power Rangers!’) if you’re going to cut it off after just a few bars? If only ‘Power Rangers’ had the courage to put down its mask and work with its audience. It may not be possible to cram a ton of crayons in a butt, but that doesn’t mean we should settle for anonymous photocopies, instead.
Scott Mendleson (Forbes)
As someone with no strong feelings for the Power Rangers franchise (I hated it as a kid and came to appreciate its charms as a parent), this is an interesting attempt to craft a grounded and character-driven adaptation, one that successfully blends genre with larger-than-life superhero spectacle. And if you might find it absurd to have a somber and violent Power Rangers movie, then we should note that it can coexist with the 800-plus episodes of the more kid-friendly televised variation. At its best, Power Rangers is a throwback to the likes of Masters of the Universe and the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. It’s from a time when getting a darker, more serious big-budget feature based on your favorite kid-friendly property, one that felt like a real film, was a rare and splendid thing.
We don’t know about you but this certainly won’t stop us from seeing the film!
Sabans Power Rangers follows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove (and the world) is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late.
Directed by Dean Israelite, Saban’s ‘Power Rangers’ stars Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G, Ludi Lin, featuring Bill Hader, with Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Banks. The screenplay is by John Gatins. Story is by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless and Michele Mulroney and Kieran Mulroney. Producers are ‘Power Rangers’ creator Haim Saban, Brian Casentini, Wyck Godfrey, and Marty Bowen.
‘Power Rangers’ hits cinemas on March 24th, 2017.
