The New Power Rangers Leans Hard On Nostalgia, But The 2017 Reboot Was A Weird & Underrated Gem

Though this new generation of Power Rangers isn't the optimistic, color-coordinated bunch we met in the 90s, they're still the same teenagers with attitude that Zordon (David J. Fielding) once recruited to save the world. Each of the characters shares a name and basic archetype with their 90s equivalent, but with new quirks, insecurities, and painful backstories. 

The film puts them together not by decree of Zordon, but as a bunch of rebellious misfits in a "Breakfast Club" situation, with the teens serving time together in detention. This sets the tone for the rest of the film, as the soon-to-be Rangers search for identity — both as individuals and as a super-powered team. 

Like the original series, "Power Rangers" is a lesson in responsibility and teamwork, but the film also features far more diversity than most superhero flicks of its era — the Blue Ranger (RJ Cyler) is autistic, for instance, while the Yellow Ranger (Becky G.) is LGBTQ+ — and themes of acceptance, individuality, and found famly are also prevalent in the narrative. The visual indicator of their outfits, with their signature Ranger colors, serve as reflective accents rather than focal centerpieces. All these well thought-out changes and narrative decisions allow the movie to both pay tribute to the past while also building something new, and charting a future course all its own. This was a risky move for the franchise — one which, sadly, resulted in a smaller box-office return – but it showed that the Power Rangers could, arguably, be at their best with a darker setting.