When I was a kid I fell in love with the Mighty Morphin Power rangers right off the bat. Unfortunately I was one of those kids who spent most of my life pretending to be something I wasn’t in a desperate attempt to fit in. I failed. Along the way I found myself to embarrassed to bring myself to Power Rangers out of fear of being made fun of.
I have started to revisit the series in an attempt to rectify that wrong. I realized as I was watching the first season I was having as much fun as an adult watching it as I did as a kid. Oh, sure the tension of the stories was gone but in its place was a greater appreciation for the stories, the fighting and the special effects that made the show so popular.
I stopped watching, then, around the time the movie came out. I kept trying to peak in when nobody was looking up till the Zeo era but after that I gave up. Mostly because I was just too far behind to realistically catch up.
I loved the movie and how it introduced the new Ninja Powers. Even to this day I still have a strong desire to buy the Zords from the movie. I was kind of surprised to discover the third season of the show basically ignored the events of the movie, opting instead to send the Rangers on a different quest to obtain their Ninja Powers. Ultimately it worked for me so far and here I am finally in the middle of watching season 3 for the first time.
I am a little disappointed in the acting brought on by the replacement rangers. Especially the new Yellow Ranger. I don’t know if it is the dubbing, the lines or her delivery but something feels really off whenever she is talking.
Putting that aside I am a little confused at how quickly they just swept the previous Zords under the rug. I mean so far I get not having the Thunderzords, supposedly they were destroyed or powered down, but what about the giant turtle? I don’t seem to recall anything taking place that would have prevented them from calling on him. I moved past that as I realized other optional Zord armors have been ignored once replaced so I let it go.
What about the show itself? Well the story is intriguing. The mythology is greatly expanded by the time you get to the third season. With the quest to find the new power coins and the introduction to Rito Rivolto you get a lot of background mythology that really fleshes it out. To that end the series feels like it has taken a step forward in the story-telling department.
The Zords are one of the main reasons I got into the series in the first place. As such I had to be a little critical of the new Zords. While the ones from the movie were interesting and had similarities to the previous iterations, the new Zords felt wrong in comparison. Everything about them comes across as being out of place in that universe.
The other aspect that draws fans to the show is the action. So far I am a little disappointed. I have come to terms with the Ninjor character jumping in to save the day during every battle. However I am not liking the bird creatures that replaced the putties. Oh sure it’s easy to just complain the putties were familiar but change is a part of life, you have to adjust. I did take a step back and realize the Rangers often had to call in reinforcements even during the first two seasons so I was able to look past the Ninjor character showing up all the time. I would have preferred it if they would have waited to call him in after things called for it yet it seems like he just shows up each battle and the fight is over before it even starts. Sure there were some pretty quick end battles in the earlier shows but so far not a single battle has had any tension, no defeat, no powering down not even a monster disabling one of the zords or Mega zords, just every fight they go giant, get kicked and die that fast. It’s all feeling a bit rushed. I get the feeling the creators were pushing the story by increasing the time given to the Bulk and Skull storylines which necessitated the reduction in action scenes. But, to be fair it’s all in the name of character development which I can’t complain about too much as those characters, previously seen as a nuisance at worst, comic relief at best, have become an integral part of the plot.
All in all I have mixed feelings about the third season of the show. It does lack a lot of the nostalgia that kept me going through the first two seasons. Yet, it has replaced some of that with a sense of discovery that has been missing from the show after all these years.
I am somewhat feeling relieved that I am able to experience these later episodes somewhat with fresh eyes as I am seeing them for the first time. However, I do feel like the show loses some of its magic without the charm of nostalgia nor the pre-adolescent eyes of wonder to gaze upon it in admiration. The truth is the show is not meant to be viewed through adult eyes, save for the fog of time which colors all things with a rosy tint. That being said I can appreciate the things the show is doing different while allowing it to exist in the world I created in my own mind.
All things considered I am enjoying my journey through the original series. I do not know if curiosity alone will drive me to explore the later seasons but I have committed to at least get through Zeo and try to relive all of the episodes I would have seen as a kid had I had the guts to do so then.
Stephanie Bri 