Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers is one of those things from the 90’s I have very fond memories of alongside the likes of Big Bad Beetleborgs, Yo-yo’s and of course Pokémon. Nostalgia can be a very powerful feeling though and it doesn’t always hold up on later revisits so it’s worth having an open mind when doing so. That is exactly how I went into the first season of MMPR and I’m glad I did.
If you don’t know the story of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers then here’s a quick rundown. The evil sorceress Rita Repulsa along with her loyal minions have been freed from their 10,000-year imprisonment on the Moon due to Astronauts accidentally opening her dumpster prison while on a routine mission. Rita then sets her sights on conquering Earth but Zordon, her arch-nemesis, has been patiently lying in wait for this day and along with his assistant robot Alpha 5 they recruit the help of five teenagers with attitude. These five gain the ability to transform into the Power Rangers. Helped along by Zordon and Alpha 5, they take on Rita and her hordes of evil aliens.
I have to say after all these years its rather interesting and certainly amusing rewatching Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, especially as an adult. Children are a lot more accepting of inconsistencies and continuity errors like how it’s very obvious the Yellow Ranger is actually a man while transformed. Or, the scenes clearly filmed with the American cast in the suits and then it switches between the two sets of available footage so the Rangers shape and heights keep changing. That’s not forgetting the amount of reused footage but that’s all part of what those shows are about.
Even with all the inconsistency and quality issues I still can’t help but love this series. Of course, nostalgia is playing a huge role in that but there is no doubt a charm to the series. Perhaps being the first of it’s kind in the West is what makes it stand out the most, it was definitely a major success at the time and is what most would think of today when mentioning the franchise. While this release is a great source of nostalgia for those like me just don’t try and binge watch it as the continuity, consistency and overall plot lines do it no great service. Instead, try and spread out your viewing experience and it will be that much more enjoyable.
The visual quality is not the best but I can only assume that is down to the lack of higher-quality assets available as even Netflix also features poor visuals. This is a common theme amongst television shows in the pre-HD era and unfortunately, without higher-quality sources to draw from not much can be done. That said the show is still watchable, just don’t go expecting HD quality or anything near it to be honest. The monster designs and costumes still look great even given the series age and a lot of the visual effects are very 90’s but that all adds to the charm of the show.
The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers theme song is possibly one of the most iconic of the ’90s and even today it’s still as cool as ever. The theme song is used pretty extensively throughout the series but it never outstays it’s welcome. Given the series adapts a lot of the Sentai version there’s a lot of voice over work to be found and, to be fair, it’s pretty good and fits the style of the series.
Verdict
Nostalgia may have played a large part in my enjoyment of the series but a lot of that enjoyment actually came from watching through adult eyes. While you could easily pick apart scene after scene with a mallet no less for me it’s all part of the charm. One thing this release does not lack though is content and it will take a good amount of time to work through so value for money as far as that goes is high. I don’t recommend binge-watching, but if that’s your thing then go for it.
Review copy provided by Manga Entertainment