Mighty Morphine Power Rangers Season 1-3 Review

It is the cult phenomenon of the 90s, taken from the Japanese Super Sentai series by Toei. Being a teenager has never been this cool! Go, go, cheesy one-liners and wire stunts! 

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi

Created By: Haim Saban & Shuki Levy

Cast: Austin St. John, Walter Emanuel Jones, Amy Jo Johnson, Thuy Trang, David Yost, Jason David Frank, David Fielding, Machiko Soga, Richard Steven Horvitz, Kerrigan Mahan, Robert Axelrod, Bob Papenbrook, Steve Cardenas, Johnny Yong Bosch, Karan Ashley, Catherine Sutherland, Jason Narvy & Paul Schrier.

Network: Fox Kids

Average Runtime: 20-22 min.

No. of Episode: 145

Released Period: 1993 - 1995

With the upcoming reboot of the Power Rangers, I decided to revisit one of my childhood's biggest influences, right next to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When the series first aired on German TV in 1994, I was actually late to the show. Everyone around me was talking about it, and at first, I confused it with TMNT, due to all the talk about colours and weapons. However, once I figured out what my friends plus schoolmates were raving about, I decided to wake up early next Saturday, sneak into the TV room in the basement, and was immediately captivated by the premise. 

Unfortunately, when my parents discovered what I was watching, they decided I was too young for such a series at the age of six, but that didn’t stop me from sneaking downstairs every Saturday to catch each new episode. Power Rangers remained a steady part of my childhood up until Power Rangers in Space.

— WARNING, THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS! —

Five teenagers with attitude are selected by the cosmic being Zordon to fight the evil Rita Repulsa and her horde of monsters who want to conquer Earth. Throughout the series, Jason, Zack, and company are challenged by the evil Green Ranger Tommy, who later joins them after Rita’s brainwashing wears off. The vile Lord Zedd takes over from Rita in Season 2, determined to defeat the Rangers once and for all. Along the way, some of the original team members leave, and new ones join. Then there are also the silly side arcs with bullies Bulk and Skull.

Now listen, reviewing this purely from an adult's perspective wouldn’t be fair, as it is a children’s TV series from the early '90s. The scripts are campy, at times even cringeworthy. The dialogues aren’t particularly sophisticated, filled with cheesy one-liners, just like juvenile jokes. So instead, I’ll review it through the lens of whether it is suitable for children.

First things first; the values it teaches, such as courage, good manners, heroism, as well as teamwork, are important themes that kids should learn early on. As such, I have to give praise to this production. It is not just an action-heavy show, but one that tries to instil meaningful ethics in young audiences. I also don’t think that it is overly violent for children; there are far worse TV programs out there.

That said, some of the monsters the Rangers fight can be genuinely scary and might traumatise very young viewers. The tiny budget of Season 1 is also very noticeable. There is extensive ADR, some overly dramatic deliveries, and the acting is not always consistent. The good news is that things improve with each season. 

The core five - later six - actors do have good chemistry with one another. They also deliver solid physical performances and show real athleticism in many of the Youth Centre scenes. Machiko Soga’s likeness as Rita Repulsa was pulled from stock footage of the Japanese original series, though she was replaced midway through Season 2 by Carla Perez, as Rita needed to share screen time with the fully American creation, Lord Zedd. Both incarnations are voiced by Barbara Goodson in her distinctly over-the-top style. 

Each episode uses a hybrid cinematography and effects approach, merging American-shot practical scenes with Japanese action-oriented stock footage from the Super Sentai. The series relies heavily on physical sets, keeping special effects to a minimum. Though those effects do look cartoony, it’s also part of its charm

The iconic opening theme, “Go Go Power Rangers” by Ron Wasserman, under the pseudonym Aeron Waters, remains to this day one of the most recognisable songs, even for those who never watched the show. 

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Verdict: Rewatching one of my favourite childhood series was an extremely nostalgic experience. It also opened my eyes to how low-budget it truly was, splicing Japanese Super Sentai footage with an American high school comedy-drama setup. Especially in its first season, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is rough around the edges and full of camp,  but it’s also earnest and full of heart. It teaches lessons about friendship, courage, and kindness. The monsters, kaiju, and ninja action are just a bonus, and even the kitsch, though heavy at times, feels charming by today’s standards. I will give Mighty Morphin Power Rangers a 7.0 out of 10 as a kids' series. 

So, were you an MMPR fan growing up? What was your favourite TV series when you were young? Let me know in the comments, & as always, thank you for reading!