Power Pack

Wow! Seriously, what a great beginning for a show! It's so nostalgic looking, I would love for it to be a real TV show! So bummed this was just a pilot, I hope somebody picks it up soon!

The "Power pack" pilot, considered a movie by IMDb, is not very fun or entertaining. Maybe it's unfair to judge a show made for kids in 1991, but other shows from that time (and before it) still holds water, to some extent. This one does not.

Instead of an origin story, you find the family (where all four kids have superpowers) moving into a new area. But other than the youngest kid staring out of a window a bit, this does not really affect the rest of the plot. The plot of the episode is that one of the kids (secretly) uses his power to get himself and some kids he has just met into an abandoned house. In there they find lots of spooky stuff, and the kid steals an amulet. When he comes home, the amulet starts calling out to him, and together with two of his siblings, he goes back to return it to the house. The last sibling (who has super speed) only uses her power to do chores.

The only highlights in this that I can think of, are the special effects used on the shrinking power, and the super speed power. Both look quite neat, compared to the rest of the relatively cheap production.

In 1984 Marvel Comics published the first issue of "Power Pack", a comic written and drawn by women revolving around four siblings that receive powers from a dying alien. I was a huge fan of "Power Pack" when it first was published and bought the series from the first issue. I was not much older than Alex was in the comic, and I was very much a shy, bookish type like Julie. The comic was something I could relate to more than other, adult heroes, and it had a huge impact on me. I consider the this to be my all-time favorite Marvel comic series.

After the comic was canceled this TV pilot was made. The story involves the four Power siblings, Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie, moving into a new home, adjusting to a new school and confronting the ghost of a circus owner.

This TV pilot substantially changes the way the characters look in the comics as well as lessening their powers. Also, the parents are aware of their kids powers, something that wasn't done in the comics until later in the series. The story plays more like a Goosebumps episode (although that series was produced later) than an adaptation of the comic book. It may not please all fans of the comic, but it's still entertaining.

I enjoyed this movie. It wasn't 4 star quality, but it was enjoyable. As far as I remember they stuck pretty close to the premise of the Power Pack comic books. I think they did a good job. Considering they probally didn't have too big a budget and I really don't think there was a desire or a need in the Comic Book world for a Power Pack Movie to be made back then or now. But if you like Comic Book movies, then this is one that should be added to your collection. It was more enjoyable than some other comic book films such as Tank Girl and any Batman films Tim Burton didn't direct. Dare I say even better than Punisher with Dolph Lungdren. How they could mess up an easy story like the punisher is beyond me. But I won't get into that here.

Your Jericho-Holic has just delivered another Y2J-Beating.