9/10
Great direct-to-video PR movie (***1/2 out of **** stars)
9 May 2002
This film is basically a episode-complied direct-to-video "movie" released following the success of it's latest show that spawned it, "Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue."

Taking off from about mid-season of the series, it follows a shy, unsure young man Ryan Mitchell (Rhett Fisher) who decides to come back to Mariner Bay to bid good-bye to his father and sister, who work on Operation Lightspeed, because he wants out of being mislead during his childhood into being evil and to steal a experimental morpher and work for Diabolico as the Titanium Ranger.

Having been led into the right direction, Ryan returns the morpher to his father. But his father gives him a special present before Ryan leaves, saying never to open it until he realizes his true purpose. Ryan takes the present and goes on his way.

But all is not well back at Mariner Bay. Diabolico strikes at the Lightspeed Rangers by releasing three new, practically unbeatable, monsters. When a monster-related incident hits home for Ryan, he finds out his true purpose and finds out that his father's present was the morpher that he had stolen-the Titanium Morpher.

Ryan comes back and helps defeat the monsters as the new Titanium Ranger, but Diabolico decides to leave a coming-back present, a cursed cobra tattoo. Every time Ryan morphs into the Titanium Ranger, the cobra tattoo slithers up his back and then finally destroys him; which leaves Ryan out of the team until they can safely break the curse.

Having this being a Power Rangers episode, it is rather campy fare. But since the show's reincarnations have gradually matured, only the campy stuff is the villains, the plotline and the Sentai-based fights.

Rhett Fisher stands out prominently in this direct-to-video movie, executing each line with depth and true feeling, while the supporting cast is somewhat bland and ho-hum. Not exactly Oscar-caliber fare, but if you're a Power Ranger fan looking for light, airy entertainment, this may be the one for you.
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