Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always

This is my first review here... As most of the others - I watched the original series back when I was in elementary school.

Watching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always brought back some childhood memories (and I am really grateful for that), but the overall impression is that for 2023 this was pretty bad... Plot is shallow, acting is not at it's best, some of the graphics are like the same as they were 30 years ago... And they could have made this an awesome movie !!!!

For above stated reason I would give it 4/10, but then after the last scene I have seen that Thuy Trang and Jason David Frank are not with us anymore and this was a big shock for me since I had no idea :(

I even stumbled upon some video of Jason David Frank like a year or two ago, and seen that he was at the moment still involved with Power Rangers franchise which made my day :) Seeing that he passed away... I was speechless :( I started crying for two of them, may their souls rest in peace !!!! :( Out of pure respect for them, I am raising my rating to 6/10.

For Thuy Trang and Jason David Frank !!!

Once a ranger, always a ranger !!!! :(

Like a lot of people, Power Rangers was the one show I couldn't miss after school. From the days of Rita and Zedd to the final battle that led to all the original villains like them as well as King Mondo and the Machine Empire, Divatox, Elgar, Astronema, Dark Specter and so many more being either destroyed or turned good due to Zordons great and ultimate sacrifice, this show seems corny some that didn't grow up watching it but to those that did, it's a time machine that I'm grateful to have. So when I heard about this movie and saw the trailer, I was ready to revisit a big piece of my childhood at least one more time.

For me, Power Rangers Once and Always didn't disappoint for the most part. There was great nostalgic moments and I truly felt like I did as a child where I watched to see if Rita would finally succeed in some way as she executed her master plan to finally destroy the Power Rangers and conquer the galaxy like she first attempted to do back in 1993.

The movie was shorter than I expected at a runtime of 58 minutes considering Power Rangers The Movie from 1995 was 1 hour and 30 minutes long and Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie from 1997 was 1 hour and 40 minutes. But I reminded myself that this is more of a reunion show so I treated it as a special double episode event. The plot and execution was really great to watch with some very interesting surprises and Easter eggs along the way for longtime fans. The acting at times was a bit shaky or corny but thats how it was even back then so this was one of the rare times that it still worked for me. The way they showed dedication and appreciation to the late and great original actors Thuy Trang (Trini) and Jason David Frank (Tommy) was very special to see to say the least. I don't want to ruin anything but I will say the scene right before the credits roll was absolutely perfect to honor them, the other original Rangers regardless if they were in this film or not and I felt it was also a nice little thank you to the fans that have watched from the beginning regardless if they've seen the first season in 1993 or recently.

Power Rangers for me was one of the things that got me through some difficult times as I was in the hospital a lot due to receiving a Liver Transplant in 1989. Once in 1995 when I was in the hospital for tests, a family friend gave my Mom, Sister and I box seats to see Power Rangers Live in Toronto. I still have my ticket stub. It was an incredible experience I remember to this very day.

I have had my transplant for 33 years (I'm 34) and one of the things that helped me escape the sounds of my IV, medical monitors and the hospital overall was watching Power Rangers when I could. Thats why even at the age of 33, the original seasons still mean so much to me today. I'm currently waiting for my 2nd transplant as this liver is slowing down, so this reunion was a reminder of what Power Rangers did for me during the tough and scary times. I'll always be grateful to everyone involved with the show and for the fans that helped keep it alive for those reasons and more. Thank you for this little trip down memory lane and I truly hope other longtime fans enjoy this as much as I did.

My overall rating is 7/10.

Growing up watching this from the very beginning as a child I thought it was brilliant how they kept so well to the original and thought the modernised special effects made it even better. To include everything we remember from the original series as well as how the show progressed I found very clever. Still has the same cheesiness to it that it always had but it wasn't overdone, wouldn't be Power Rangers without the corny sound effects! All in all, as a 34 year old man who grew up living the Power Rangers, I'm proud to admit I enjoyed it a lot and it made me feel like a little kid again. To see all the old cast again made me feel extremely old but was a nice blast from the past, everyone basically just got chubbier!

What's nostalgic is the way it's written honestly. It's very much like the 90's show. Which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it.

It's not a 2010's version that's darker or more serious. The budget isn't amazing. The story is simple. It's not what draws us into movies nowadays where we're now accustomed to really good superhero films and such. But it kind of works. It's pretty kid friendly but the audiences that will truly appreciate the cast and story are those that are a fan of the OG, and I think that's exactly who they made this film for. It's a blast from the past and a tug at your heartfelt childhood heroes. It's pretty cool seeing the cast back with some better CGI all these years later. It's really cool actually. Who would have thought?! The costumes look amazing and slightly upgraded yet adhere to the original. The morphing and teleporting transitions are flawless.

Is it going to be omg amazing? Not really but they don't act like it's going to be either. I think they knew the material they were aiming for and succeeded nicely.

The nods to the previous generations, those that have passed away, and keeping the original overall tone is the best way to honor the original MMPR.

They didn't finesse the story, or characters in a way that would disappoint. They're all good people still, and care about one another. And their actual love for one another shows. Thanks for making this film for us 90's kids! I wouldn't mind a sequel to be honest!

I never thought I would ever write a review about a Power Rangers show, but hey, I can actually recommend watching this reunion special!

Honestly, you don't even have to be an actual fan to enjoy these 55 minutes.

Is it cheesy? Sure! Does it have some awkward one-liners? Of course it has, it's Power Rangers! Does the 90s nostalgia hit you right in the face and bring back childhood memories (which also make you feel really old at the same time)? Absolutely!

BUT on top of that, it's so much better than the show which was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in 1993. You can tell that in contrast to the TV show, the returning cast members and the crew deeply cared for this production. (Although to be fair, never seasons like Beast Morphers and Dino Fury have improved immensely compared to the past!) There's lots of fan service in the best way and not at the expanse of the story. In fact, the story is so tightly-knit and moves at a fast pace (without feeling rushed) to fit everything that happens into 55 minutes.

In contrast to the TV show, where nobody ever died and stayed dead, this reunion special has real stakes and consequences, and after 30 years in which they were never allowed to use the words "kill" or "die" on this show, these words suddenly become quite meaningful.

The special is still suitable for the target audience of the TV show, aka primary school kids, but you can tell it's mainly made for these 90s kids who are in their late thirties or even older now. As another fan pointed out: It's wild seeing these weapons suddenly CUT INTO opponents instead of just slashing past and causing some sparks which sent the monsters flying.

So, if you are up for a nostalgia trip into your childhood, go watch this 55 minutes special. I definitely had fun (and also shed some tears).