Since it's debut in 1993 Power Rangers has been a staple in pop culture for kids the world over, and surprisingly enough that attention has seeped into those who had grown up with the first season of the series. This is something that has become more obvious with the comics done by Boom! Studios, which have taken the characters and made them fresh and contemporary without ruining what made them special in the first place. Aside from that there hasn't been much on the TV front that has made them more prominent, which makes sense given that the target audience is still at most for children. However, Hasbro surprisingly enough decided to go with something special, and with the format of streaming - Netflix in this case - a small movie was made that not only brought back some classic characters, but it also paid tribute to everything from the original three seasons while adding something new.
So somehow, Rita Repulsa has returned back to the land of the living and is wreaking havoc. Our original six Power Rangers try to stop her and in the midst of the fight Trini saves Billy...but at the cost of her own.
In the aftermath of the battle Zack and Billy discuss how to tell Trini's daughter what happened to her mom and whether to just tell her the truth or not. Of course, that choice gets taken once said daughter overhears the entire conversation.
One year later, things seem to have calmed down, or as much as one can in the Power Rangers universe. Zack has taken it upon himself to look after Trini's daughter and for the most part has done a good job. Meanwhile Billy has formed his own company Cranston Technologies and has at least one secret facility where he and his assistant Alpha 9 work.
For Trini's daughter Minh she has been training extensively, with only one goal on her mind - revenge. And despite Zack's best efforts he hasn't been able to get his surrogate niece to let go of her anger and to let him and Billy handle the situation. Minh of course isn't having it.
Once Rita makes her move the original Rangers try to stop her only for Tommy, Jason and Kim to be captured. With their numbers dwindled Billy and Zack reach out to folks like Katherine and Rocky to help, with the former more than determined to rescue her husband and JJ's dad (Spoilers for Soul of The Dragon).
Naturally Minh wants to join in on the action but Zack makes it clear once again to let him and the others handle it.
From that point on it becomes a race to try and stop Rita from capturing more Rangers, and trying to protect the daughter of a fallen friend from Repulsa's plan of revenge. Along with Minh trying to come to terms with the loss of her mom and trying to forgive Billy for the part he played in both Rita's return which led to Trini's death.
So how is this special? Well, it's actually not too bad. It is a step up from what one would expect from the show, and not since Lost Galaxy has the franchise dealt with the death of a loved one so closely.
But perhaps the best part of this special is the presence David Yost and Walter Jones bring as their respective characters Billy and Zack. They steal the show very well and as mentioned before, they convey a presence that shows both guys as leaders, and the heart of this whole piece, along with Charlie Kersh as Minh, who has her own arc in this story.
If you are a fan of the original three seasons of Power Rangers, you owe it to yourself to see this movie. It's a great love letter to the original cast, and helps tell a story that definitely leaves room for more possibilities in the future if Hasbro chooses to do so. Plus finally seeing Zack interact with characters like Rocky and Kat was great.
So what are you waiting for? Go check it out! And may the power protect you!
