Saban's Power Rangers
“Power Rangers exudes a deep understanding that inclusion is more than just a checklist. This is no more apparent than when they mix different identities within the same character.”
Title: Saban’s Power Rangers (2017)
Director: Dean Israelite 👨🏼🇺🇸
Writers: Original story Haim Saban 👨🏽🇪🇬🇮🇱🇺🇸, screenplay by John Gatins 👨🏼🇺🇸, and story by Matt Sazama 👨🏼🇺🇸, Burk Sharpless 👨🏼🇺🇸, Michele Mulroney 👩🏼🇺🇸, and Kieran Mulroney 👨🏼🇺🇸
Reviewed by Li 👩🏻🇺🇸
Technical: 2.5/5
Saban’s Power Rangers is junk food for the eyes, shiny with modern color palettes that fit right into the neon blues and violets that seem to color everything in Hollywood right now, from Atomic Blonde (2017) to Blade Runner 2049 (2017) to the upcoming Ready Player One (2018).
The plot development is painstakingly told through long bouts of exposition. Yet it doesn’t amounts to much, just forgettable material beneath the gloss. Luckily, the teenage misfits that populate this iteration of Power Rangers are likable and I loved Elizabeth Banks in the role of Rita Repulsa. Enjoyable performances make this film worth a casual viewing.
Gender: 4.5/5
Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES
Out of the five Power Rangers, two are female. Their roles are positive, well-rounded, and don’t fall into stereotype, though it was a close call: An onscreen kiss between Kimberly (Naomi Scott) and Jason (Dacre Montgomery) took place in an earlier version of the film. Luckily, the scene was panned by test audiences so we can thank them for helping to avoid a plot development that would have diminished Kimberly’s independence, continued the trend of only white characters getting romantic story arcs among a diverse cast (see: early seasons of Sense8 or Silicon Valley), and also torpedoed the lovely undercurrent of romantic tension between Kimberly and Trini (Becky G).
In support roles, we see Bryan Cranston as the voice of Zordon, Bill Hader as the voice of robot Alpha 5, and Rita Repulsa as the villain. Rita goes a long way in adding to this category score; the character’s camp is one of the more recognizable aspects of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series, and I was pleased to see Banks deliver a similarly tongue-in-cheek rendition in the 2017 film. Rita’s substantial screen time, dialogue, backstory, and essentialness to the plot all helped bring this score to nearly perfect.
The only thing that keeps this film from the coveted 5/5 is the balance of men to women in primary roles, which tilts male and remains unchanged from its inception in 1993. While the quality of Kimberly and Trini’s roles are better, with more depth and backstory, we still haven’t reached parity.
Race: 5/5
Fantastically diverse, both by nationality and ethnicity, Power Rangers stars multicultural talent. Three of the five Power Rangers hail from abroad (England, Australia, and China). Meanwhile, characters include Black, East Asian, Latina, and white Power Rangers. (While Scott is biracial Indian and white, her character Kimberly passes for white).
Even with a diverse cast, Power Rangers could have fallen into the trap of writing stereotypical, “token” teenagers. But it shows its comfort level with modern character development by crafting truly well-rounded heroes. Billy (RJ Cyler) isn’t just Black—he’s sensitive, has autism, and misses his late father who was a fundamental and affirming part of his life. Zack (Ludi Lin) has a punk attitude and blatant sex appeal. Trini is a tomboyish Latina questioning her own sexuality while dealing with a conformist family at home. In fact, I would venture to say the white characters see less backstory, even as they’re offered more screen time and are put in leadership roles. What this amounts to is a genuine feeling that the writers care about all five of their Power Rangers, translating to engaging characters who each feel unique and cared for.
Bonus for LGBTQ: +0.50
Trini, the Yellow Ranger, is questioning her sexuality. Dean Israelite confirms her queer status while Angela Watercutter describes the subtle but pivotal scene for Wired:
“Boyfriend problems?" Zack inquires. Trini demurs. "Girlfriend problems?" he asks. She doesn't respond fully, but does say she's never talked about her identity with anyone. The moment is short, but genuine; she's a teen, after all, and she's still Figuring Stuff Out.
Bonus for Disability: +0.50
Power Rangers exudes a deep understanding that inclusion is more than just a checklist, and this is no more apparent than when they mix different identities within the same character. Whether it’s Trini’s sexuality and how that plays out within a conservative Latino family, or the portrayal of autism through Billy, who is being raised by a widowed mother, Power Rangers does a fantastic job of recognizing that labels are merely that—a sticker that never quite fits on any multi-faceted individual.
As for the film’s representation of autism, advocate Kerry Magro writes:
While I agree that we do need more autistic actors in entertainment today and the need for more female characters on the autism spectrum, my overall review of this Power Ranger with autism was positive.
Mediaversity Grade: B+ 4.33/5
Although uneven writing tries to cram far too many backstories into just one action flick, Power Rangers’ diverse and intersectional characters serve as the film’s biggest draw.