Time to shift into turbo. Shout! Factory is proud to announce that the fan-favorite Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie is coming to Blu-ray for the first time on July 30, 2019. The release includes an all-new documentary “Ranger Tales: A Back at Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie,” alongside and original featurette and trailer. Turbo features many frequent guest stars and regulars from other Power Rangers series, including Johnny Yong Bosch, Steve Cardenas, Jason David Frank, and Catherine Sutherland.
It’s the Power Rangers to the rescue in their all new high action motion picture adventure. With new turbo powers and racing Turbo Zords, the five superheroes battle a ruthless band of evil space aliens in order to save Earth from destruction.
By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
* Minor spoiler alert
The Power Rangers movie has the potential to be better than its “original” product — a hodge-podge of American shot storyline mixed in with fighting footage from Toei’s Super Sentai series. Thankfully, as a product from a single producer with a think tank of creative minds, it’s not as much of a mixed product, but a well to do update of series still beloved by those who love tokusatsu (entertainment emphasizing special effects more than character drama).
This film offers all the right tones in the opening act which no doubt showed the producers are aware of Power/Rangers, the fan film. Praised for its darker story and lamented because it was not for kids (it is gory violent), I wondered how deep the back story would get. I enjoyed the opening moments since it hinted towards this bloodier direction. As a PG-13 rated film (there’s some bad words said and a LBGT character), I was a little dismayed but did wonder how long this movie will take to get past all the origins and team-building exercises to get to the big fight which marks the last act of every television episode.
But is this movie better than the dubbed parody Dynamen which premiered on Night Flight? While this other show introduced me to this world with its hilarious send-up and mix of 80’s music, hopefully the series I truly adored does not jade what I have to say. While I care little for this decade’s modern music, this movie released by Lionsgate is wildly entertaining. It is set to look at problems some youths face today. Mind you, I will not be drowning my sorrows at a Krispy Kreme, since none exists in my hometown and I ignored this laughingly blatant product placement.
When you get used to seeing a lot of Michael Bay style films over the years to which this film obviously draws its style from, there comes a time where switching the brain off during these type of movies is a must. You watch it for the eye candy and I must admit, those Zords (the mechs the Rangers pilot) look cool! The look of the bad guys is another story, which I’ll get into later.
The Power Rangers teaser trailer that was expected to be released at the New York Comic Con (NYCC) later today has been given an earlier reveal through the Power Rangers’ official movie Facebook page. Although some people at NYCC may be disappointed they won’t get that exclusive first look, there are many who may forgive after seeing this trailer.
Gone in this trailer are the faces from the original 1995 film (Amy Jo Johnson, Jason David Frank, David Yost, Karan Ashley, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Steve Cardenas), replaced with a new cast ( Naomi Scott, Becky G., RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, and Dacre Montgomery) and presenting a fresh perspective. No longer do we get this feel that the Power Rangers are a group of popular kids bullied by social outcasts (played beautifully by actors Paul Schrier and Jason Narvy) who were jealous of their status. The situation has now reversed, the kids who become the Power Rangers are the social outcasts. Bullied to a degree by those in the upper echelons of a typical American high school, it grounds the film into something real and all too familiar.
This trailer reveals the discovery of the devices that will eventually give the Rangers their power. The fact the power appears to remain when suits are not worn gives the five more responsibility in how they must conduct themselves. In addition, look for a quick scene of Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa and a glimpse of part of the Red Ranger’s costume during a suit-up scene near the end of the teaser. Check the trailer and if you can, compare it to the original, we would love to hear your opinion.
I know it sounds too good to be true but Shout Factory is set to release the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Legacy: The First 20 Years on DVD. Now what does this mean for the collector? Mostly bragging rights to all your friends and if your friends don’t like MMPR, it definitely means you can annoy them to no end. And that to me is money well spent.
So let’s look at what we’re dealing with here. Reportedly, every episode from the original series to Power Rangers Megaforce will be included. That’s 98 disks including six discs of bonus footage and archive material. And it comes in the Power Rangers team leader’s helmet, the Red Ranger.
I have no idea of what is in the bonus material at this time but I’m hoping it’ll include commentary (or involvement) in part by at least some of the cast members from the various series. Right now Shout! Factory is at the San Diego Comic Con 2013 and accompanying them for in-booth signings is Selwyn Ward (Red Turbo Ranger, Power Rangers Turbo). Could Selwyn be involved in the DVD extras?
The collection will be released on December 3, 2013 and is available only through mail order via Shout Factory’s online store..
It’s a good thing DVD players are outfitted with a pause button or else I would experience a total lapse of self-preservation ala Everquest.
A first look at the collection can be found through Black Nerd Comedy’s Youtube video.
Time to shift into turbo. Shout! Factory is proud to announce that the fan-favorite Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie is coming to Blu-ray for the first time on July 30, 2019. The release includes an all-new documentary “Ranger Tales: A Back at Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie,” alongside and original featurette and trailer. Turbo features many frequent guest stars and regulars from other Power Rangers series, including Johnny Yong Bosch, Steve Cardenas, Jason David Frank, and Catherine Sutherland.
By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)
