Among the superheroes who will be gracing the big screen in 2017 are the Power Rangers, after decades of having appeared in a variety of TV shows following the breakout success of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series in the early 1990s. The new film, titled simply Power Rangers, is a reboot of the Mighty Morphin mythology and characters in particular; with such big names as Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston and Bill Hader playing (respectively) the extraterrestrial sorceress Rita Repulsa, her longtime alien nemesis Zordon and the comically-aloof robot Alpha 5, opposite a cast of relative newcomers as the Rangers themselves.
Thus far, most of our first looks at elements of the Power Rangers movie reboot - directed by Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) and scripted by John Gatins (Real Steel) - have come not from official images or the first teaser trailer, but from tie-in toys and merchandise. However, now there’s actual footage of such characters as Rita’s famous henchmen the Putty Patrollers and the (now, massive) Goldar in the film, as well as Cranston as the Wizard of Oz-like Zordon himself.
Lionsgate/Saban has now released the second trailer for Power Rangers online (see above), ahead of its debut in theaters this weekend. The previous trailers that have been released for the film focus on establishing the reboot’s five “teenagers with attitude” - Jason (Dacre Montgomery), Kimberly (Naomi Scott), Billy (RJ Cyler), Zack (Ludi Lin) and Trini (Becky Gomez) - as being outsiders who are united by their shared social status; prior to their discovery of the Power Coins that give them their “morphin” abilities. This new Power Rangers trailer picks up from there, showing the Rangers being introduced to Zordon and Alpha 5 proper, before jumping head-first into the Rangers’ battle to protect their hometown of Angel Grove and the Earth in general from Rita and her forces.
The new Power Rangers trailer supports Cranston’s previous comments about the reboot, wherein he indicated the film will be a far cry from the campy tone and style of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series (and the many different Rangers shows that followed it). Lionsgate isn’t skimping on the budget and spectacle here either, as the second trailer boasts more than its faire share of shiny CGI and large-scale action; that includes, the first proper footage of the Rangers piloting their individual giant colossal assault vehicles (otherwise known as Zords) into battle, against Rita and her army of digitally-rendered servants.
Said new Power Rangers trailer also appears to confirm or, at least, support many of the popular rumors concerning the film’s storyline; including, the key role that Goldar serves in the narrative. Some longtime Power Rangers fans are no doubt still adjusting to the significant deviations from the original Mighty Morphin lore implied by the same rumors, to mention nothing of the altered designs for characters such as Goldar and Rita. At the same time, the latest trailer arguably succeeds at its most important task: making this particular reboot look like a fun superhero adventure that has the potential to expand the Power Rangers fandom - by appealing to a new generation of fans - and kickoff a new era in the multimedia franchise, in the process.
Source: Lionsgate/Saban
