Recently, at a Lexington Comic and Toy Convention, Jason David Frank stated that he would like to see a Power Rangers movie made in a darker tone to the series and that he thinks it could work in the style of Batman or something similar. This may mean nothing, except for the fact that Jason David Frank is the best Power Ranger to ever grace the series; he is Tommy Oliver, green ranger, white ranger, red ranger and black ranger. He is an absolute legend. So could a Power Rangers movie work?
Children all over the world from Japan to the USA to Britain have grown up with the Power Rangers, it is one of the longest running series’ on television and has been running every year since the original series was shown way back in 1993. The fact that the series is still being made proves its popularity among younger audiences but is that really reasoning enough to turn it into a big film franchise. Well why not?
Film executives and studio big wigs nowadays seem to focus on the money aspect of things and there is no doubt that with the Power Rangers popularity and the merchandising deals that could be made, the films could bring in a lot of money. The only problem is in attracting older audiences. I believe that some people, like myself, will remember growing up with the characters and would go and see a film if it was made for sentimental reasons if nothing else.
The Power Rangers is a classic story of good and evil, every series and every episode follows the same strict formula. There is no reason why this formula could not transfer onto the big screen. Hollywood audiences love a good battle between the forces of good and evil as we have seen with Harry Potter and the recent trend of superhero films. And on that note, why not give the series a try as a film whilst audiences are obsessed with superheroes, there’s nothing to lose.
There is no reason why Power Rangers could not be made darker for a more mature audience either. With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles getting a reboot and the Transformers trilogy being made, why not try adapting another children’s classic for a more mature audience. Set the tone darker, keep the fight between good and bad, but add more adult themes. It would work!
I, for one, would love to see a new team of Power Rangers on the big screen and there are a lot of young, talented actors coming through that could be given their big break in a film of this nature. But if a big budget Power Rangers movie does ever get made, Jason David Frank deserves at least a cameo!