Tag Chris Graham

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Wishful Thinking” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury

EPISODE: S29:E16 – “Wishful Thinking”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
PREMIERE DATE: September 29, 2022

SYNOPSIS: A Sporix Beast grants the Rangers’ wishes…with major consequences.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Torum Heng, who provides the voice for Mucus, also portrays her in human form in this episode (shown below). I love that this show gives voice actors like Heng and Campbell Cooley (who voices Scrozzle and Slyther) a chance to show off their in-person acting chops. Voice actors are often some of the most versatile and flamboyant performers you’ll ever see. Heng’s work in this episode is a testament to that.

The monster in this episode turns Ollie into an action figure, Amelia into a 12-year-old, and Izzy into a…smaller version of the T-Rex Champion Zord? I love that. What I love even more is that she actually fights as the zord. It’s pitch-perfect Power Rangers silliness.

What’s more, you’ve got to know Tessa Rao had fun doing those voiceover lines. The woman got to roar like a Tyrannosaurus, for cryin’ out loud! What’s not to like?

Then of course, we get the capper of the Red Ranger riding on the damn robot dinosaur during a fight. They were batting a thousand with this Izzy/T-Rex thing.

Shavaughn Ruakere returns as Ollie’s mother…whose first name is Lani, according to a Power Rangers wiki. She’s remarkably calm during her talk with Javi about not letting fame skew his priorities. Considering, y’know, her son is now six inches tall and made of plastic.

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Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Morphin Master” Review

Rob Siebert 2 Comments

Green Morphin Master, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Morphin MasterSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury

EPISODE: S29:E15 – “Morphin Master”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
PREMIERE DATE: September 29, 2022

SYNOPSIS: The Green Morphin Master aids the Rangers against Lord Zedd.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This episode drops a couple of big-picture bombs on us in terms of the larger PR universe. Let’s start with the Green Morphin Master saying that without the Morphin Grid, life cannot exist. That’s a pretty big proclamation. I was always under the impression that the Grid was something the Morphin Masters built themselves eons ago. It was once described to me by a superfan as: “The Force, if somebody built the Force.” Heck, back in Operation Overdrive we saw someone actually go in to the Morphin Grid.

So…something that sustains life in the universe? I don’t get it.

Moments later, we get the revelation that the Green Morphin Master was responsible for contacting Jason in “Grid Connection,” as well as summoning all the past Ranger teams in “Legendary Battle.” First of all, the fact that the episode spends so much time diving into continuity details like this speaks volumes as to the care being put into Dino Fury, and the affection its creators have for PR as a whole. I’m blown away.

Power Rangers Super Megaforce, Legendary Battle

Secondly, it’s awesome to get an explanation for how/why the past Ranger teams were summoned in the Super Megaforce finale. The added detail of the Rangers teleporting in balls of light in “Rafkon Revealed,” just as all the former Rangers did in “Legendary Battle,” is an attention to detail we rarely see on this show.

But one question remains…did the Green Morphin Master permanently restore all their powers? Or was this a one-shot deal? It seems like the latter is the case, otherwise she wouldn’t have needed to send the Tyrannosaurus Power Coin to Jason in “Grid Connection.” That notion is a little bit of a downer for me, as my own little head-canon had it that she restored all their powers. That would have easily explained how some of the past Rangers we saw in the show’s 25th anniversary episode, “Dimensions in Danger,” got their powers back…

It’s implied in this episode that the Green Morphin Master has interfered at a bunch of points in Power Rangers history, providing aid to teams who’ve needed it. I like that…to an extent. It could potentially explain some plot holes.

But at the same time, I’m not necessarily a fan of all Power Ranger teams having a “big brother” figure who can swoop in at the last minute as a deus ex machina. It lowers the stakes considerably if she can just wave a magic wand and save the day, just as she does with Zedd in this episode.

Rafkon destroyed, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Morphin Master

In stealing the Sporix Generator for himself, Zedd’s forces disrupt Rafkon’s planet core, causing it to explode. Granted, the planet is uninhabited at the time. So there’s no loss of life. But still, Zedd blows up a planet!

And not for the first time! Way back in “The Power Transfer,” Zedd used Serpentera to destroy the unnamed “deserted planet.” That planet, as the name suggests, was also uninhabited.

Lord Zedd, destroyer of (deserted) worlds! It does have a certain ring to it…

Zayto’s to Zedd: “Couldn’t let you destroy two planets today, Zedd.” I don’t like that line. It hits wrong. It almost makes light of the fact that Zayto just saw his homeworld blow up. Bad form.

Come to think of it, Dino Fury, and modern PR as a whole, has a problem with inappropriately placed humor. The best example of that you’ll ever find is in that same scene Zayto has the “two planets” line. Aiyon calls Zedd a chicken, and then goes “Moo.” It supposed to be a dramatic confrontation, as they’re coming face to face with Zedd after he friggin’ blew up their home planet. But it’s punctuated by a weird joke about animal noises.

As I make this comparison, I understand that Dino Fury isn’t Mighty Morphin, and that kids shows are done differently all these years later. But remember in “Return of an Old Friend, Part I” when Goldar blackmails the Rangers into giving up their Power Coins in exchange for their parents? And then he doesn’t live up to his end of the bargain? That’s a dramatic, scary scene. Especially for kids. It’s well assembled, and well performed.

Aiyon, Izzy, Javi, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Morphin Master

Now, imagine that same scene with a random animal noise joke. It would have killed all the tension. That’s what Aiyon’s line does to this confrontation with Zedd.

The Rangers’ new Dino Master Saber allows Aiyon to shift into Dino Master Mode, complete with a spiffy black cape. Considering they’re superheroes, it’s kind of amazing we haven’t seen more capes in almost 30 years of this franchise. Mystic Force notwithstanding, of course.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Rafkon Revealed” Review

Rob Siebert 2 Comments

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury

EPISODE: S29:E14 – “Rafkon Revealed”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
PREMIERE DATE: September 29, 2022

SYNOPSIS: The Rangers travel to Zayto and Aiyon’s home planet of Rafkon.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

So the Rangers are leaving Earth undefended while they travel across the universe to Rafkon, eh? Who am I kidding? We just saw the Beast Morphers team in the previous episode. They’re around if something goes down, right?

The Rangers finally travel to Rafkon…and it looks exactly like Earth. I understand that Power Rangers is, and always has been, a kids show on a strict budget. But as far back as the mid-’90s, the show has had a simple trick to make mundane shooting locations feel like other planets: Tint the screen a certain color.

Go back and look at episodes like The Power Transfer in season two, or A Friend in Need in season three. The Rangers travel to other planets in those episodes, but if you pay attention to what’s actually around them, they’re almost never on any kind of extravagant sets. The show created an illusion using a fairly cheap trick. A trick that came in especially handy once they got to seasons like Power Rangers in Space. So what’s stopping them from using that trick here?

A shot from inside Lord Zedd’s visor (shown above)! That’s an old Mighty Morphin staple! I didn’t even realize how much I missed it!

But hey, right there! They tinted the shot red! So why can’t they use that trick (albeit not such an intense red the entire time) for a larger chunk of the episode?

Perhaps inevitably, it feels like Zedd has eclipsed Void Queen as far as being the big bad of Dino Fury. At least as far as these past few episodes are concerned. They had to know that was going to happen, to an extent. In addition to being a character from back in the day that longtime fans would naturally gravitate toward, design-wise Zedd is cooler than all the other villains by a mile. Hopefully they up Void Queen’s evil quotient as we inch closer to the end of Dino Fury. She certainly shouldn’t be shoved aside.

The Green Morphin Master appears at the end of the episode, having saved the Rangers from a face-off with Zedd. I was initially going to nitpick about them not bringing in former cast members to do the voices of these Morphin Masters. (Because why the hell not?) But as it turns out, they did!

Beth Allen, who voices the Green Morphin Master, had an on-screen role way back in S.P.D as a friend of Jack’s. She was later in Operation Overdrive as Tyzon’s fiancee, and then did the re-dubbing of Udonna’s voice in Beast Morphers. She never played a Ranger, and she’s never had what I would call a major role on the series. But she is technically a former cast member. So they get by on a technicality on that one…

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Storm Surge” Review (Gold Ranger Debuts!)

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Power Rangers Dino Fury, Storm Surge, Gold RangerSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E15 – “Storm Surge”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
ORIGINAL U.S. AIR DATE: October 15, 2021 (Netflix)
SYNOPSIS: Ollie learns a lesson about keeping promises, as a mysterious storm lingers over Pine Ridge.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Nice bit of continuity in that they tied the mysterious storm back to the (Ninja?) Nexus Prism showing up in “Unexpected Guest.” It’ll be interesting to see if the powers discovered in this episode are somehow linked to the Prism. Not likely, but it would be cool, right?

Dr. Akana seems like a good mom. But if she let Ollie leave the house in those white pants, she’s slacking on part of her job. For whatever reason, I couldn’t stand those damn things.

Mr. Whiz (shown below) was indeed played by Campbell Cooley, the actor who voices Slyther. That’s nice that they did that. I can see previous administrations just putting a new actor in there, as opposed to going for consistency like that.

So Amelia says to the water monster, “Really, cuz you seem kinda shallow.” Afterward, about a second goes by as she cocks her eyebrow. As if the episode wanted to give the awful pun a little more time to breathe, just to make sure we all got it. Still, Hunter Deno’s delivery was cute. So we’ll give her points for that.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, Storm Surge, Campbell Cooley

And so, “Storm Surge” gives us the surprise debut of our Gold Ranger. We don’t have much to go on at this point, as they’re taking the mysterious route for now. I’ll say this much: The costume is cool. Blue and gold usually work. It’s reminiscent of the Ninja Steel Gold Ranger, only without the goofy cowboy aesthetic. Plus, the gold is more yellow and less brown.

So obviously our Gold Ranger knows Zayto. The whole “Hey Zayto” thing at the end was a little clumsy. Presumably like Zayto, this guy has been asleep for millions of years. So he wakes up, sees one guy that he knows, and then teleports away from him? For no apparent reason? Doesn’t add up.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Old Foes” Review (Lord Zedd Returns!)

Rob Siebert 6 Comments

Lord Zedd, Power Rangers Beast Morphers, Old FoesSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E13. “Old Foes”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Johnny Hartmann
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
ORIGINAL U.S. AIR DATE: October 15, 2021 (Netflix)
SYNOPSIS: A Sporix Beast resurrects Lord Zedd.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Well gosh. As a first generation Power Rangers fan, I wonder if I’ll have any thoughts about this one…

Indeed, the show has resurrected Lord Zedd, the most popular villain in the show’s history. It’s not merely a reference to him. It’s not some cockamamie story about he and Rita Repulsa having a son we never knew about. The franchise’s quintessential villain is back. What’s more, he’s brought back in a way that makes you wonder why they didn’t bring him back a lot sooner. They simply bring in a monster with the power to reincarnate people. Boom. There’s Zedd.

However, they don’t simply leave it at that. In a real treat for longtime fans like me, they reference a bunch of old MMPR episodes, talk about Zordon’s sacrifice in  Countdown to Destruction, and actually treat Zedd like a huge deal. It’s one of the better past character that the show has ever done. What’s more, as someone who grew up on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, it’s a genuine thrill.

The elephant in the room as far as Zedd is concerned is that his voice is different. Andrew Laing plays the role, as opposed to the late Robert Axelrod. Though even if Axlerod was still with us, I doubt they’d have used him. You’ll notice that in the sequence that used the old footage, Zordon, Rita, Alpha 5, and Andros all had their voices dubbed over by different actors. In Beast Morphers, the returning Goldar also had a different voice. I can only assume that’s a union issue, and if they could have brought the old actors back, they would have.

The use of the inhibitor collar from Beast Morphers on Zedd was a nice touch. This episode truly is a continuity buff’s dream come true. But it was good from a character standpoint too. Unless your name is Dark Specter, chances are Zedd isn’t taking orders from you.

The line where Ollie calls Zedd “radiator face” is a callback to a line Rita had in an MMPR episode. Don’t ask me which one. I just know she called him radiator face at some point.

We’ve reached the point where I’m actually going to be mad if Dino Fury doesn’t link Ollie and Amelia romantically. Or “ship” them, as the kids would say. Their little back and forth moments have become a highlight of the show for me.

Arguably the best thing about this Zedd development? They didn’t kill him off, which would truly have been idiotic. They had him disappear, presumably to return at a later date. I’ve even heard a little bit of buzz about him being the villain for the second season of Dino Fury. Naturally, there’s a lot of intrigue there.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “The Matchmaker” Review (First LGBTQ Ranger!)

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Power Rangers Dino Fury, The Matchmaker, Izzy and FernSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E13 – “The Matchmaker”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: October 15, 2021 (Netflix)
SYNOPSIS: Javi tries to set Izzy up with someone from her training class.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Let’s not bury the lede: This episode ends with the revelation that Izzy, played by Tessa Rao, is the Power Rangers franchise’s first LGBTQ Ranger. She walks off hand in hand with Fern, played by Jacqueline Joe.

It’s tough to look at this as anything but a positive. Though I suppose if one were fishing, one could chide the franchise for taking so long to have an LGBTQ Ranger. But let’s look on the bright side. This is a happy moment. And I’m happy it’s the Izzy character that gets this distinction. Unlike a lot of Rangers we’ve seen over the years, she’s got spunk and personality, both via writing and performance. Izzy represents the community well.

I maintain that the more diverse the Power Rangers cast is, the stronger it is. That’s not strictly a race or a color thing. It also applies to things like family structure, economic background, religion, or in this case sexual orientation. The days where three out of five Power Rangers are straight white kids should have been over a long time ago. Thankfully, Dino Fury reflects that.

When the monster is disguised as Adrian, he recites a poem to Izzy that’s written on a scroll. As in, “Hear ye! Hear ye!” It made for a funny visual.

Another funny visual? Zayto disguising himself as an old lady. Very Mrs. Doubtfire.

Utterly buried by the subject of Izzy’s sexuality is this episode’s other revelation: Void Knight is human (shown above). Knowing how monsters work on this show, he could have been just another big suit creature. But him actually being human definitely adds to his whole tragic villain vibe.

Mucus turning into slime during the spat with Void Knight was a nice touch. Or perhaps not slime. But, well…mucus.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Super Hotshot” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Power Rangers Dino Fury, episode 12, Super Hotshot, Zayto, IzzySERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E12. “Super Hotshot”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson, Guy Langford, Johnny Hartmann
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
ORIGINAL U.S. AIR DATE: October 9, 2021 (Nickelodeon)
SYNOPSIS: Unbeknownst to her, Izzy’s new trainer has greedy motivations.

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Izzy asks her dad if she can have an advance on her allowance so she can buy a membership to Coach Bella’s gym. To me, this begs the question…Izzy still gets an allowance? How old are you when you’re supposed to stop getting one? When you’re old enough to get a job? Izzy and Javi’s dad must be a softy.

Although maybe I’m a softy too. I thought Izzy’s “puppy dog” impression (shown below) was pretty cute.

Campbell Cooley’s performance as Slyther continues to be a pleasure to listen to. It’s reminiscent of his work as Cosmo Royale in Ninja Steel, which was equally amazing.

Zayto: “Oh, we’ve got all the toys!” The Power Rangers franchise went a little meta with that line, didn’t it?

Power Rangers Dino Fury, Super Hotshot, Javi, Izzy

I initially thought this episode was the first appearance of Fern, Izzy’s rival turned friend. Turns out “Winning Attitude” has that distinction. Either way, Fern is about to become one of the more notable civilian characters in the show’s history…

I’d argue the greed moral of this episode is even more poignant to adults than it is to kids. That moment where the other Rangers all give money to Izzy was really sweet.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Winning Attitude” Review

Rob Siebert 2 Comments

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E5 – “Winning Attitude”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: March 27, 2021
SYNOPSIS: Izzy gets an all-important lesson in sportsmanship from her coach.

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

After last week’s episode Hunter Deno, who plays Amelia, tweeted the following…

In terms of her central point, she’s not wrong. This is a very diverse cast, which of course is great for kids to see. I’m really hopeful that we’ll see a Ranger of Muslim descent sooner rather than later. Much like Ravi on Beast Morphers being the first Ranger of Indian descent, the fact that it’s taken so long to have a Muslim Ranger is something of an indictment of a show that’s got diversity built into its DNA.

Also, since last week’s episode the phrase “Cool Cool Coolio!” has been randomly popping up in my head. I imagine I’m not the only one with that issue.

Jane: “A Sporix! In my pants!” There’s a joke there, which you’re definitely not allowed to make on a kids show. Kira Josephson continues to make me smile with her performances.

So the Rangers just teleport in to face Mucus and the monsters without any attempt at subterfuge. I imagine this is one of those times we’re just supposed to assume no one saw them, right? Civilians on this show can have very convenient selective sight at times…

In Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger, the Japanese Super Sentai series Dino Fury is based on, the heroes are knights from the “Ryusoul Tribe.” Ergo, much of what we see on this show has a vaguely medieval look to it. I took particular notice of it with the Hengemen as they teleported into the playground battle sequence.

Those cracks about the monster having kids were funny. This was a good episode for hokey Power Rangers comedy.

Void Knight and the rest of the villains continue to be based out of “Area 62.” I continue to wonder why the number 62. Did they just uptick both the digits in Area 51?

It was, of course, very cool of them to cast Sarah Dalton, a Special Olympics athlete, to play Izzy’s coach Lily. I’m finding that as a parent, I appreciate those kind of choices much more than I used to. Kudos for setting a good example, Dino Fury.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “New Recruits” Review

Rob Siebert 3 Comments

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E4. “New Recruits”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: March 20, 2021
SYNOPSIS: The Rangers get some unexpected aid from two new allies.

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Obviously we get two new Rangers in this episode, Izzy and Javier. As tends to happen on this show, the status quo shifts rather rapidly. New Rangers, new zords, etc. I was hoping we’d get a little more time to settle in with our three-person team. But so it goes.

Zayto: “Are you sure I should interview for this job? I really only have experience fighting monsters.” Something tells me that’s a problem a lot of Rangers have faced when transitioning into the world of 9-5 jobs…

So Izzy and Javier’s stepfather is the park warden, played by Blair Strang. Once again, I’m noticing we’re starting to become acquainted with the Rangers’ parents more and more. We know Ollie’s mom, and now we know Izzy and Javier’s stepfather. What are the odds we meet one of Amelia’s parents at some point?

Mucus: “It’s morphin’ slime!” Why yes. Yes, it certainly is.

Dino Fury Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Fury, New Recruits

The chorus portion of the music during Izzy and Javier’s first morph was a nice touch. Added a nice epic feel to things.

I saw that more than a few people online loved the moment when the newly morphed Izzy ripped off the skirt and said, “Skirts aren’t really my thing.” It was, in fact, a great moment. I likely wasn’t the only one puzzled when the Green Ranger showed up wearing a skirt to begin with, as the corresponding character in the Sentai series didn’t have one.

Izzy: “Big scary monster ran away. You love to see it.” Izzy, played by Tessa Rao, may wind up being my favorite among the Dino Fury Rangers, for no other reason than they seem to be giving her all the best lines.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.