Tag Guy Langford

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “The Invasion” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Orria, Power Rangers Dino Fury, The InvasionSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury

EPISODE: S29:E20 – “The Invasion”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Guy Langford, Cameron Dixon, Steve McCleary
DIRECTOR: Craig Wilson
PREMIERE DATE: September 29, 2022

SYNOPSIS: Void Queen launches a full-scale assault on Pine Ridge.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

As the episode begins, a spaceship arrives just outside the city. This prompts Jane to say: “Finally, it’s Pine Ridge’s turn for some extraterrestrial action!” I assume that’s a cute little nod to the fact that plenty of other cities on this show have been invaded by aliens. Between that, and Javi’s line about “Lord Zedd, with Galvanax and Venjix…” this episode seems to know it’s the beginning of a finale.

The ship turns out to be filled with Rafkonians, who want Earth to be their new home. But the Rafkonian leader, Orria, calls humans “greedy and selfish and incapable of working together.” Zayto and Aiyon obviously object. But…yeah, she pretty much nails it.

Of course, she changes her mind by the end of the episode. But how bad is it when you’re so cynical that you’re actually siding with the alien invasion force?

Orria, group shot, Power Rangers Dino Fury, The Invasion

On the subject of Orria, she’s pretty awesome. Fighting the monsters with no powers, using just twin daggers? I love her! More please.

Izzy and Javi’s mother says that with the mayor out of town, their father is “in charge of civil defense.” Hold on…what’s this guy’s job again? Park Warden? I call B.S. There’s no deputy mayor or anything?

I understand why you can’t show blood on this show, or really any kids show. But if there were ever a time to show even a tiny bit of blood, it would have been during that last scene with Amelia and the injured Pop-Pop. Sometimes blood does wonders for drama. Just ask pro wrestlers.

Fearing he may die, Pop-Pop reveals that Amelia is an alien, given up by her parents at Area 62 when she was a baby. More than any other twist or turn this series has taken thus far, I can honestly say I didn’t expect that one. What’s Ollie going to say?!?

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

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.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “The Copycat” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Javi, Power Rangers Dino Fury, the CopycatSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S29:E11 – “The Copycat”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Robyn Grace
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2022
SYNOPSIS: A rival performer copies one of Javi’s songs, and a new enemy copies one of Zayto’s moves.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I remain appreciative of the fact that this show has recurring characters. I would have been easy for them to create some generic antagonist musician to steal Javi’s song. But instead they brought back a character they used before. Power Rangers hasn’t always done that kind of thing. Almost two decades ago, I was pleasantly surprised when Conner took “plant girl” to prom in the season finale of Dino Thunder.

Solon says it’s “odd” that a new villain is attacking at the stadium. Uh…what’s odd about it? That they’re attacking the stadium? It can’t be the whole new villain thing. This is a city on Power Rangers, where new villains attack on a weekly basis. I don’t get it.

Void Queen forcibly turns Tarrick into Void King (shown below). So we’ve got a Void King and Queen, and we’ve had a Void Knight. Does that mean there’s a Void Pawn somewhere? Maybe a Void Jester? Or do Slyther and Mucus fill those roles?

Void King, Power Rangers Dino Fury, The Copycat

The little musical number Mucus did with the Hengemen at the end of the episode was fun. Short, but fun.

While we’re on the subject of Javi playing music, apparently his actor Chance Perez used to be in a boy band called In Real Life. He was on an NBC show called Boy Band, and as one of the finalists, he got a spot in the group. Does that make him the first boy band member to become a Power Ranger? It must. It takes all kinds, I suppose.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Losers Weepers” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Aiyon, Izzy, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Losers WeepersSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S29:E10 – “Losers Weepers”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Catherine Bell-Booth
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2022
SYNOPSIS: A briefcase full of cash comes between Izzy and Aiyon.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

We’re halfway through the second season, and we still don’t know much about what Area 62 was used for back in the day. We know it was shut down about 20 years ago, and we know Amelia’s grandfather used to work there. You’ve got to believe the latter leads to something.

Speak of the devil! Amelia’s Pop-Pop pops up in this episode!

Shortly after Mucus puts the collar on and grows gigantic, she backs into some power lines and gets electrocuted. I’m fairly certain that’s the first time such a thing has happened to a monster in almost 30 years of Power Rangers.

So Void Queen keeps Tarrick captured in her old resuscitation chamber? Yeesh, she really is evil. Hope he’s not claustrophobic.

Tarrick, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Losers Weepers

Void Queen says Flapnarok “had a brother. I forget his name.” Nice little continuity nod, though I had to look up what she was talking about. Apparently she’s referring to Dragnarok from way back in “New Recruits.”

They’re doing a nice job of slow-burning the build-up to Ollie and Amelia’s romance. This episode clearly isn’t about them, but they squeezed that little moment in where they’re polishing the swords.

But here’s the real question: Will they get to kiss?

So we have a giant monster attacking one half of the city, and then we have Aiyon be completely unaware of it on the other half. Only on Power Rangers, folks!

What really surprised me about this episode is that the Rangers make no mention of who the money in the briefcase really belonged to. That feels like a slam dunk Power Rangers lesson.

Flapnarok going splat on the moon was pretty cool. She made a satisfying “thud” sound.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Stitched Up” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Power Rangers Dino Fury, Stiched UpSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S29:E5 – “Stitched Up”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Robyn Grace
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2022
SYNOPSIS: Izzy deals with drama over prom, while Void Knight develops a zord jammer.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

The humanization of Void Knight continues. Early in the episode, we learn his true name is Tarrick.

There’s also a Beast Morphers reference early on. Izzy references a show called “Kung-Fugitive,” and says Steel Silva is good in it. Steel Silva, of course, being the Silver Ranger in Beast Morphers.

The monster’s name is Junkalo. Is that supposed to be like juggalo? Naw, it couldn’t be. But it sounds like it, doesn’t it?

I like the quasi-rebellious dynamic Izzy has with her mom, and then the drama then ensues over the prom dress. I’m not sure if Izzy is the most developed character on this show, but she’s definitely in the top two. The other being Amelia. Dino Fury is doing right by its female Rangers.

Santaura, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Stitched Up

Santaura is played by Siobhan Marshall. It’s looking like the character may turn out to be the real big bad on Dino Fury. I’m game for that. Marshall isn’t chewing the scenery, and the white contacts really give Santaura a distinct look. So far, so good.

The prom stuff at the end of the episode had a genuinely good feeling to it. These characters feel like friends, and they seemed believably happy for Izzy and Fern. It made for the best ending to a Dino Fury episode yet.

By the way…Ollie, Amelia, and Javi all go to the same school as Izzy and Fern, right? So you’re telling me none of them had prom dates? Is that a plothole? Not necessarily. It’s more of an irritating trivia note.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Missing Pieces” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Zayto, Ollie, Izzy, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Missing PiecesSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S29:E3  – “Missing Pieces”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Charlie Haskell
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2022
SYNOPSIS: Slyther tampers with the Rangers’ memories. Meanwhile, the search for Rafkon continues.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

So the best thing they could come up with for Slyther’s memory-tampering amulet was a steering wheel? Aw c’mon, prop department…

The T-Rex Cosmic Megazord makes the Dino Fury team one of the more travel-capable teams we’ve ever had. Obviously it can open portals to the far reaches of space and different dimensions. But who knows what else it can do, or where else it can go? The possibilities are intriguing.

“No, my dignity!” was one of Slyther’s more amusing exclamations. He’s like the villainous equivalent to Izzy in that he always gets the best lines.

Void Knight, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Missing Pieces

Really cool to see Void Knight mix it up with the Rangers, albeit briefly. That’s not always something you see from a lead villain. Also, it puts him over as a formidable opponent.

It’s interesting to me how the monsters in Dino Fury, like Wreckmate and Occulo, stick around for awhile. They aren’t simply destroyed in their debut episode, monster-of-the-week style.

I found myself legitimately intrigued by the mystery of what happened to Rafkon. It’s not often an entire planet disappears, after all.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Secret Santa” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E22 – “Secret Santa”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Guy Langford, Maiya Thompson, Johnny Hartmann
DIRECTOR: Catherine Bell-Booth
ORIGINAL U.S. AIR DATE: October 15, 2021 (Netflix)
SYNOPSIS: Javi and Solon must stop an explosive in Dinohenge.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I keep wanting to refer to Javi as Chance, as that’s his actor’s first name. It also happens to be a more interesting name. So if that accidentally happens here, you know why.

These Christmas episodes have been par for the course since Nickelodeon purchased the brand. They’re almost entirely skippable. But occasionally they’ll deliver something cool. Bulk and Spike meeting the Samurai Rangers, Peter and Yoshi Sedarso working together in an episode, etc. I don’t know that I’d necessarily put this one in the cool category, mostly because “Secret Santa” doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. It’s got elements of a clip show, obviously. But it also kind of does its own thing. It’s an anomaly that way.

Of Amelia and Ollie, Javi says “She knows just how to push his buttons.” We’ve reached the point where if those two don’t get together next season, I’m going to be pretty disappointed. It’s a Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home type situation.

So Santa has a direct line to the Power Rangers, eh? Considering how often we’ve seen Santa on this show over the years, that’s actually pretty believable…

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Waking Nightmares” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E20 – “Waking Nightmares”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Michael Hurst
ORIGINAL U.S. AIR DATE: October 15, 2021 (Netflix)
SYNOPSIS: Zayto and Aiyon must face their nightmares to retrieve new zords.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

We open on Aiyon having a nightmare about the final battle thousands of years ago. We then see him take a brief walk through Dinohenge, where he runs into Zayto.

Random: Does Dinohenge have a kitchen? How about a laundry room? It Zayto and Aiyon obviously live there, so it must. Is it weird that I want to see them?

That same night, Mucus has a dream where Area 62 becomes a disco dance club. Pure, unfiltered Power Rangers silliness. Or perhaps, in more adult terms, a Power Rangers themed acid trip.

Aiyon says that combining their two new Dino Keys can form the Cosmic Dino Key and open “portals to anywhere in the universe.” I was going to file that little factoid away for future reference. After all, you can’t just say something like that and not travel through the universe. But it turns out, I didn’t have to wait long at all…

Power Rangers Dino Fury, Waking Nightmares, Zayto, Aiyon, Amelia

The Rangers discover that the zords linked with their new keys are located on the planet Nibyro. Using the Cosmic Dino Key, they open a portal to take them there. Zayto is quick to rush through said portal, saying they need those zords. On any other show, that would make him an idiot. After all, he doesn’t know anything about the planet’s atmosphere, gravity, etc. But this is Power Rangers, where every planet in the universe is just like Earth. Heck, way back in Forever Red they walked around on the moon like it was nothing. So I guess Zayto gets a pass.

In his attempt to use the Morphin Grid to power his machine, Void Knight uses Reaghoul, the monster who brought Lord Zedd back to life, to resurrect Boomtower. Our returning general seems to remember everything from before the Rangers destroyed him. So that begs the question: What does Zedd remember? Perhaps it all depends on what period of your life Reaghoul opts to reincarnate you from.

Incidentally, Rheagoul (whose name I originally spelled “Regal”) is low key scary. Dude’s got skeletons hanging off his body. Just sayin’.

I really wish the two raptor zords seemed more distinct. But all these zords are just…oatmeal. They all blend together.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Crossed Wires” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E18 – “Crossed Wires”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Caroline Bell-Booth
ORIGINAL U.S. AIR DATE: October 15, 2021 (Netflix)
SYNOPSIS: Izzy’s shortcomings in her electronics class leak into her Ranger duties.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Nice to see them use Fern as Izzy’s actual girlfriend. As opposed to a character to be discarded after her big moment earlier this season.

After Izzy messes up with the sleep gas device and teleports away, the civilians in the park wake up. We then have a bit of ADR dialogue where a woman talks about a strange dream where “goblins were turning people into trees.” That in itself actually sounds like the plot of a Power Rangers episode. Possibly better than this one…

The initial fight between the Rangers and the Hengemen takes place at what looks like a heavy duty industrial factory type place. I like that, as for some reason it makes me think of the original Saban era of the show. We had a decent amount of factory fights those first 10 years or so. For whatever reason, it’s a setting that works well.

I like that we sort of have a double lesson going on in this episode. Obviously, Izzy was lying to her friends about being good at electronics. So she gets hers there. But we’ve also got Ollie learning to be patient with Izzy as she learns. Hopefully, by the time Dino Fury is over, we’ll have the sense that Ollie has learned to be a little less pompous in general.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, Crossed Wires, Ollie and Izzy

We get the debut of the Fusion Ultrazord here. It’s…another zord. Meh. I’ll say this much: When I was a kid, Ultrazords were big tank type things. Now we have Ultrazords that can walk, punch, etc. Times change, I guess.

After Mucus escapes with the Sporix, Amelia says, “Oh Fungus!” That is not what I initially thought she said…

An unexpected appearance from Amelia’s Pop-Pop at the end there. Dino Fury has a nicely full supporting cast.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Our Hero” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E17 – “Our Hero”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Guy Langford, Maiya Thompson
DIRECTOR: Caroline Bell-Booth
ORIGINAL U.S. AIR DATE: October 15, 2021 (Netflix)
SYNOPSIS: Aiyon lets the praise for his heroism go to his head.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Watch how close Ollie and Amelia are a little before the three minute mark. By Power Rangers standards, that’s a fairly subtle way of building their romance. Which is happening. Mark my words…

Also, note that Amelia is reading a book about haunted Egyptian pyramids. Nice continuity there, as it relates to her interest in the paranormal.

The bit with the Rangers going into changing rooms to morph feels like something right out of the ’60s Batman TV show, which I’ve always said has more in common with Power Rangers than one might think.

When they cut from Buzz Blast to the party for the Rangers, there are a couple of ADR lines about the Gold Ranger. One of them is a male voice saying, “I bet he’s cute too.” That’s a nice little bit of inclusive verbage.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, Our Hero, Gold Ranger party

I can’t decide whether Jane pointing to the monster fight and exclaiming, “It’s newwwwwwws!” was funny or cringeworthy. I guess I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and say funny.

Slyther’s scheme is to hypnotize the Mosa Razor Zord. So are these zords the semi-alive kind, as opposed to the strictly mechanical kind? I don’t recall that being established. But maybe I’m wrong.

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