Tag Power Rangers Operation Overdrive

Power Rangers Beast Morphers, “The Evox Snare” Review (Doctor K Returns!)

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

***As big a Power Rangers fan as I am, I must admit: I’m a little behind on modern PR. Here’s where I attempt to fix that, as I check out episodes of Power Rangers Beast Morphers!***

SERIES: Power Rangers Beast Morphers
EPISODE: S27:E10 – “The Evox Snare”
STARRING: Rorrie D. Travis, Jazz Baduwalia, Jacqueline Scislowski, Abraham Rodriguez, Kevin Copeland
GUEST-STARRING: Olivia Tennet
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Chip Lynn
DIRECTOR: Simon Bennett
PREMIERE DATE: June 11, 2020 (UK), September 19, 2020 (US)
SYNOPSIS: Devon desperately tries to save his father before it’s too late.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Judd “Chip” Lynn co-wrote this episode, and also did the teleplay. It’s is first writing credit on the show since the premiere. Fitting and likely not an accident he came back for this episode, as he was the showrunner for the second half of RPM. In addition to the various other PR seasons he lead and/or worked on, of course.

I appreciate that Devon seems to be the only one concerned about safely separating his father from Evox. Meanwhile, Commander Shaw and the others are more fixated on simply stopping Evox. It makes sense, and would naturally prompt Devon to go looking for alternative solutions.

Devon reaches out to Doctor K, who we know from 2009’s Power Rangers RPM, played once again by Olivia Tennet. It’s just a little cameo. But it’s still really cool. And it does raise some questions…

In doing his research into past Ranger teams, Devon apparently had Cruise go looking through “Ranger records.” That’s just an arbitrary phrase of course. The Beast Morphers team isn’t the first to have data on previous Ranger teams. Especially in recent seasons. The Megaforce Rangers had one. Next season we’ll see that Mick has one, and subsequently the Dino Fury Rangers have one. So are these databases all independently assembled? Or are is there an archivist out there somewhere that’s collecting this information? Could it be Gosei and Tensou from Megaforce?

What’s more, “Dimensions in Danger,” the 25th anniversary episode aired during Ninja Steel, reaffirmed that RPM and Dino Charge both took place in alternate dimensions. Is the existence of this multiverse going to be known to all teams going forward?

Incidentally, my own little headcanon has always been that SPD takes place in an alternate dimension. But more on that another day.

Doctor K points Devon in the direction of the Split-Emitters from Dino Charge. Later, Devon, Ben, and Betty go into said vault, where we see a lot of props from past seasons. Ben and Betty reference items from Dino Thunder, Mystic Force, and Operation Overdrive. And there were Blade Blasters from Mighty Morphin front and center. It’s surprising that the show took the time to revel in its own retro geekery. Not something it should be doing often, but really neat when it does.

Nate says that he used said Ranger tech as the basis for developing their team’s tech. Again, this begs the question of where he got all this old tech. Particularly tech from another dimension. Grid Battleforce must have some kind of transdimensional partnership with the RPM and Dino Charge universes. It would explain why Commander Shaw didn’t seem to bat an eye when Devon got a call from another dimension.

Steel uses his blaster to blow up a tanker truck filled with Morph-X so the bad guys don’t get away with it. Considering Morph-X is supposed to be flammable, the resulting explosion doesn’t seem like it was nearly big enough.

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

Astonishing Art: Power Rangers by Carlos Zarur Jr.

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Goni Montes’ “helmet” covers for the various issues of BOOM! Studios’ Power Rangers comics (most notably issue #0 back in 2016) are pretty darn iconic. So it’s no surprise that they’d inspire other artists to take a foray into the PR universe.

Carlos Zarur Jr. is one such artist, whose work is modeled after the Montes covers. I’ve pulled a few of my favorites from his portfolio. Including one of the Pink Operation Overdrive Ranger, which is the piece that originally drew me to him. That season doesn’t get a lot of love. So it’s nice to see Zarur Jr. give it some attention.

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

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: “Sporix Unleashed” Review

Rob Siebert 3 Comments

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S28:E2. “Sporix Unleashed”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Shavaughn Ruakere, Kira Josephson
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale
DIRECTOR: Charlie Haskell
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: February 27, 2021
SYNOPSIS: Ollie devises a plan to catch the Sporix monsters on the loose, and executes it without the knowledge of his teammates.

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I’ve got a beef with modern day morphs: They’re way too wordy. It goes, “It’s morphin’ time! Dino Fury key, activate! Link to Morphing Grid!” C’mon, folks. We’ve only got about 22 minutes here. Let’s move things along…

Also, link to Morphing Grid? I suppose that’s practical. But much like “Activate Beast Power!” in Beast Morphers, it’s not very creative. What’s the deal? If you can’t think if something quick and catchy for them to say, just stick with “It’s morphin’ time!”

I suppose I’m just old, but the notion of drones being used on Power Rangers is quaint to me. It’s a good thing, though. The more this show can keep up with the times, the better.

When Zayto, who’s been asleep since prehistoric times, asks where all the dinosaurs are, Amelia says: “Well, they’re mostly in the movies.” Mostly. I love that. Nice subtle nod to…you know…28 years of continuity.

Hartford Robotics, Jane, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Sporix Unleashed

Power Rangers Operation Overdrive doesn’t get a lot of love. Simply put, it wasn’t very good. That being said, I did enjoy the small Overdrive reference in this episode. During the scene at Buzz Blast, “Hartford Robotics” is printed on the box the android comes in (shown above). That kind of thing is cute, harmless, presumably easy to do, and fans get a kick out of it.

So the henchgirl’s name is Mucus. Again, I’ve got to call them out for lack of creativity on this one. Was Phlegm taken? I do like that she can turn into green slime, though.

While I’m not a fan of the morphing call, the CGI portion of the morph sequence is pretty awesome. I can’t bring myself to complain about that.

Thus far the music, composed by Bert Selen, really adds a lot to Dino Fury. It’s heavily synthesized, which I’m sure isn’t for everybody. But it gives the show a particular flavor, and the heavy percussion adds a lot to the fight sequences.

The “toyification” of Power Rangers, which many see as the show’s entire purpose for existing, is in full effect here. The Rangers have swords with a t-rex head on the hilt, and can manipulate the jaw to do various super-powered stuff. Are they selling that sword at Wal-Mart yet? Even as an adult, I’ve got to admit it’s pretty cool.

I saw some fans on Twitter were happy to see the Rangers teleporting. Frankly, it’s hard to believe teleportation ever left Power Rangers. During the first several years of its existence, it was a big part of the show’s DNA.

You know what would be nice? If Ollie’s mom figured out he was a Power Ranger. Not because he told her, but because she…you know…recognized her own son’s voice and body language. I don’t expect characters on a kids show to be that competent. But this woman is supposed to be a brilliant scientist, right?

I hope kids get a kick out of the zords they see on Power Rangers. Because as an adult, they generally don’t do much for me. All the CGI that’s been integrated into zord sequences for the better part of 20 years now muddies them all together, making them less distinct.

That said, the T-Rex Champion Zord looked pretty good. The CGI and practical effects were blended together fairly well. By modern zord standards, it scores high.

Well how about that? The Rangers are, in essence, using crowdsourcing as their monster alert system. Civilians can call, text, or DM Sporix sightings to the Rangers. I like that a lot, and I don’t believe anything like it has been done before.

Void Knight and Mucus (shown above) are using an abandoned base called “Area 62” as their lair. I’ve got no issues with that. Obviously it’s a take-off of Area 51. It does, however, make me wonder what happened to Areas 52-61…

Dino Fury has come out of the gate strong. I’m mostly pleased with what I’ve seen so far. I’m legit looking forward to the next episode!

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

 

Power Rangers Spotlight: Jordan Gibson

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I’m a huge fan of all the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers variant covers you’re going to see here. That’s why it’s somewhat embarrassing to say I just recently discovered they’re all by the same guy: Jordan Gibson.

Issue #28: Jason remembers. This is the first Gibson cover I can remember seeing. It’s downright touching, actually. A Zeo era Jason gazing fondly at his old Red Ranger costume in the Power Chamber. It’s very easy to read a nostalgic fondness on his face. Ironically, the same feeling those old MMPR episodes evoke from so many of us. For some reason, the placement of his hand on the glass goes a long way in that regard as well. It’s funny how much a simple hand placement can do.

Issue #31: “Forever Red.” I’m convinced this is a nod to another famous comic book cover. I just can’t figure out which one. At the very least, it captures that epic vibe that a lot of covers go for. Certainly as fitting a tribute to “Forever Red” as there’s ever been. My only complaint? I would have put the Red Wild Force Ranger in the center, as opposed to Red Turbo. It was a Wild Force episode, after all.

Issue #33: Dr. Tommy Oliver. Conspicuous by his absence in this year’s big Shattered Grid event comic was the Tommy we saw in Power Rangers Dino Thunder. The Tommy that acted as a mentor to his own team of Rangers. As the villain, Lord Drakkon, was an evil alt-universe version of Tommy, it would have made sense to see those two meet. The closest we got was this variant cover from Gibson. To his credit, this thing is friggin’ awesome. It catches Tommy in the final miliseconds of his morphing sequence. The orange background is really what makes it, capturing the same color scheme they used for most of the morphs that season.

Issue #34: “Once a Ranger.”

“Once a Ranger” doesn’t necessarily get a lot of love from longtime fans. I can see why. Operation Overdrive wasn’t exactly a critical success. But the two-parter still had its merits. At the very least, it was fun to see all the former Rangers back. Gibson tips his hat to said alumni with this variant cover to issue #34.

Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.