Tag Void Knight

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “The Truth” Review

Rob Siebert 2 Comments

Amelia antennae, Power Rangers Dino Fury, The TruthSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury

EPISODE: S29:E21 – “The Truth”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale
DIRECTOR: Simon Bennett
PREMIERE DATE: September 29, 2022

SYNOPSIS: Amelia learns the truth about her parents…and herself.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

In viewing Pop-Pop’s memories, Amelia learns that her parents were from Rafkon, and gave her up to save her from the destruction of Area 62. Thus, Amelia is able to sprout antennae like Zayto and Aiyon.

This was out of left field for me. But not in a bad way. It was a genuine surprise, and a nice way to connect Amelia’s family drama to the Rafkon story.

My only big complaint about the reveal of Amelia as a Rafkonian is that they didn’t give us a scene, or even a single line of dialogue, where Ollie is shocked and has come to grips with the fact that his girlfriend is…y’know, an alien. I’m assuming there just wasn’t time to do it. But it would have been fun.

One more minor complaint: Amelia’s subsequent line, “Guys, I think my parents were from Rafkon.” It comes off a little air-headed. I mean…duh? You’re standing there with antennae jutting out of your head just like the Rafkonians. Where else would they have been from? Aquitar?

Amelia, Rafkon reveal, Power Rangers Dino Fury, the Truth

Seeing Void Queen and Mucus on the Buzzblast set was cool. Sort of a “worlds colliding” type thing.”

Low and behold, Void Queen destroys Mucus to further empower herself in her cocooned form. Great villain moment for her.  Only a true heel would sacrifice her comic relief minion…

One thing I loved about this episode: It set up very specific, concrete stakes. We learn that if Void Queen’s cocoon explodes as she intends it to, “everything in a 30-mile radius will be vaporized.” We even get a little visual via the computer simulation. They could easily have gone with a much more vague, generic set-up. Something like, “Void Queen will become so powerful she’ll take over the world!” This was better. Much, much better.

Amelia gives Ollie a kiss on the cheek just before the other Rangers spring into action. If they were going to give those two a proper kiss this season, that might have been a good place to put it. Oh well. There’s always Cosmic Fury…

As if it’s not obvious, Amelia gets a lot of emphasis in this penultimate episode of the series. I can appreciate that. She’s been one of the better developed characters in Dino Fury. She and Izzy might be the top two. Dino Fury has definitely been one of the strongest shows on the female side of things that PR has ever done.

The Rangers whipped up a new morpher for Amelia pretty fast. A little too convenient, don’t you think?

When Amelia opens the safe from Pop-Pop’s memories and finds it empty, Izzy says, “I’m sorry Amelia. That really sucks.”Is that the first time someone has said that something “sucks” on Power Rangers? As far as I can remember, it is. Yet another memorable line for Izzy, I suppose.

The music during the flashback sequences was pretty effective. Kudos to Bert Selen.

Amelia learns that Santaura (Void Queen) is her mother and Tarrick (Void King) is her father. Also, they are all Rafkonians.

The revelation of Santaura and Tarrick as Amelia’s parents wasn’t a surprise, based simply on the flashback we saw in “The Invasion.” It was clearly them. Also, Amelia’s been talking about her parents for two seasons now. So you knew there had to be some kind of big reveal involving them. And the idea that it would been Void Queen and Void King made sense from a story and drama perspective. So it wasn’t entirely out of left field.

That being said, it’s a cool moment and a nice pay-off to all the build-up. Also, I didn’t expect them to be from Rafkon. That was a neat way to weave this family drama into the larger story of the series.

Once Void King realizes Amelia is his daughter, he reverts back to Tarrick. So Void King was defeated by…wait for it…love. Very cheesy. But not to the point that I don’t buy it.

There is, however, a giant plothole here. So two decades ago, Tarrick placed Santaura in suspended animation after she’s hurt in Area 62’s explosion. He then uses the Dino Knight morpher to become Void Knight. And then…nothing for 20 years? So what was he doing for all that time while Amelia was growing up? Did he also go into suspended animation for some reason? Was he off on some kind of quest? Could he have encountered other Power Ranger teams along the way? That’s a pretty frustrating plothole, and one uncharacteristic of Dino Fury. Unless I’m forgetting something…?

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, “The Hunt” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S29:E9 – “The Hunt”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson
DIRECTOR: Catherine Bell-Booth
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2022
SYNOPSIS: The Rangers must decide whether to trust their apparent new ally, Void Knight.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This is how much of an old school Power Rangers geek I am: Snageye instantly reminded me of the lipstick monster from season two of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Then, once he started capturing the Rangers, I thought of “Power Ranger Punks,” the first PR episode I ever saw.

On the subject of mental association, when Jane and J-Borg saw the ghost, I immediately thought of Amelia’s thing for the paranormal. Is that good character work? Or just me remembering trivia? I’m inclined to think the former, but maybe I’m wrong…

Actually, the episode itself points out some nice character development: Ollie’s shift from a pure skeptic to someone who gives the ghost story a chance.

After Snageye knocks him down for the count, Void Knight gives Zayto the source of his power: the Dino Knight morpher and key. There’s our explanation for why the Dino Fury Rangers and Void Knight have similar looks. Their respective powers are apparently meant to go together.

So does the Dino Knight armor count as our Red Ranger’s battlizer for this season?

When Jane thinks the magician is in trouble, she jumps off that balcony to save him. Then, when J-Borg thinks Jane is being attacked by the ghost, she rushes in to save her. Our resident comedy characters have noble intentions, which is nice to see. They’re like Ben and Betty from Beast Morphers, in that sense.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Serious Business” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S29:E8 – “Serious Business”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Johnny Hartmann
DIRECTOR: Catherine Bell-Booth
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2022
SYNOPSIS: Void Queen’s minions search for Void Knight. Meanwhile, BuzzBlast is hacked.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Tarrick, a.k.a. Void Knight, isn’t exactly a master of disguise, is he? The purple shirt with the…what is that he’s wearing over it (shown above)? It looks vaguely like S&M gear. *shudders* Talk about a way to attract unwanted attention to yourself.

I get that the little kids need to know it’s Void Knight. But we’ve seen his face plenty of times at this point, and he is the only one on the show who wears purple. The shirt would have been enough, I think.

And as if they’re not pushing things with the outfit as it is, later in the episode the bad guys find someone wearing virtually the exact same outfit. Only on Power Rangers, folks.

Kira Josephson delivering again as Jane early in the episode with her, uh…we’ll call it dancing, for lack of a better term. Her facial and vocal reactions to the footage were nice.

Again, only on Power Rangers could a kid in a clown mask hack a major media company, and then have a job with said company by the end of the episode. I ain’t complainin’. I’m just sayin’.

Zayto: “Outnumbered, huh? Must be Tuesday.” That line kind of lands. I get what they were going for. But it doesn’t quite hit the bulleye. If the show were still premiering on Saturday mornings, he might have said, “Must be Saturday” to better effect.

During the big battle with Trackenslash, somebody comes up to Jane and J-Borg and says the Rangers are “losing badly. They might even be destroyed!” I understand why they can’t say the word “killed” on a kids show. But that’s one of those moments where it really would have helped to say, “They might even be killed!”

Beatrice Taniguchi, the young actress who played Mara the hacker, was pretty good. I’m so used to kid actors that are…less than good…from the early days of the series. So it’s been refreshing these past few seasons to get kid actors that usually don’t give cringey takes.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “New Leaf” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Ollie, Amelia, Power Rangers Dino Fury, New LeafSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S29:E7 – “New Leaf”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson
DIRECTOR: Robyn Grace
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2022
SYNOPSIS: Ollie’s ego gets put in check, as Void Queen’s forces threaten the city’s water supply.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

It became pretty clear early in this episode that we were going to get some development here in the potential Ollie/Amelia romance. “New Leaf” doesn’t disappoint. It also delivers on some easily predicted, yet no less satisfying character development for Ollie.

I’m always on the look-out for former PR cast members when it comes to one-off characters like this Dr. Drake Flloyd. No such luck here. Though the actor, Jamie Irvine, has been on Shortland Street before. It feels like if you’re going to be in the New Zealand acting pool, you have to pass through Shortland Street at some point.

You don’t come to Power Rangers looking for quality CGI. That’s rarely been more evident than at the sight of that CGI octopus tentacle. Woof.

So now that Santaura and Tarrick have officially turned on each other, does that mean Void Knight is about to become a good guy? Or perhaps a sort of antihero, like Ecliptor was way back in Power Rangers in Space?

As Squashblight creates a storm cloud filled with his venom, Izzy says: “He’s gonna make it rain!” You just know that Maiya Thompson, who did the teleplay for this episode, smirked when she wrote that.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Jam Session” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S29:E6 – “Jam Session”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Johnny Hartmann
DIRECTOR: Robyn Grace
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2022
SYNOPSIS: Javi must endure a personal conflict to obtain a new Dino Key.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Typical supervillain brag by Void Knight. The zord jammer goes up, and he tells the Rangers exactly what it does. Tsk tsk…

On the subject of Void Knight, I assume we’re going to address at some point how his costume looks eerily similar to the Rangers’ suits? He’s got a similar sword, too. Might he and Santaura be from Rafkon? Or know what happened to it?

A nice little character moment for Jane, telling Javi’s father about how popular the livestream was, how well Javi did, etc. Nice to see her used as more than comic relief.

After fighting Wreckmate, Aiyon had another line about kicking “pirate booty. ” Because those lines in “The Festival” evidently weren’t enough. Ugh.

Ptera Freeze Zord, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Jam Session

In summoning its power, the Ptera Freeze Zord (shown above) appears to freeze the surrounding cityscape. That’s…one way to do things, I guess.

My prediction from last time about Santaura becoming the show’s big bad came true quicker than I thought it would. She uses Tarrick’s Sporix machine to power up and become Void Queen (shown above). Kind of a shame, actually. I was enjoying seeing Siobhan Marshall’s performance. Her live action performance, at least. She’s still the voice of the character.

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, “Numero Uno” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Void Knight return, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Numero UnoSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S29:E1 – “Numero Uno”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson, Johnny Hartmann
DIRECTOR: Charlie Haskell
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2022
SYNOPSIS: As Amelia struggles to balance Buzzblast with Ranger duty, Void Knight prepares for a return.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Really cool opening sequence with the Red Ranger running across the rooftops. Way to jump start things. The follow-up with Green and Gold leaping out from the building was fun too.

Wait, Amelia is in charge at Buzzblast (which is apparenetly one word, not two) while Jane is away? Isn’t Amelia supposed to be a high school kid? And isn’t Buzzblast supposed to be the Power Rangers equivalent to BuzzFeed, a globally renowned web site? Now there’s a gig that’ll look good on a college application…

So was this whole opening fight just a training exercise? Did they let a Sporix Beast loose and then time themselves as they went after it? Seems a little dangerous to me.

Void Knight, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Numero Uno

Amelia says her new show at Buzzblast is about “unsolved mystery.” Apparently she’s never seen Unsolved Mysteries. Another Netflix show, fittingly enough.

Aiyon’s line about whether they can trust “this lie brary person” had just the right about of cheesiness in it to be funny. Well done, writers.

Mucus swinging on a wrecking ball is likely as close as we’ll ever get to a Miley Cyrus reference on Power Rangers. And I’m okay with that.

The flamboyant flower cart owner, as we’ll call him, is played by Luke Bird. Delightfully over the top and cartoony.

Void Knight is back, which officially debunks the rumor I read about Lord Zedd returning as the main villain for season two. Zedd has to be back at some point though, doesn’t he? Otherwise, why go to the trouble of bringing him back?

A Megazord fight in cyberspace, huh? That’s a cool twist on things. We haven’t see that often…if ever!

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Void Trap” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Power Rangers Dino Fury, Void Trap, Dr. AkanaSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E21 – “Void Trap”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson
DIRECTOR: Michael Hurst
ORIGINAL U.S. AIR DATE: October 15, 2021 (Netflix)
SYNOPSIS: The Rangers use Ollie’s mother to set a trap for Void Knight.

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

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Now seems like a good time to talk about Shavaughn Ruakere, who plays Dr. Akana. Like a lot of Power Rangers actors, she’s appeared on the New Zealand soap opera Shorthand Street. She also made it to the finals of New Zealand’s incarnation of Dancing with the Stars. She’s a fine addition to the cast, and takes center stage in this episode.

When the plan goes awry and Dr. Akana is lost in another dimension, Ollie almost immediately blames Zayto. I liked that. A very natural and human reaction. It seems extremely obvious (and it is), but that kind of thing might have been absent in past seasons. And it was Zayto’s idea, after all.

Actually, considering this is essentially the season finale (Does the Christmas episode count?), it’s interesting how Ollie-centric “Void Trap” is. Historically, finales are typically the Red Ranger’s time to shine. That’s a little shake up I’m glad to see.

Zayto destroys Reaghoul using the T-Rex Cosmic Megazord. I’d be down about that, if Reghoul’s whole thing wasn’t resurrecting the dead. Plus, this was an episode where Boomtower got yet another go-around. And this is the season that brought friggin’ Lord Zedd back. If they want to bring Reaghoul back, they can bring him back. Even if it’s down the road in another series.

After Void Knight’s machine is destroyed, the Rangers lose their connection to the Morphin Grid and demorph. Thus, Dr. Akana sees that Ollie is the Blue Ranger. I really wish she’d have said something like, “I knew it was you!” It’s not like there was a shortage of clues. There was no subtlety in Ollie’s Ranger game…

The fight that the unmorphed Rangers have with Void Knight and his forces is short but sweet. When they get the actors mixed in with the fantastical Sentai elements, it’s generally a plus. And doing much of their own choreography too.

Seeing Amelia briefly cross swords with Void Knight (shown below) was cool. She might be the best developed character on the show. So it’s nice to see her get a moment like that.

“Void Trap” goes to the trouble of severing the Rangers’ connection to the Morphin Grid, only to give it back to them moments later. Not to mention the dinosaur statues being magically rebuilt after Ollie destroyed them. That all feels a little clumsy. But it justified the unmorphed fight sequence. So I’ll give it to them.

The Green Morphin Master is the one who restores the Rangers’ powers. Again I must ask, why the green one, specifically?

One of our closing shots is of Santaura, Void Knight’s…wife? Girlfriend? It would have been really awesome if her eyes had popped open at the end there. Then again, that implies she’ll be the villain next season. I doubt that’s the case.

“Void Trap” is atypical as far as season finales, or perhaps mid-season finales go. That’s not a bad thing, however. The fight between our heroes and our villain is smaller in scale, yet more personal.

Still no sign of Lord Zedd. But there’s still plenty of time…

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