Power Rangers Movie Is a Cut Above TV Show, at Least

In “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie,” the likable teen-age stars of the controversial television series must travel to the planet Phaedos to regain their super powers to fight the evil Ivan Ooze and save their leader Zordon and the citizens of Angel Grove. (Rated PG)

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Among the first two- and three-word phrases little 2-year-old James Amstutz has learned to say is “Power Rangers.”

Although James’ father, Gary, has banned the television show at home, he brought James to the movie because the toddler asked to see it. “He’s been seeing the previews,” his dad explained. Amstutz doesn’t want his son to have a steady diet of violent films but said “once or twice a year, I don’t think there’s any harm to be exposed to violence.”

The enormously popular television show has become the whipping child of television reformers because its super heroes don’t use words to solve their problems; they morph into armored martial arts experts and pummel, stab and generally kick butt. Scandinavian television officials temporarily pulled the show from the air after kindergarten-age fans reportedly kicked and stoned a 5-year-old girl who later died.

The camped-up movie version shows about three scenes of kick boxing, including some splattering of ooze-based alien forms, some medieval mashing of armored animal guards and the laser beam destruction of giant metallic monsters threatening the rangers’ hometown, Angel Grove.

Mostly, James was bored. “Which is good,” his dad said. “Just the reaction I was hoping for.”

Three-year-old Ryo Morita, however, clutched his little Power Ranger toy and had a steady stream of questions for his father, James, who needed to translate for his son, who speaks only Japanese. Power Rangers originated in Japan, Morita noted.

Older kids said they loved the clean-cut, multicultural crew, their ability to squash bizarre adversaries and their comic-book dialogue (“Let’s get outta here.” . . . “I’ll set a course for outer space.” . . . “Good idea.”)

Most agreed the movie outclassed the repetitive, amateur-looking TV show. Ashley Sterling, 12, said, “They showed more of what they actually can do. It had better graphics, better special effects. Rather than saying they beat up the monster, they actually showed what happened.”

Her brother Blake, 7, was impressed by the opening scenes of the rangers sky-diving--with his favorite, the white ranger, using a snowboard on the air. He also liked a scary scene on the planet Phaedos in which dinosaur bones come alive, roaring and chasing the Rangers.

The movie won over some young skeptics who hadn’t expected much.

Brittany Perry, 11, said, “Almost every day they have some Power Ranger show where they’re always doing some kind of heroic thing, and so I figured there’s not that much more they can do. But it was really good. They got new powers and met new people, and there was a new villain.”

Many couldn’t wait to repeat certain phrases, likely to be used later on brothers or sisters: “Touch me again--you’re chicken wings in the morning.” Or, “You guys make me sick, sick, sick.”

The only scene that children said disturbed them was when Zordon, pushed out of his “time warp” by Ivan Ooze, was shown deteriorating and dying. “That’s the part I didn’t like,” said Lee Allen, 10. Otherwise, it was a total thumbs up. “The best part was when they were fighting.”

His father, Lee Allen Sr., had no problem with the movie violence. “I grew up with Popeye pounding everyone,” he said. “I didn’t turn into a crazed criminal.”

Ashley said her parents don’t mind the Rangers. “They think that people who think it’s too violent are crazy,” she said.

“I think the kids just want to have fun. You know what I mean? Big deal.”