THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 14, 1995 TAG: 9507140060
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALAN CHANG, TEENOLOGY MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
EVERY WEEKDAY afternoon, kids sit in front of the television and watch the Japanese-imported show ``Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.'' Few critics thought the show, with its cheap special effects and Godzilla-style costumes, would last a week.
But surprisingly, the Power Rangers have taken America by storm, and, even more unbelievably, the Rangers have hit the big screen.
The Power Rangers, for those who don't know, are are six kung fu-fighting, politically correct teenagers who are chosen by their alien leader, Zordon, to keep Lord Zed and his evil servants from destroying the Earth. Think of ``Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' without the pizza and the turtle shells.
Jason David Frank plays the White Ranger, Steve Cardenas is the Red Ranger, Karan Ashley is the Yellow Ranger, David Yost is the Blue Ranger, Amy Jo Johnson is the Pink Ranger, and Johnny Yong Bosch is the Black Ranger.
Rangers fans might find the movie fascinating. Director Bryan Spicer spent $40 million on special effects and costumes which elevated the quality a great deal.
The movie departs from the same old television plots and introduces a new super villain called Ivan Ooze, played by Paul Freeman, who also appeared in ``Raiders of the Lost Ark.''
The evil villain emerges when a group of construction workers digs up a 6,000-year-old pink egg. The egg is cracked and Ooze is free. But unlike the television villains, Ivan Ooze is smart enough to attack the rangers' headquarters and drain their power supplies.
Now the Rangers face two challenges: to get their powers back and to save the Earth. When all else fails, the Rangers call upon their new Zords to help them. This time, computer animation replaces the fake costumes during the final confrontation between the huge robots.
Acting is not the movie's strong point. But for fans, what really matters is how the Rangers use their Morphin powers to bash the monsters to pieces. It won't be hard to talk your parents into this one. There is no profanity or blood. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JIM TOWNLEY /
20th Century Fox\ Alan Chang is a rising senior at Kempsville High
School.
From left, Johnny Yong Bosch is Adam, the Black Power Ranger; David
Yost is Billy, the Blue Power Ranger; Jason Frank is Tommy, the
White Power Ranger; Amy Jo Johnson is Kimberly, the Pink Power
Ranger; Karan Ashley is Aisha, the Yellow Power Ranger; and Steve
Cardenas is Rocky, the Red Power Ranger.
by CNB