Review: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Season 1

Favourite Ranger: Trini Kwan, The Yellow Power Ranger

Favourite Villain: Goldar

Favourite Episode: "Green With Evil" (Parts I-V)

Least Favourite Ranger: Jason Lee Scott, The Red Power Ranger

Least Favourite Villain: Squatt

Least Favourite Episode: "For Whom The Bell Trolls"

When it comes to the 1990s, very little defines the decade more than the seminal television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This action-oriented show focused on the adventures of five plucky teenagers as they did battle against the nefarious witch Rita Repulsa and her army of outlandish monsters. It jumpstarted a craze and turned the Power Rangers into a veritable franchise. Nearly three decades later, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers stands strong as a fondly regarded piece of nostalgia for many children of the '90s.

Having premiered in 1993, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is understandably quite dated. The costuming is gag worthy, the acting is over-the-top and the special effects are laughable. While this would largely be regarded as faults to hold against the show, it ends up coming across more as endearing in a fuzzy nostalgic sense. Remarkably, the show's themes and characters have stood the test of time. Its concerns with the environment and the importance of teamwork continue to be relevant in today's society, while the characters are surprisingly well-written and are truly relatable.

The Rangers are the stars of the show and together they form an incredibly well-balanced team. You've got the infallible leader, the spunky valley girl, the brainiac, the kind-hearted activist and the showboating hip-hop dancer. As a kid, I was all about Pink Ranger Kimberly. She's sassy and bubbly, but also a little vapid. As the most traditionally feminine member of the team, this separated her from the others and made an impression on me when I was younger. It certainly also helped that she was the most wise-cracking of the bunch. Now that I'm older, I've come to appreciate Yellow Ranger Trini more and have come to see her as the underdog in the show. She's an incredibly talented martial artist and is a passionate environmental activist with a penchant for collecting dolls. She's much more level-headed than her teammates and her friendship with Blue Ranger Billy is quite endearing. Similarly, Black Ranger Zack is a standout due to his charismatic personality, flashy dance moves and his unrequited love for his classmate Angela (one of the very few recurring plot points to the series).

Sadly, not all Rangers are created equal. Admittedly the team's leader, Red Ranger Jason, is quite bland. He's a martial arts whiz and a football player, but that's about as far as they delve into his character. He's simply not as well defined as his teammates. Tragically, Billy fades into the background due to his mousy personality. This isn't helped by the fact that he receives the fewest episodes focused around his character, no doubt a result of the astronomical popularity of Kimberly and her beau Tommy later in the season.

As far as the writing is concerned, Power Rangers' episodes vary in quality. There's a lot of fluff and filler, with many episodes resulting in zero character or plot development. By and large, the reason for this is due to a lack of story arcs and the vagueness of the villains' motivations. There's no question that the Rangers are written well, but their foes don't receive the same kind of attention. Rita Repulsa and her henchmen may scrape by on their kooky personalities, but they have no depth or motivations. She wants to destroy the Earth and is hellbent on getting rid of the Rangers, yet there's very little psychology behind this. While Goldar and his rivalry with both the Green and Red Rangers help to buoy his character, Rita's henchmen are question marks in terms of their inner workings. Sadly, one of the most underused villains of the season is Scorpina. As such, all of this leads to way too much filler within the first season and this formulaic quality to it makes many episodes quite forgettable. 

That said, there are some truly memorable moments from this season. Episodes focused on Kimberly or Zack tend to be surefire winners, as they tend to perfectly showcase their personality and serve to deepen their characters. Thankfully, these are plentiful. There are also a handful of multi-part episodes that are outstanding. The legendary five part "Green With Evil" saga was responsible for introducing both the Green Ranger and the femme fatale Scorpina, while future Green Ranger-centric episodes such as "The Green Candle" and "Return of an Old Friend" were equally as satisfying.

Odds are that if you didn't grow up in the '90s, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers will be a strange and questionably campy viewing experience. For the rest of us, it is a series that will strike a chord and instantly take us back to our childhood. It's just like spending time with old friends and is recommended for those who don't take life too seriously. If anything, Power Rangers will remind us of simpler times and may perhaps help wipe away some of the cynicism that we were tarred with later in life.