“Go go Power Rangers!” After many years of being on the small screen and having two movies in their entire lifespan, the Power Rangers have once again appeared on the big screen, replacing the rubber monster costumes with CGI and the old cast with a new one. Power Rangers tells the story about five teenagers, each one an outcast in their small town, Angel Grove. The teenagers, Jason, Billy, Kimberly, Trini, and Zack, encounter an alien rock shape in the mines and find out they are chosen to be the Power Rangers, the sole protectors of the planet Earth.

To my surprise, the movie proved to be much better than the trailers had suggested. The entire movie is held up by spectacular performances by the actors who play the teenagers. They may not have the best script to work with, but each one manages to show great emotion and character. As always, Bryan Cranston, who plays Zordon, is great in his role, and Bill Hader, who voices Alpha 5, is likable and charming in his scenes.

Also, the plot is well-paced and establishes its characters well. Whenever there is a new scene or a new beat, it feels logical and fits in the world that they show. When there is a dramatic moment, it is done excellently, and the serious scenes are the highlights of the movie. In addition, I appreciate how, despite having a close male and female lead, their relationship didn’t become an unnecessary romance. It’s a nice change to the standard action movie cliches. Although it is reminiscent a lot of other successful superhero movies, the plot still is very well-done.

There are also a lot of neat effects, such as the way Zordon moved across the walls, and the costumes were very well designed, updating the old Power Rangers look while keeping its creativity and color.

However, despite the cool effects, the movie suffers substantial flaws that bring the quality of the film from good to okay. Firstly, the writing is terrible. The teenagers never truly talk like actual teenagers, and none of the adults are convincing as well. Because of the writing, the movie suffers a problem with the tone. At some times, the movie is melodramatic and serious, especially when dealing with the Power Rangers, and other times it’s overly cheesy and silly. There are some scenes that are done well and are able to balance the tones, but most of the time, the movie seems unclear on what it is trying to convey.

Two big problems that worsen the tone issue are Rita Repulsa, the villain, and the blatant advertisements. Rita, played by Elizabeth Banks, is over-the-top and corny, just like the TV show. However, since everyone else is trying to play it straight, Rita stands out like a sore thumb, and her scenes feel like an entirely different movie. The endorsement of the donut establishment Krispy Kreme is also incredibly distracting. Without spoiling anything, Krispy Kreme plays a ridiculously big role in the movie, and although they try to pass it off as a joke, it’s still odd and doesn’t fit in the movie at all.

All in all, Power Rangers is a fun action film for people who just want to turn off their brains for a while and watch absolute weirdness. It suffers from tone and writing problems, but luckily has a strong saving grace with the spectacular cast. If you want to connect to your inner kid, go-go watch Power Rangers!