Power Rangers RPM was the final new season of the Power Rangers franchise, and it seems that this show was made for the fans that grew up on Power Rangers. And that means it’s for grown up fans with a lifelong love of Sentai action dramas.
Those of you that are fans of PR continuity and timelines may find this show a bit perplexing, as it open on a post apocalyptic earth that has been laid waste by armies of killer robots, Terminator style. In the place of Skynet we have a virus that took over the world called Venjix. Venjix is the tragic result of a scared little girl and an uncaring government, gone horribly wrong.
Starting on that happy note, we see maps in the OP that are slowly covered in red, meaning lots of dead people or a world taken over by Republicans. Either way that grim tone permeates the show and keeps the show from being too immature. These rangers aren’t trying to teach you family values, they’re trying to save the last city on the planet.
The domed city of Corinth is the last refuge of mankind. The only safe place for humans to live in peace, well as safe as any city with a team of Power rangers based there.
Venjix is constantly trying to infiltrate and destroy the city. In true Sentai villain fashion, he sends specialized “Attack Bots” to destroy parts of the city or try to lower the city’s shields for a full scale invasion.
This season’s team is a weird mix of backgrounds to form a team. A ex-con, a loner with a computer virus taking over his body, a debutante with a concience, a mechanic with a super hero fixation, and a leader who is desperately trying to impress his father. They are later joined by, possibly my 2 favorite rangers to date; two genetically engineered idiot savants with a childlike fixation on destruction.
RPM gets its source footage from the show Engine Sentai Go-Onger, which had a fairly silly feel and talking animal vehicles. By all accounts it’s a really fun show. RPM took away the fun elements and pumped up the violence, focusing on the human element and ranger fights. Sometimes the Zord battles seem like an afterthought, but that’s hardly a criticism.
The costumes are sharp, the monsters are cool, the acting, wirework, and fight choreography are all top notch, the plot is filled with dark moments, intrigue, and romance, surprisingly. As an adult fan of Power Rangers, RPM is Bad Ass!
If you cant find it on your local television, go to:
http://www.freewebs.com/powerrangerplanet/
to find all the episodes.
Original Go-Onger episodes can be found subtitled at:
http://tvnihon.com/
AFO Red Signing out!
GUESTS
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End It All
end it all