Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie Review

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997)
Directed by: Shuki Levy and David Winning
Written by: Shuki Levy and Shell Danielson/ Characters created by: Haim Saban and Shuki Levy
Starring: Jason David Frank, Katherine Sutherland, Nakia Burrise, Johnny Young Bosch, Blake Foster, etc.

Oh how I have fond memories of this movie still. I remember for my 9th birthday I rented it from Blockbuster and watched it repeatedly with my cousin at the time...I was clearly a very naive child that believed that Power Rangers could do no wrong when this movie does SOOOOO many things wrong!!! -_-  I'm not gonna lie, this is a terrible kids film in retrospect that absolutely makes no sense. Usually with Power Rangers, can at least, rely on the action to keep you entertained but there is not much of it to begin with. I mean the first Power Rangers movie in '95 wasn't great either; bad special effects for it's time, cheesy, unbearable dialogue, contrived story, etc. But at least you can tell Haim, his writers and the production were trying to make a good movie with a story about the 6 teens going on a dangerous journey on another planet to find new powers and zords while Earth was brought down to it's knees by Ivan Ooze.  I guess the first good thing I'll say about the movie is unlike the last Power Rangers movie, this one is in continuity with the show by continuing the story...no matter how awful that story will become with this movie and especially this season!!!

The movie begins with a title crawl, like the former because apparently the writers couldn't be original and thinking stealing iconic plot presentations from a much, MUCH better and adult franchise with satisfy the show's fans as well as the adults forced to see this crap. But if I must get into, the movie starts on the planet, Liaria, where a wizard named Lerigot is being pursued by the forces of the evil Space pirate Divatox, played with the surprisingly excellent hilarity and charisma by Hilary Shepard Turner. I guess you can say she is one of the other very few things I enjoyed about the movie.  She apparently needs him for safe passage through the Nemesis Triangle in order to get to the island of Muranthis where she plans to marry an ancient powerful monster named Maligore who will help pretty conquer and obliterate the universe. Awwww, how romantic??? O_o  Anyway, to escape Divatox's forces, Lerigot uses his magic to teleport to Earth.  Honestly, said magic is pathetic but it's Power Rangers, so I don't know why I was expecting anything special.  He teleports to Earth, to an African desert where the sun's rays make him weak. Honestly watching this part of the movie is so boring. I mean this is Power Rangers and instead of a decent story as we watch our multicolored suited heroes kick some evil galactic ass, we are forced to an embarrassing looking Star Wars reject walk around in pain from the sun....yeah....this movie is going so well.

Meanwhile, Tommy, Adam and Rocky are getting ready for another martial arts tournament against Stone Canyon when Rocky accidentally injures his back during their practice. I don't get how he did that the way he executed his move but whatever!  Tanya and Kat are on the bus there, looking after the children of the Angel Grove's homeless shelter, Little Angel's Haven Orphanage, when we are introduced to.....sigh.....Justin....our soon to be new blue ranger.  If you want accurate reaction from me on this just look at Tanya and Tommy's reactions when Justin arrives to tell the other rangers the exciting good news. Tanya's reaction in particular is priceless.  Then there's that moment when Tanya and Tommy again hilarious look so annoyed by Justin when the team morphs for the first time!! HA!!! I guess you can say that was the third thing I liked about the unforgivable mess!!!  I mean, the behind the scenes reason for Justin was that Big Bad Beetleborgs, another Saban Brands series at the time was doing better ratings wise than Power Rangers Zeo. Haim, of course, got the impression that fans of the show would be drawn to the addition of a kid ranger on the team....when Justin ultimately led to being the most hated aspect of this season because of that!!! I mean seriously, in the long run, Justin isn't a bad character. Actually if my memory serves correctly, he actually becomes one of the best aspects of the series.

It's just the problem with Justin in the movie is 1) WHAT THE HELL ARE ZORDON'S JUSTIFICATION ON MAKING A CHILD A POWER RANGER???!!! -_- Seriously, a bunch of teens being Power Rangers was far fetched enough but now we have to worry about a 12 year old kid being a ranger too???!!!  If kids could become Power Rangers, then how come the little version of the rangers during the Alien Rangers saga couldn't morph for the fact they were kids!!!???  Why would an injured Rocky send some random kid he's known for not too long into the line of fire when he hasn't even been tested as a potential ranger???!!! Why the hell would Zordon casually recruit Justin to the team knowing he's putting his life in danger when he hasn't even REACHED PUBERTY!!?? Why...why.....eerrrgggggghhhhhh!!!! -_-  It's only the rangers who briefly wonder the hell is going on...before they quickly just accept the little brat is one of them now!??! The writing of this catastrophe is just seriously questionable and could have made sense if written a lot better. but nope.  Of course Justin is annoying and borderline obnoxious in the movie. It a freaking kid becoming a Power Ranger, who wouldn't have been relentlessly excited and overly optimistic about it!!!??  It's just the writers over do it as Justin is always happy and joyful about it. Also, who the hell is Justin anyway, we learn things about him in the movie, like in the scene on the Ghost Galleon when he and Kat talk about his mom and dad but that's it. There is nothing about this new character that seems adequate enough to become a Power Ranger....he just becomes one because the script randomly introduces him out of no where and the audience is just suppose to accept it. Huhhh...after all that being said, that's not even the worst part of the movie!!!

Fast forwarding through Lerigot being saved by Tommy and Katherine in Africa, Lerigot sacrificing himself to Divatox to save his captured family and the fact that Katherine briefly morphs into Zeo Ranger 1 Pink......*breathes*.......the rangers some how create their new Turbo powers and zords seemingly out of thin air......I....*breathes*......ok....:)........1) What the HELL happened to the Zeo Powers?!!! :) What happened to the massive and near endless arsenal of Zeo weapons and zords??? :)  You're telling me, that the Zeo Crystal, the seemingly endless power source that is suppose to grow stronger and stronger in power over time.....*breathes*.....is SUDDENLY....NOT POWERFUL ENOUGH TO STOP DIVATOX OF ALL VILLAINS!!!?? O_O  And yes, even Zordon mentions in the movie that the zords aren't powerful enough to stop her or go through the Nemesis Triangle when I call complete in utter bullsh!t on that!!! \_/ 2) Where the HELL do these powers come from??? Suddenly, the rangers can just create new powers for themselves??? Since f^&*in' when??? I mean if Billy was still around, I would get HE would have made the Turbo powers since he kept randomly disappearing during Zeo...but nope, we are suppose to just accept that the rangers can now make their own powers now....as easy as making minute rice!!!  3) The Turbo powers.....SUCK!!! I'm sorry, I hate the cars theme.  The suits are laughable, the powers make no sense compared to the Zeo powers that had this huge mythology and mini-series centered around them to build to the arrival.  Speaking of that, the ceremony with the rangers receiving these new powers also SUCKS!!! I mean even that fast paced exposition of the pilot episode's power bestowing scene was more impressive than this crap. Tommy becoming the White Ranger, The Ninja ceremony in "Ninja Quest, Part 3", the Zeo power bestowing ceremony, Jason becoming the Gold Ranger, etc. Every time a new ranger or new powers were given to the rangers, it was handled with such grander and care, yet here, it's like the writers didn't even care and just rushed through that process so we can get own with more horrible aspects of the movie. 4) The Turbo powers are barely used in the movie!!! Once during the power bestowing scene and lastly toward the very end of the movie when they morph. I mean this is a Power Rangers movie right....where the hell are the rangers in their freakin' suits!?? -_-

Ehhh, anyway, needing sacrifices for her marriage to Maligore, Divatox orders.....OMG.....-_-...her nephew and first general, Elgar to capture two humans for that. I LOATHE Elgar......that is all!!! ;) After capturing.....of the love of, aren't Bulk and Skull suppose to be in France, working as detectives??!! -_- They probably got fired on the first day and had to beg to work for Lt. Stone again. Also, why are they police officers again??? Didn't Stone and them get fired in "Bulk Fiction" for misconduct......more plot holes and awful continuity!!!  And yet speaking of continuity, Jason and Kimberly return to be Divatox's official sacrifices to Maligore. I'm not gonna talk about them much because both characters are wasted in this movie. Two of the 5 original power rangers, yes, are wasted in this movie just for fan service and a moment when Tommy is trying to get through to an evil turned Kimberly. Yes, because the girl that dumped you via a Dear John letter is gonna remember her feeling for you, idiot!!! Oh yeah, what about that break up and the awkwardness of seeing each other again.....don't even bother because it's not even mentioned at. ALL!!! -_-  Oh God, let me just wrap this up. The rangers make it to the island, Divatox seemingly kills them by destroying the Ghost Galleon but they make it, they morph, Maligore is freed, the rangers used their new Turbo zords to defeat Maligore as Divatox swears vengeance on the rangers for ruining her plan.  Hey, Divatox, it wasn't that great of a plan anyway, be lucky the Turbo twits stopped you! What else can I say about the movie??? I enjoyed the Turbo theme as well as the other new tracks made by Ron Wasserman.  The Putrapods were cool........oh and we see Ernie for the last time.........-_- Errrghhhhh, so in conclusion.

"As the second feature length film of the franchise, "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" is a morphenominal disappointment in almost every aspect.  It's poorly written and embarrassing plotted as the next phase of the series feels like a serious downgrade than an actual progression of the show's story."

Final Film Score: D-