Without a compelling Red Ranger, the Power Rangers Ninja Steel premiere episode falls apart.
ThisPower Rangers Ninja Steelreview contains spoilers.
Usually Im really hyped!
New characters, new plots, new theme song!
Its tough to feel that way afterDino Super Chargewas such a train wreck.
So going intoNinja Steel?
I already fear that anything good or promising about this premiere isnt going to be followed up on.
The series has to win back my trust and hope.
This premiere didnt do much in that regard.
I cant say it was a bad premiere but it was a little lifeless.
It doesnt help the main character was completely devoid of any personality.
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Brody has been a prisoner on board an alien space ship for ten years.
This should leave him perhaps a little hardened or jaded.
Maybe hes got a huge chip on his shoulder.
Instead his sole personality trait seems to be Im a ninja.
Nearly every line he has in this premiere is based on exposition and not on character.
Its all plot with no substance.
Compare him to the main character of theDino Chargepremiere, Shelby.
In that premiere Shelby had a lot of personality and a relatable goal.
She wanted to be taken seriously by her boss and prove her worth.
I could get behind that.
Lets talk about the missing father.
This is perhaps the biggest knock to the premiere.
Its straight up recycled from LAST SEASON.
Oh sure, a few details are changed, but Brodys (oddly white) father is missing.
So we get another gotta find dad plot.
Look, whenDino Chargedid it?
I thought it was a nice (unintended) throwback toVR Troopers.
Now its just lazy.
They couldnt even change the number of years the dad was missing?
Also, wheres Brodys mom?
What is withPower Rangersand having so few moms?
Again, I cant say the show will come back to this because I have little faith it will.
All benefit of the doubt is gone!
Preston and Sarah go over much better.
They dont get much but they at least have relatable goals.
Preston wants to be a magician but no one takes him seriously.
Sarah is an inventor, new in school, and wants to set a record with her hover board.
Its all fairly basic but its just enough to get me invested in them.
Plus they have a fun little meet cute and dynamic.
The two taking off on Sarahs hover board, especially when Brody secured his hat?
We do however get to meet our civilian side characters, Victor and Monty.
Im not sure how I feel about these two.
On the one hand Im all about having non-Ranger characters for the team to interact with.
It was one of my biggest complaints throughoutSamurai,Megaforce, andDino Charge.
These guys however seem a bit too stereotypical for my tastes.
Ones the nerd and ones the jock.
I guess they could develop them but again, not a lot of hope there.
It wasnt Ninja Encounter baby chase sequence length, but it overstayed its welcome.
I want to like these two so if they can tone down the wacky a bit Ill be fine.
Mick, Brodys alien friend, doesnt get much either.
I love that hes played by Disney era mainstay Kelson Henderson but theres just not much there.
IfNinja Steelcant even land the characters in its own premiere likeDino Chargedid?
Were in for some problems.
The villains are also a bit of a blank slate.
None of them stand out much.
The setting theyre in is great.
I love the idea of the Galaxy Warriors tournament/show.
What I dont love is once again recycling prominent old monster costumes.
Look, Ive already acceptedNinja Steelis in its own continuity.
Even with that in mind, why are they using such prominent monster suits from the past?
A monster of the week?
Sure, reuse that all you like.
Seeing multiple Beevils in the crowd didnt bother me at all.
But using Venjix, the main villain ofRPM, and a Fearcat, one of the main villains ofOverdrive?
That is not acceptable.
Its like if the Lord Zedd outfit was used for a monster of the day.
You cant just do something like that.
Its distracting to the story, much like how Not!Fearcat was from the Ninninger galaxy.
I ranted about this last year with Sentai Six, Kamen Five, and the Kyoryuger Galaxy.
Its supposed to be a fun in-joke for fans but reads more as, Hey, this Japanese word?
Its so alien and exotic!
ThePower Rangersuniverse is filled with planets and alien races.
Also, way to undercut one of your evil generals,Ninja Steel.
The final act with the Rangers discovering their powers is also lackluster.
Hell, the whole concept of finding Ninja Steel is confusing.
The shards of this power star can create powers I guess?
The Rangers are able to reach into the star?
Since this whole final act is centered on Brody, it loses much of the premieres momentum.
When Im not invested in the characters I cant really get invested in the action.
Ill give that scene one thing though.
When Not!Fearcat leapt out of nowhere and yelled, Surprise!
I legit laughed my ass off.
Sometimes a cat monster leaping at you is hilarious, what can I say?
It also goes without saying the music is once again lackluster.
A good score can save an otherwise mediocre episode but Noam Kaniels work fails to impress once again.
Adding a few flutes to the soundtrack doesnt make everything ninja-y.
The theme song isnt great, either.
Not bad but it doesnt have the same sort of driving energy that madeDino Charges so memorable.
I cant even tell what half the lyrics are!
It also felt like it went on for about fifteen seconds too long.
Watch it again and once it hits the EP credits, tell me it couldnt have ended there.
Without him to ground the episode, everything kinda falls apart.
Stray Thoughts
Hey hey, I see you ToQger villain.
Those kids have some really heavy Kiwi accents.
How in the world did no one on that ship realize it was the Ninja Star under that sheet?
I cant decide if thats amazing or ridiculous.
Okay, I do love alliteration in character names.
Good to seeNinja Steelsfirst bit of fanservice is with the guys.
Yes Im still connected to the ships computer.
That was some of the most awkward exposition Ive heard out ofPower Rangersin awhile.
Rating:
1.5 out of 5
