After decades of waiting, fans of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers finally got to see their favorite characters on the big screen. Critics gave the film mixed reviews (it's currently at 45% on Rotten Tomatoes), but Power Rangers exceeded expectations on its opening weekend; bringing in over $40 million and earning positive reactions from audiences (82% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.3 user score on Metacritic). Despite this disparity between critics and fans, the movie seems like a success. And with success comes sequels.
Saban has already made it clear that they have a six-movie story arc planned out. If you've seen the film already, it was quite obvious; Rita used the green Power Coin to fuel her evil scheme, the Zeo Crystal acted as the story's McGuffin, and then there was that post-credits scene!
Even if we don't get the five movies that Saban promised, there little doubt of a sequel. With a lore as deep as the Power Rangers series there are a million different ways the next installment can go. That said, there are some elements that were severely lacking in the first film and that we'd absolutely love to see in future installments. Here are 16 Things We Want To See In The Power Rangers Sequel.
16. Tommy Oliver
This one is a no-brainer based on the mid-credits scene in the first film. Tommy Oliver is legendary to the show's twenty-five year history; he always got the coolest costumes and was the leader of three separate Ranger teams before returning to act as the mentor for a fourth. When people think about the Power Rangers, Tommy is normally the first person who comes to mind. Actor Jason David Frank is also extremely loyal to the series, making guest appearances (including in the new movie) whenever Saban calls upon him.
The director basically laid it out for us at the end of Power Rangers, when the teacher in charge of Saturday school pulled a Ferris Bueller by asking repeatedly where their new student Tommy Oliver was. If that wasn't enough, the camera zoomed in on a green and black leather jacket sitting without its owner just to tease us even further!
Rita was established to be the Green Ranger of Zordon's team so it would only make sense for her coin to somehow fall into the hands of Angel Grove's newest martial artist. The only question that remains is how Tommy would get turned evil and by whom...
15. Bulk and Skull
Ah, we can still hear the tuba music playing as the two numbskulls would pick on the Rangers and get into their slapstick Laurel and Hardy-esque antics. Arguably the biggest disappointment of the new Power Rangers movie is that our favorite bumbling bullies don't make an appearance at all. Sure, we get that one nameless kid who picks on Billy and those girls who hate Kimberly, but it's just not the same. It's understandable that these two characters weren't included in the movie - they took a more serious approach, and throwing in a bunch of pratfall comedy doesn't exactly fit that tone.
But that doesn't mean the characters can't make an appearance! Bulk and Skull were around for longer than any other character in the show; they were in the pilot episode of MMPR and stuck around until the end of Power Rangers in Space. They also made a reappearance in Power Rangers Super Samurai years down the line. Throughout their story the two start off as the bullies before transitioning into Junior Police Officers, even leading a group of resistance fighters against the invading army at the end of In Space. Bulk and Skull have given so much to the franchise that it'd be downright criminal for them not to at least have a cameo in the second movie.
14. More non-Zord action in costume
Alright, so maybe the lack of Bulk and Skull wasn't the biggest disappointment of the movie... Despite the amazing Zord action featured in Power Rangers, there was a severe lack of in-suit action. The Rangers spend three-fourths of the movie trying to access the Morphing Grid in order to gain their Ranger armor; when they finally are able to morph after spending an hour and a half of the film training, everybody expected the climax to be filled with spectacular martial arts fights. Things were looking up with the awesome underwater fight scene and the Rangers' quick dismantling of the putty patrol, but after only five minutes in their costumes, the team spends the rest of the movie in their Zords.
Don't get us wrong - from a story standpoint this makes sense. Power Rangers is an origin story so it was only natural that they weren't going to be suited up for most of the film. Also, the climax involves a giant-sized Goldar attacking the city, making the Zords a necessity for the battle. The sequel, however, has no excuse. If they are really planning to go the "Green with Evil" route then they better make sure we get some awesome Red Ranger vs. Green Ranger scenes!
13. A Longer/updated rendition of the theme
Theaters around the world went crazy when the Rangers were riding their Zords into battle and "Go, Go, Power Rangers" started playing. Everybody was expecting to hear the iconic theme at some point; what is Power Rangers without its iconic song? Even still it was a moment that filled us with immeasurable nostalgic joy when it happened. Then, almost as soon as it happened... it was over.
That's it? We only get one line of the chorus and then nothing else? At least give us the guitar riff as background music during the final battle. You'll also notice that they used the exact same version that was created for 1995's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. Why couldn't they have created something new?
All of the trailers made it sound like the movie was going to feature some sort of electric/bass-heavy, updated rendition of the theme. Even in the credits they play a new, orchestra-only version of the song. Where were these during the movie? The sequel needs to give us a new version of "Go, Go, Power Rangers" to coincide with the direction of the franchise!
12. Summoning the Zords
A major difference between the original show and the reboot is that now the Zords are merely vehicles for the Power Rangers to pilot. In the original show, they were semi-sentient beings that acted as loyal robots to the Rangers. In Power Rangers, the Zords simply sat dormant in the Command Center for millions of years, waiting for their owners to return. Unfortunately, we never got to see the characters getting in their Zords at all; the shot would simply cut away and then cut back to them in the cockpit.
Part of the charm of the original show was the way the Zords came onto the scene. The Rangers would raise their hands in the air and exclaim "We need Dinozord power, now!" before each of the robots would (quite awesomely) emerge from the molten lava underneath the earth. Once gain, we can forgive this because it's the first movie and the Rangers are not accustomed to these things yet. However, Saban will have some answering to do if we don't get some Zord summoning in the next one.
11. More background on Rita and Zordon's team
Fans knew they were going to be in for a treat right off the bat; Power Rangers opens millions of years ago, during Zordon and Rita's first confrontation. In this canon, both of the beings were members of the Power Rangers who were sent to Earth to defend the Zeo Crystal. The Green Ranger (Rita) went mad with power and wanted to take the crystal for herself (or her master..?). She betrayed and killed the rest of the team, with Zordon's Red Ranger sacrificing himself to ensure she would be destroyed as well. What more could a Power Rangers fan want!?
The original show was very vague about Rita and Zordon's backstory. Often we were only given tidbits of information about their centuries-long fight via clips of Super Sentai footage shown through the viewing globe. We really, really don't want to see the same mistake repeated in this franchise. The basis of the relationship has been established, but we want to know more: Why did Rita turn evil? Are there other teams of Rangers protecting different planets? Who or what is after the Zeo Crystal? Hopefully we will get some answers in Power Rangers 2.
10. Secret identity crisis
Though they don't rank among the likes of Marvel and DC's greatest, the Power Rangers have always been considered superheroes. The first thing Zordon tells the team when they agree to join is that they can never let anyone know that they are Rangers. This was a constant theme throughout the original show, as Bulk and Skull were always trying to figure out their true identities and Ernie (the juice bar owner) would often make off-hand comments about how he'd love to know who was behind the masks. The movie also sets up a little bit of conflict through this idea when Jason is forced to abandon his Zord to save his own father near the climax, risking the lives of his teammates to save his own flesh and blood.
What we want in the sequel is a full-on secret identity crisis. Maybe an evil Tommy reveals one of the Power Ranger's identities to the world, forcing the rest of the team to reveal theirs in an act of unity? Or maybe Jason tells his father that he's the one who saved him during Goldar's rampage? Or Trini's little brothers could accidentally see her morphing right before a battle? A big part of the Superhero genre is the secret identity, and we would hate to see Power Rangers forget this.
9. The "real" Goldar
Despite how cool the final battle of Power Rangers ended up being, there was one problem: That wasn't Goldar. Yes, we know that the giant creation of molten gold was called this by Rita throughout the movie. But the giant monster that appeared on screen had nothing to do with the beloved villain. Goldar was known for his spineless and boastful attitude, his iconic guttural voice, and his near-flawless character design. The...thing that appears in Power Rangers is instead a faceless creature that acts as fodder for the Megazord.
How awesome would it be to see the "real" Goldar make an appearance in the second film? They've already had Rita act as the primary antagonist of a movie and chances are Tommy will turn good by the end of Power Rangers 2. This leaves a void that needs to be filled by a new villain; it's probably too soon to use any of the other major players like the Machine Empire, so the "real" Goldar would be perfect for this kind of a film if they decide to go that route. Plus, who wouldn't want to see the character properly adapted for the big screen?
8. Cameos from future Rangers
One of the beauties of the Power Rangers franchise was its ability to switch out Ranger teams and costumes every single season with varying degrees of success. Obviously this was done mostly to sell more merchandise, but it also allowed the showrunners to change up the series' cast. Over the years there have been numerous fan favorite characters; Tommy is the big one, but characters like Adam Park, Kat Hillard, TJ Johnson, Andros, and Jen Scott (just to name a few) have become ingrained in the minds of the fans.
While we hope that they aren't going to completely switch up the team in only their second outing, we'd love to see some cameos from future Power Rangers. Andros would be easy to pull off - simply have Zordon say he's been communicating with the Red Ranger from Eltar. It could be revealed that one of the characters has a younger brother named Justin (the Blue Ranger from Turbo) or have nearby Mariner Bay send over their best firefighter, Carter Grayson, to aid during one of Angel Grove's emergencies. The possibilities for cameos are endless!
7. Rita's return
Honestly, Rita Repulsa's time in this movie was way too short. Played by Elizabeth Banks, the villainous witch was both creepy as hell and a blast to watch; she completely stole the show in every scene she appeared in. Yes, Rita was a little over the top and hammy, but it's Power Rangers, for crying out loud! We want both the "Green with Evil" story and to learn more about Earth's original Power Rangers team. This would require Repulsa to return in some way, shape, or form.
The last we saw of her, Rita got slapped into space by the Megazord. As she floated off into the abyss frozen by the lack of oxygen, fans will notice that her trajectory was pointing her straight towards the moon. In the original MMPR show this was where Rita set up her base of operations, watching the Power Rangers from afar and sending down her monsters to take over the planet. Maybe, just maybe, they're setting Rita to become more like the evil space witch we know from the '90s?
6. Monsters from the show
Speaking of Rita's moon base... This was the place from which the Rangers' enemies would create their insanely-designed monsters. The weekly enemies that the Power Rangers face are the bread and butter of the franchise; even seasons that are more story-driven rely on this formula. We all know the drill: Rita, Zedd, Astronema, Diabolico, Master Org, etc. would create a monster that fit in with whatever the "theme of the week" was and send it out to destroy their enemies. After the Rangers were able to destroy the creature, it would be resurrected as a thousand-stories tall monster that would fight the Megazord. Wash, rinse, repeat every week.
The Power Rangers movie has both Rita and Goldar, but those were two of the show's main villains. We want to see some of the more crazy monsters show up on the big screen! Imagine an updated version of Pudgy Pig or Shellshock that the Rangers couldn't help but laugh at? Even if they wanted to stick to the more serious tone, Saban could create some truly terrifying new versions of Eye Guy or King Sphinx. With over eight-hundred episodes under their belt, there is no lack of choices.
5. Thunder Zords
The ending of Power Rangers finds the characters in a bit of a dilemma. After facing Goldar in the film's final battle, their Zords have all been formed into a single entity. Judging by Rita's reaction to the metamorphosis we're going to assume that this is the first time Megazord formation has ever happened in this version of the canon. This also means that we aren't sure if the Megazord can break back apart into its individual Zords! If not, now would be the perfect time to introduce the Thunder Zords.
As much as we love the Dino Zords, seeing big-budget adaptions of the Thunder Zords in action on the big screen would make us jump for joy. Dinosaurs are cool, but so are mythical animals! Besides, wouldn't it make sense for the evil Green Ranger to demonstrate his power by destroying the original Zords with his Dragon Zord? Then, the only way to defeat the powerful new robot would be for Zordon to bring in the Zords from some other universe or planet for the team to use.
Also just the thought of seeing the Thunder Megazord on screen is enough to make even the most casual of fans giddy.
4. In-Universe Callbacks & Easter Eggs
The Easter eggs in this film alone are enough to keep fan speculation going until the next movie comes out. Tommy was teased, there were obscure references to Lord Zedd, a cameo from the original Kimberly and Tommy, and there was even a reference to the city featured in Lightspeed Rescue. That's just scratching the surface; upon a second or third watch, we're sure there are lots more that we could find. With the Power Rangers now being household names in the film's universe, the opportunity for new callbacks and Easter eggs are almost infinite.
Perhaps the most endearing form of an in-universe callback would be a new in-universe TV show that was based on these "masked heroes" of Angel Grove. You could see Billy watching an adaptation of himself on this "show", actually using footage from MMPR. Also, the opening scene could have the Rangers taking on the monster Snizzard or Twin Man, both of whom were voice by Bryan Cranston (Zordon) in the original show.
3. Lord Zedd
With Rita being launched into space at the end of the movie and Goldar being destroyed, the next option for a villain almost has to be Lord Zedd. This guy was terrifying to us as children! Just look at him... his glowing red visor, his brain sticking out from the top of his head, the exposed muscle with tubes. Then there's his voice, lovingly crafted by actor Robert Axelrod, which we can still clearly hear in our head all these years later. Lord Zedd was the first villain to be specifically created for Power Rangers, rather than being adapted from existing Sentai footage.
If Zedd makes an appearance in the Power Rangers sequel, will he even need that much of a redesign? Sure he would need to be "modernized" to fit the aesthetic of the series, but there's nothing about his look that seems like it would need to be changed. However, from the sound of it, Tommy is going to be the main villain in the sequel. But, there's absolutely no reason they shouldn't include Lord Zedd somehow. Even if he's just the "Thanos" of this series, appearing in the background or after-credits scenes until he makes his big debut, Zedd is going to pop up at some point.
2. The Morphing Call
Say it with us now: "Mastodon! Pterodactyl! Triceratops! Saber-Toothed Tiger! Tyrannosaurus!" There was nothing more legendary about Mighty Morphin Power Rangers than their transformation sequence accompanied by cheesy green-screen and the theme song. Every team has their own roll call that fit in with their own theme, but "It's Morphin Time!" (followed by the characters raising their morphers and shouting out their Zord, number, or colors) stayed consistent for the first four seasons of the show and is still used as the catchphrase on most Power Rangers merchandise today.
But, the morphing call wasn't in the movie at all! Instead we got the team standing in a circle in front of the Morphing Grid as the camera spun around them. It wasn't a bad way to morph... it just wasn't the one that should be present in an adaption of MMPR! Even Jason's unenthusiastic "It's morphin time" left much to be desired.
Much like some of our previous gripes, this can be attributed to the fact that this was an origin story. That said, the only thing that would get us more pumped up than hearing "Go, Go, Power Rangers" in the theater would have been this. Talk about a missed opportunity.
1. The Megazord Transformation Sequence
We actually don't hate the idea behind the Megazord in this movie. It was definitely a bold choice to make the Zords lack the ability to merge together, but the way it was done was masterful: Zordon claims that the Zords take on the form of the most powerful beings on the planet. In his day it was the Dinosaurs. But when the Zords are pushed into the pit containing the Zeo Crystal, they are given new life as the most powerful being on the planet, taking on a similar form as Goldar. Mind blown.
As awesome as that may be, they still cheated us out of seeing a proper Megazord transformation! The action all happens under the disguise of smoke, meaning that we get to see nothing. Part of what made the Megazord stick in our head so much is the fact that we had to watch the three-minute transformation scene every single episode. It all started with "Megazord sequence has been initiated!" and then we got to look on as the five robots would merge together, forming a battle tank first before turning humanoid. Now that the Megazord exists in this film universe and the sequel comic apparently establishes that it can come apart, we'd better get some sort of a transformation sequence in the next film!
---
What do you want to see out of a Power Rangers sequel? Let us know in the comments!