"Differential Diagnosis"

What Kind of Power Ranger fan would I be if I didn’t at least mention the apparent end of the Power Rangers series. With the conclusion of Power Rangers RPM, after almost 16 years, Power Rangers is over for the time being…

Fortunately for ranger fans everywhere, Disney has taken this opportunity to air “re-mastered” versions of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on ABC Kids. So far, this “re-mastering” seems to consist of cleaning up the footage to look much more modern, and some comic book like artwork inserted into the episodes themselves.

These illustrated, and often animated, additions to the original series are a mixed blessing. Important characters such as Jason, the Red Ranger, has a very Japanese like background during his first introduction. This background shakes from the power and momentum of his “tornado kick.” Rita Repulsa’s own intro has a much more sinister looking background with animated lightning strikes behind her, very fitting for such a vile woman.

Unfortunately, Disney seems to have tapped into ‘60s era Batman with some of these effects. A select few fighting scenes now have cheesy animation overlays with cheesy sound effects, like a striking whip noise, to emphasize the action on screen. “Kick!” “Oof!” “Sweep!”

Of course, this is only my first impression of the two “re-mastered” episodes I watched earlier this morning. The production team can only get better at their jobs as time goes on, and I look forward to watching more of my childhood heroes in a new light. ”It’s morphin time!!”

*16 generations of Power Ranger logos are from http://www.morphinheroes.tk/

1. Andhari says:

   January 2, 2010 at 11:14 pm

   I miss power rangers! I stopped watching after they have more series of that, like you said. Haha. I do love the whole Kimberly and Tommy thing. You know I’m ranger pink rigggght?:D

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2. ScoMan says:

   January 3, 2010 at 1:06 am

   I didn’t know this had kept going. I stopped watching after they started changing original characters.. or maybe there were introducing new ones.. either way, it got too confusing so I went and napped.

   I’m liking the new layout. It is new right? Or have I just not been very observant? I think I feel a nap coming on…

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3. TOPolk says:

   January 3, 2010 at 4:34 am

   I like what you’ve done with the place. Very nice, very clean look. I especially dig the Windows-styled taskbar at the bottom. Self-made or a theme you picked up?

   Anywhoo, I got a chance to YouTube Day of the Dumpter v.2.0 today. It’s not bad. Like you, I’m kinda on the fence about all the 60s-Batman style special effects during fight scenes, but I do like the new backgrounds during introductions. Kudos to Disney for keeping the original theme, though I would have loved to see a new morphing sequence, similar to Adam’s morph in “Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger” from PR:OO.

   Question time. Top 3 favorite ranger series? Me – Zeo, Time Force, Ninja Storm.

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4. OmegaRadium says:

   January 3, 2010 at 12:28 pm

   @Andhari Of course I know you’re the Pink Ranger to my Green Ranger!

   @ScoMan Napping is always a great alternative! However, this young lad was too enticed by kung-fu action to even contemplate sleeping through Power Rangers.

   Thanks, it is a new layout. I modified it as much as I could to look like a “fresher” version of my old layout.

   @TOPolk It’s a theme I picked up some where, if you’re interested DM me via twitter. The season can only get better I hope…

   Favorite PR series? If you count all of the MMPR era as one, then that’s definitely it. If you don’t, then I loved the MMPR season with their ninja powers. White Falcon, Red Gorilla, Black Frog, etc.

   After that, In Space (space makes everything better!), Dino Thunder (Dr.Oliver!), and my latest fav Jungle Fury.

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5. chinkygirlmel says:

   January 4, 2010 at 5:03 am

   Oh those were good old days. I’ve always been a fan of the pink ranger! But yeah, I stopped watching after they came out with the series.

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6. Nick says:

   January 4, 2010 at 9:03 am

   As with a few other commenters, I stopped watching after the original characters were changed. I preferred that to all the new stuff they kept adding, like animal morhing and car morphing or whatever.

   The backgrounds on the characters look cool, but I’d actually have to watch an episode to see how I feel about the BAMs and POOFs from Batman. I grew up watching ’60s era Batman (not when they were new…) so they hold a dear place in my heart, I’m unsure whether they’d be too intrusive or a nice homage to Batman.

   P.S. – Adam West was the best Batman.

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7. andhari says:

   January 5, 2010 at 9:01 am

   Green ranger!!! It’s time! I need your help! You know Cheryl from Confession Of Twenty Something Years Old? Me and a bunch of friends are trying to get her to be featured in 20SB for February. She’s awesome!

   So if you have an account in 20-Something Bloggers please help vote for her. All you have to do is visit here and write “I vote for Cheryl from Confession Of Twenty-Something Years Old” or “I second this nomination”

   thanks so much before, I hope you participate! Then I’ll might morph into whatever you want LMAO

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8. Adryz says:

   January 14, 2010 at 2:43 pm

   Do you ever think that It means “It’s Morphine time?”

   TRIPPED OUT MAAAAAN. haha, jk.

   What’s up Omega! Just checking by, you know me

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9. Unbrekable says:

   January 15, 2010 at 2:04 pm

   I love Power range as a kid running from school every day to see it.But the old ones not so much the new ones

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