Power Rangers Dino Fury: Unexpected Guest Review

PRDF "Unexpected Guest"

The grand tradition of Kelson Henderson in Power Rangers continues, as he reprises his Ninja Steel role of Mick in a meat and potatoes episode that features a brief but compelling peek into Ranger mythology.

New monster Wolfgang has an impressive sonic howl power that can literally dismantle a Megazord. Meanwhile Mick arrives on Earth to search for the lost Nexus Prism. His presence means a team-up of two mentors, as he and Solon attempt to locate the Prism.

The episode's centerpiece moment comes when Zayto telepathically communicates with the Nexus Prism. He sees the Morphin Masters creating the Nexus Prism, part of a general practice of creating magical objects to one day power Ranger teams. (Presumably, the Zeo Crystal is another example.) We also see glimpses the Masters' observations of the Ninja Steel, Beast Morphers, and of course, Dino Fury teams. It's a great fleeting look at the series' wider mythos.

The Rangers coalesce to deal with Wolfgang and the still-empowered Boomtower, occasioning the first time all five zords make a big entrance together. They combine to form the Dino Fury Megazord, Warrior formation, killing Boomtower for good with the Rangers securing his raw sporix to boot.

Other moments of flavor in the episode include a Great British Bake Off parody at Buzzblast, a space taxi, and the reveal of Void Knight going all Mr. Freeze and keeping his great love in suspended animation. "Unexpected Guest" brings back Mick for a fun guest role, expanded into something more by connecting to the wider Power Rangers story for the first time this season. 7/10.

Stray observation:

- Mick says he has selfies with over 40 Power Rangers. So, six Ninja Steel Rangers. Ten legendary Rangers from "Dimensions in Danger". Accounting for the others provides fuel for imagining some off-screen adventures.

Power Rangers Dino Fury: Stego Search Review

PRDF "Stego Search"

Yes. That is Javi playing a keytar in the image above. Thank you and you're welcome.

Of course, the presence of said keytar is no surprise, as that was central to Javi's motivation from his introduction to the show. As he plays it in the park, J-Borg accompanies him with operatic vocals that recall the "Diva Dance" from The Fifth Element. But in a moment of parental authority gone too far, Javi's dad Carlos instantly takes it upon himself to return the instrument and get Javi's money back.

Meanwhile, the other Rangers and Solon attempt to locate Javi's dormant Stegozord. After no joy on the search, Izzy nominates Zayto to tell Javi the bad news, but then leaves Amelia and Ollie to do it. Is that leadership?

In Area 62, Boomtower takes it upon himself to power up with a sporix enhancement. Boomtower, blithely enhancing himself like he's John Walker in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier... The ensuing action sequence benefits from the nicely counterintuitive choice to have the unmorphed foot soldier fight at the end of the action sequence. But after Izzy is injured, "Stego Search" continues to be not a great episode for Carlos, who venomously blames Javi for Izzy's injury even though a) he doesn't understand the situation, and b) everything that's gone before would indicate that Izzy's the "tougher" sibling!

There's an amusing moment when Boomtower grows to kaiju size across town, and Amelia asks, "Am I imagining it, or is he looking right at us?" At this point, it becomes clear that in addition to Zayto and Carlos, Void Knight has to come in for leadership criticism too. Boomower says that Void Knight "let [him] keep" the sporix powers. This, after Void Knight interrupted the attack on an overwhelmed team of Rangers purely because he was annoyed Boomtower used his initiative? Shame, Void Knight. Shame. Inefficiency and incompetence in evil.

Anyways, Javi finds his zord, it comes with the Megazord in a spike formation, and there's a cool sunset zord battle. Aside from multiple instances of characters behaving illogically, the episode nonetheless shines as a solid focus episode for Javi. There's also a decent runner about Zayto needing a teen dictionary to understand slang. Now get back that keytar. 7/10.

Power Rangers Dino Fury: Superstition Strikes Review

PRDF "Superstition Strikes"

"You're even bad at spelling." - Amelia Jones

Amelia gets a focus episode with "Superstition Strikes", which certainly has shaky elements, but comes together as a fun installment that she comes out the other side stronger for.

It all starts after we get a version of the classic mainstay of focus episodes: introducing the family member. In this case, it's Amelia grandfather, whose ladder Amelia accidentally walks under - which means bad luck. Her morpher breaks during a solo sporix fight, so even that button that makes such an ungodly racket on the official morpher toy doesn't work.

However, I have to take issue with one highlighted incident of "bad luck". The monster of the week fires an energy blast at an unmorphed Amelia, who defends herself with the lid of a trash can. The deflected blast happens to hit in front of Izzy and Javi, who are morphed. So instead of Amelia coming out like a rose and looking great for quick thinking saving herself from certain death, the episode considers this some down-the-middle example of her bad luck and clumsiness. Oh please! She cannily saved herself and the people she mildly inconvenienced were morphed. That's not bad luck! It's good reflexes and actually pretty great luck!

In any case, Amelia hangs back in the base while Solon works on a replacement morpher. It turns out to be lucky that Amelia is there to defend the base from Boomtower, who teleports in with Amelia's original morpher. This sequence gives Amelia some triumphant moments, a trend that continues when she combines her Ankylozord to the Megazord for the first time, creating a "Hammer Formation". Uniquely, Amelia uses a semi-accidental Rube Goldberg attack from the Megazord cockpit which helps to win the day.

Elsewhere, Izzy secures the raw sporix blob from Boomtower's clutches and says, "Okay, boomer". I'm... going to allow that because it's not a bad play on words. 

My rant above stands, but otherwise, "Superstition Strikes" gets credit for giving Amelia great moments in her focus episode. If it wasn't for Trashcangate, I would rate the episode higher. 6/10.

Power Rangers Dino Fury: Winning Attitude Review

PRDF "Winning Attitude"

One episode after her introduction, new Ranger Izzy gets a focus episode in "Winning Attitude", as she learns a lesson about selflessness, and is rewarded with the discovery of her zord. This type of genuinely earned power-up is always a welcome development for Power Rangers.

The episode introduces Izzy and Javi's cousin Lily, who seems to have Down syndrome. In a positive piece of representation, the character has a place in the emotional arc of the episode, and reference is made to the Special Olympics, a grounding detail for the show.

Meanwhile, a sporix beast called Brineblast shows up at a park and scares a group of kids, who represent a core test audience for the scariness factor of monsters. Arriving to oppose the monster are the five Rangers, given a full morphing sequence together for the first time.

Percolating in the plot is a hunt for the Green and Black Rangers' zords, engaging both heroes and villains in the chase. Void Knight finds a potential map to them in the archives of Area 62, giving rise to the amusing idea of a monster doing research and shuffling through human paperwork.

After Izzy hangs back in a marathon race to help an injured rival, Izzy discovers her Tigerclaw zord, and combines it with the Megazord to form the Dino Fury Megazord, Claw formation. With a clear and clean focus on Izzy's arc, "Winning Attitude" scores a win. 6/10.

Power Rangers Dino Fury: New Recruits Review

PRDF "New Recruits"

"You humans sure do love zords..." - Zayto

"New Recruits" finds both the heroes and villains' ranks swelling. It's very early in the season for this, but it's nonetheless a familiar pattern. In fact, the two new Rangers are rather spoiled by appearing in the opening title sequence up front.

The two new Rangers are siblings, bringing to mind Gem and Gemma from RPM. Their stepfather is the warden character introduced in the premiere. Izzy is a star high school athlete, seen practicing her javelin throw. Izzy is interviewed by people dressed in red, pink, and blue, who have to abruptly leave. Then Izzy comes upon the Red, Pink and Blue Power Rangers and doesn't make the connection. Izzy's brother Javi is a musician who very quickly establishes his "thing" as a desire to save money for a keytar! 

Meanwhile, the villains get a new general, Boomtower, plus a monster of the week in the form of Dragnarok. There's a recurring bit in the episode where no one can remember Dragnarok's name. But Mucus can remember to put a villainous twist on "It's morphin' time", as she quarterbacks the plan to steal a nephrite orb from the local museum.

In an odd moment where the dramatic stakes have been fastforwarded past, Javi decides to destroy the nephrite orb so as to prevent it from falling in the wrong hands. Inside are two Ranger keys for himself and his sister. Javi is the Black Ranger, Izzy the Green. And then, a revolutionary moment happens. Izzy rips the skirt of her Ranger suit off, saying skirts aren't her style. Indeed, the Green Ranger in Ryusoulger is a man. It's like if Trini in Mighty Morphin had done away with her own skirt.

Another piece of characterization for Izzy is that she's apparently a font of millennial catchphrases. They help to dispatch Dragnarok, and the two new Rangers are introduced to Solon. She introduces herself as "half cyborg, half dinosaur". Surely it would be simply, "a cyborg dinosaur"? In any case, "New Recruits" does a yeoman's job introducing two new Rangers into the fold. 6/10.

Power Rangers Dino Fury: Lost Signal Review

PRDF "Lost Signal"

"Lost Signal" continues the deliberately-paced opening up of Dino Fury's mythology, in a decent episode that nonetheless fails to truly catch fire.

We begin with a pensive Zayto, nostalgic for his mother and homeworld. A possible message is coming in from the quadrant of space that includes his planet, leading the Rangers to a psychic at the local fair. It's a dead end for the Rangers, and for Jane's robot double, J-Borg. J-Borg steps in a cement bucket, a classic bit familiar from I Love Lucy.

But the other problem on the scene is sporix monster Vypeera. She's a gorgon, able to freeze anyone with the eyes on her chest. (Not to be confused with Vypra from Lightspeed Rescue, Vypeera also shares a very similar design to Dayu from Samurai.) The Rangers' adaptation to this tactic takes a couple unique forms, including Amelia and Ollie taking Rangerly insouciance in taking time morphing in front of a monster to another level, by doing so with their backs to Vypeera.

When things escalate, we are treated to the first appearances of the Ankylozord and Tricerazord. And just when one is about to comment on the Tricerazord's absurdly long horn, Ollie says, "Check out that blade!" Amelia and Ollie operate the zords via remote pilot, but do make it into the Dino Fury Megazord cockpit, that combining form also debuting in this episode.

In an unreal moment, the Rangers' strategy is to deliberately demolish an intersection to repurpose the road in covering up Vypeera's eyes. And that's when you realize that the episode's plot revolves around not looking at a woman's chest, and covering it up with a censor bar... in the form of a street.

The episode is meat and potatoes, not elevating into anything special. Although the score has a couple notably emotional moments, and it bears keeping an ear on as it may prove a standout element of this season. 6/10.

Power Rangers Dino Fury: Sporix Unleashed Review

PRDF "Sporix Unleashed"

The worldbuilding of Dino Fury steadily continues in "Sporix Unleashed", a meat and potatoes expository episode that nonetheless throws a few curveballs and, give or take a couple character hiccups, promises solid footing for the season going forward.

Like Beast Morphers before it, Dino Fury is showing that once you become a Ranger, skills don't magically manifest for you. We see the Rangers practicing their morphing motion (cannily giving the audience an opportunity to learn it too). Teleportation is seen to take a little getting used to, like going through the event horizon of a Stargate. There are also light touches of meta comedy, such as Amelia asking who names the zords when told of the T-Rex Champion Zord. Moments like these are welcome and realistic additions to the standard Power Rangers template.

Amelia's boss Jane unveils a robotic duplicate of herself (?), so that looks like a source of comic relief this season. At least when the robot bops all over the place like a cartoon whirlwind, that's because it's a robot - Victory, Monty, Ben, and Betty had no such excuse. (More on the robot in Stray Observation.)

The action quotient is heightened in this second episode. We get a full morphing sequence - which is pretty involved, taking in multiple phrases. Because we're still being introduced to everything, I'll say I really appreciate that Amelia as the Pink Ranger gets an ankylosaurus as her dinosaur, rather than something more "elegant". During the morphed fight, slow motion is liberally used - will that be this season's equivalent of "Kalishsplosions"?

There are more innovations in the zord fight. The monster is rendered in CGI in some shots, and that partial digitization makes for a surprisingly fast-paced zord fight. Usually the zord fights are characterized by lumbering suit performers hitting each other, which is great, but this is quite a change. Add to that Amelia and Ollie fighting a kaiju-size monster without zords, and you have some novel action beats.

As the title sequence telegraphs, Zayto can retract his antennae for public appearances. Which is a positive development, but his personality seems missing in action, retractable or no. Given his stone face and singular focus, I hope we're not in for a Troy-type Red Ranger this season.

The episode is also a little rough for Ollie. He skirts his secret identity in multiple ways, not least when he morphs right next to his mom (good thing she didn't... turn to the right) and then calls her "mom" when morphed. Worst of all for the rookie Ranger, he protests that he's sure his mom is fine, even knowing that she has technology that the villains are actively looking for! But to be fair to the good Dr. Akana, she kind of wipes the floor with new sporix monster Mucus!

With an effective opening up of the show's elements, and unique action moments, "Sporix Unleashed" is a solid second episode of Dino Fury. While I hope Zayto will develop more of a personality, it's nice to see everything set up. And that's one of the fastest-paced zord battles Power Rangers has given us. 7/10.

Stray observation:

-  Jane's robot comes from Hartford Robotics! A nifty easter egg reference to Andrew Hartford and his creations from Operation Overdrive, including his "son" Mack.

Power Rangers Dino Fury: Destination Dinohenge Review

PRDF "Destination Dinohenge"

This new season of Power Rangers, pregnant with possibility as they always are, still opens under the overcast sky of New Zealand playing the United States, a comfortable and unshakable continuity with the past. With a new season comes an opportunity to clear the decks, reset, and introduce a new team. But the first impression comes through a new title sequence.

The theme song is characterized by techno flourishes. It doesn't seem to have much to it. The time allotted to the titles seems shorter, though there's still enough for an obligatory "Go go Power Rangers" quote. I'll leave room for the theme to grow on me, because it isn't there yet. But when the new Rangers first morph later in the episode, that's when the score really makes a case for itself. The techno bits are accentuated by mythic overtones, matching the suit designs reflecting medieval knights.

We are introduced to the world of Dino Fury through the non-Red Rangers, an interesting choice that harks back to In Space (more on that later). Amelia (once and future Pink Ranger) is a TV journalist with an interest in cryptozoology (!), and Ollie (Blue) is the son of a passionate archaeologist. They meet in the forest near Dinohenge, a circle of six dinosaur statues: six for six Rangers.

After Ollie's mother, Dr. Lani Akana, leaves to sort out permit issues with park warden Garcia (who we're instantly clued into as a future comic relief character through the music), a Koragg look-alike villain called Void Knight uncovers a Ranger base underneath Dinohenge. There, a cyborg dinosaur named Solon watches over Red Ranger Zayto. Zayto is an alien, leading new human Rangers Amelia and Ollie, a dynamic, again, out of In Space. (Zayto's antennae, however, land on the wrong side of Guardians of the Galaxy's Mantis and Star Trek's Andorians.)

The Ranger suit design is matched by the foot soldiers, who resemble suits of armor come to life; very Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Zayto also gives his backstory, which involves surprisingly good T-Rex CGI, and an appearance from Morphin Masters. Plotwise, it should be noted that dangerous Sporix are unleashed on the world, each one ready to hatch a monster.

The relatively brief action is decent enough, and features good hero moments for both Amelia and Ollie. (Once morphed, Amelia uses a move reminiscent of Ben Solo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.) The episode is in the positive tradition of premieres that take it slow. We get a morph, but not a full morphing sequence, and only a tease of monsters and zords. Everything clicks along, not as solidly formed as the Beast Morphers premiere, and with a slightly awkward energy. But this new Ranger team's legend is just beginning. 6/10.

Stray observation:

- The title Dino Fury is a combination of Dino Thunder/Dino Charge and Jungle Fury.