Parents' Guide to

Power Rangers

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Violent, more mature Rangers reboot is overly angst-filled.

Movie PG-13 2017 124 minutes
Power Rangers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 33 parent reviews

garyboy1
garyboy1 Parent of 17-year-old
February 16, 2021
age 18+

I love this move

I love this move they should make a power rangers move 2

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
SamWilliams80
SamWilliams80 Parent of 18-year-old
July 25, 2022
age 18+

love it

I thought it was good I was hoping for a part two but we never got a part 2 which makes me really sad because I would have loved to see how far these Power Rangers would have gotten all so I would have loved to see the Green Ranger who is going to get the play Tommy

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
See all 33 parent reviews

What's the Story?

POWER RANGERS opens 65 million years ago, with Red Ranger Zordon (Bryan Cranston) sacrificing himself to ensure that villain Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks) can't take hold of Earth's Zeo Crystal. Zordon also releases the five Power Coins to find those "who are worthy" to be the next five Power Rangers crew. Fast forward to the present, when Angel Grove High's former golden-boy quarterback Jason Scott (Dacre Montgomery) has to go to Saturday detention for his entire senior year due to a team prank gone wrong. There, he meets tech-savvy Billy (RJ Cyler) and angry ex-cheerleader Kimberly (Naomi Scott). The trio ends up at a mine, where Billy uncovers brightly colored crystal coins. Two other teens -- Trini (Becky G.) and Zack (Ludi Lin) -- are also present for the discovery, and, as each kid takes one coin as their own, they team up and attempt to avoid police pursuit. The next morning, the team of misfit teens realizes that instead of dying in a car accident, they're alive and healed, with inexplicable super-strength. After returning to the site of their discovery, they find an underwater space ship where an android, Alpha 5 (voiced by Bill Hader), and the trapped spirit of Zordon explain that they must train to become the Power Rangers -- but first they must morph. If they can't morph, they won't be able to fight Rita, who's come back to life and plans to find the Zeo Crystal and destroy Earth in the process.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (33):
Kids say (49):

Except for a couple of standout performances, this reboot takes itself too seriously and is too unevenly executed for a property that originally delighted in campy silliness. The goofy cornball antics that might have worked for a seemingly never-ending after-school show weren't going to cut it, but the story goes too far in the other direction, offering audiences four angst-filled, troubled teens and one sweet tech genius who happens to be on the autism spectrum. Kudos to the director for casting a diverse lot to play the Rangers (even Alpha 5 jokes: "different colors, different kids, different-colored kids" when they meet him for the first time). But unfortunately, it's a toss-up from scene to scene whether the acting and screenwriting will be heartfelt, decent, or downright cringe-worthy.

As Billy, the Blue Ranger, Cyler is the team's heart -- earnest, logical, and incapable of sarcasm or artifice. Looking like a cross between a young Zac Efron and Channing Tatum, Montgomery is a natural fit as the QB-turned team leader. The other three teens have less to do, with Trini's backstory being both confusing and insufficient (what teen isn't somewhat misunderstood by their parents?). At least Banks is hilariously campy as Rita (who could even take that name seriously?). The movie aims for a Breakfast Club-meets-superhero origin story, but in the end it might be too long and too much for even nostalgic fans.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in Power Rangers. Do you think it was necessary for the movie to be so violent/mature? How does that affect its appropriateness for the franchise's younger fans? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?

  • Which of the characters are role models, and why? How do the Rangers each grow and change throughout the story? How do they exhibit teamwork and courage? Why are those important character strengths?

  • What's the difference between fantasy violence and the consequences of violence in real life? How can people express anger in other ways?

  • How does this version compare to previous takes on the Power Rangers? What's changed? Do you like the updates? Why or why not?

  • Would you like the new Power Rangers franchise to continue? If so, what original villain(s) should they fight next?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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