Power Rangers Wild Force
By Emily Ashby,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Rangers and animals team up in solid installment.
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Power Rangers Wild Force
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What's the Story?
POWER RANGERS WILD FORCE is the 10th incarnation of the Power Rangers characters, originally airing in 2002. The story opens as Cole (Ricardo Medina Jr.) leaves his jungle home in search for answers about his long-lost family but instead winds up on an airborne island Animarium, where he meets four new Power Rangers and learns of his destiny to join them in their ongoing struggle against the invasive Orgs. Alongside his new teammates -– Danny (Jack Guzman), Taylor (Alyson Kiperman), Alyssa (Jessica Rey), and Max (Philip Jeanmarie)- – and under the guidance of the wise Princess Shayla (Ann Marie Crouch), the Wild Force Rangers set out to protect the planet from Master Org (Ilia Volok) and his minions. They're helped in their quest by the Animarium's Wild Zords, animal avatars who leap into battle when the Rangers call. When they're not facing off with villains, Cole continues his search for his missing parents and clues to his mysterious link to the Rangers.
Is It Any Good?
The Power Rangers have reinvented themselves so many times it's hard to imagine a creative distinction they haven't already explored, but incorporating animal spirits is a welcome change to the norm. Each Ranger is linked to an animal whose traits complement his or her own fighting style, lending greater definition to their own personalities and individuality to their costumes. What's more, the Zords have their own personalities, and their interactions with the Rangers offer some touching moments of self-discovery.
Power Rangers Wild Force maintains continuity with its predecessors in most every other aspect of the show, bringing together five strangers to create a team powerful enough to ward off a rotating cast of comically costumed villains episode after episode. Things don't always go according to plan for these newbies, tempers flare, and differences of opinion arise, but the players are in it for the long haul and stay true to their sense of duty. Plus there's the ongoing drama surrounding Cole's quest for the truth, which keeps kids guessing along the way. Yes, the whole "costumed crusaders" platform is still a little hokey, but all in all, Wild Force isn't a bad pick from the Power Rangers smorgasbord.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the Rangers work as a team in Power Rangers Wild Force. Who is their leader? Does he always call the shots? What is it about Cole that qualifies him to lead even though he's the newest inductee to the group?
Kids: Have you seen other Power Rangers series? How does this one stack up? Would this show have worked as a cartoon rather than a live-action one? Would the fighting feel any different?
Is it always easy to distinguish bad guys from good guys? What about in the real world?
TV Details
- Premiere date: February 9, 2002
- Cast: Jack Guzman, Jessica Rey
- Networks: ABC, Fox
- Genre: Action
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Sports and Martial Arts, Space and Aliens
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: October 14, 2022
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