{"id":39557,"date":"2023-04-19T17:45:15","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T21:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=39557"},"modified":"2023-04-19T17:46:12","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T21:46:12","slug":"mighty-morphin-power-rangers-once-always-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2023\/04\/19\/mighty-morphin-power-rangers-once-always-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (2023)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>After thirty years, \u201cOnce & Always\u201d feels a lot like not just a tribute to the fans of the \u201cMighty Morphin Power Rangers\u201d but some much needed justice. As many know, David Yost was horribly bullied when he originally joined \u201cPower Rangers,\u201d while Walter Jones was poorly utilized. So it\u2019s no big surprise that the special centers mostly on Zack and Billy, two of the remaining elements of the original \u201cMighty Morphin Power Rangers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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While doing battle with a newly resurrected, robotic Rita Repulsa, Yellow Ranger Trini is killed in combat while protecting Billy. Forced to tell her young daughter, Zack becomes her guardian. After laying low for a year, Rita returns intent on kidnapping the Rangers for her newest scheme. Now it\u2019s up to Billy and Zack (and Trini\u2019s vengeful daughter Minh) to assemble past Rangers and save their comrades from inevitable death.<\/p>\n

What ultimately hinders \u201cOnce & Always\u201d is the obvious undercurrent of grief and sadness that emanates through every minute of the narrative. After the tragic, sudden death of Jason David Frank in 2022, there still feels like so much of the \u201cPower Rangers\u201d heart and soul is missing. That\u2019s not to pin unfair criticism on \u201cOnce & Always.\u201d It does well with what it has, but for the fans it\u2019s still a gut punch that Jason David Frank, and Thuy Trang couldn\u2019t be here to help bring the \u201cMighty Morphin\u201d saga full circle. Nevertheless, \u201cOnce & Always\u201d is a heartfelt reunion movie that takes all of the first and second gen \u201cMighty Morphin\u201d Power Rangers and teams them up to fight Rita Repulsa once more.<\/p>\n

This time she\u2019s been resurrected in to robotic form, and she\u2019s deadlier than ever. Rita is nasty here, and she\u2019s dead set not just on defeating the remaining Power Rangers, but on murdering them, too. It\u2019s still fun to see the remaining Power Rangers do battle with Rita, and the choreography is exciting. I also loved the new baddies Rita teams with, to boot. \u201cOnce & Always\u201d does suffer from being too short, while Charlie Kersh as Minh Kwan doesn\u2019t have a ton to do until the final half. They also never fully explain what happened to Zordon.<\/p>\n

In either case, \u201cOnce & Always\u201d is a love letter to the original series that really focuses on squeezing in as many nods and Easter Eggs as possible. There\u2019s a Zord fight, the appearance of Hip Hopkido, the Juice Bar, a wink at Bulk and Skull, and a lot more. While imperfect, \u201cOnce & Always\u201d is a fun tribute to the devoted fans young and old.<\/p>\n

We miss you, JDF.<\/p>\n

Now Streaming Exclusively on Netflix.<\/strong><\/p>\n