Top 10 Power Rangers Fails
It's been on the air for over two decades, so there's bound to be a few morphenomenal missteps every now and then. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Power Rangers Fails.
For this list, we're reviewing some of the most embarrassing, facepalm-worthy, and just plain dumb decisions made by the Power Rangers – either on the show itself or behind the scenes.
Special thanks to our user Andrew Nigo for suggesting this idea, check out the voting page at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest/Top+10+Power+Rangers+Fails
It’s been on the air for over two decades, so there’s bound to be a few morphenomenal missteps every now and then. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Power Rangers Fails.
For this list, we’re reviewing some of the most embarrassing, facepalm-worthy, and just plain dumb decisions made by the Power Rangers – either on the show itself or behind the scenes.
#10: Green Ranger’s Shield
“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” (1993-95)
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When watching a mash-up of footage from Power Rangers and Super Sentai, fans can usually overlook the differences… unless it’s a glaring prop error. While most of the props and costumes were shipped from Japan for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, American prop makers were left to make a substitute shield out of thin cloth. This not only made it painfully obvious which scenes were American-filmed, but the shield in the U.S. version also looks like it can barely protect Tommy at all. Later, they mercifully remade the shield with the proper material for Green Ranger’s return in Dino Thunder… However, they also altered his helmet by adding a silver stripe. So, they fixed one aesthetic issue, but created another.
#9: The Abrupt Shift from “Zeo” to “Turbo”
“Power Rangers Zeo” (1996) & “Power Rangers Turbo” (1997)
Top 20 Power Rangers FAILS
Moving from one season to another can feel like a natural progression if done right… unfortunately, that was NOT the case for the Zeo-Turbo transition. The gap between the finale of Zeo and the Turbo movie brought with it unexpected visual changes, continuity errors, and unfulfilled promises from the finale. Perhaps the biggest question left unanswered was: why was it necessary to trade in the Zeo powers for the Turbo ones? There were rumors about a serial called “Scorpion Rain” that would’ve supposedly answered some of these questions, but it was debunked as a hoax. And sadly, this sudden move wasn’t the LAST hasty change made in Turbo.
#8: Jennifer L. Yen as Vypra
“Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue” (2000)
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Arguably, the weakest links in Lightspeed Rescue were the villains. But, while most of them could at least act, there was one notable exception: Vypra. Sure, actress Jennifer L. Yen definitely LOOKED the part; however, her skills as a thespian were another story. According to die-hard fans, she sounded painfully bored, and her tone was inconsistent – like she was TRYING to overact but fell oddly flat. The saddest part? Her best work came just seconds before she was destroyed. Even when she returned as a zombie, her performance was deader than she was. This wasn’t the last character fans felt was miscast, but it did prove the consequences of playing a part without any real passion.
#7: The ‘Peace Conference’ Incident
“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” (1993-95)
Jason, Zack, and Trini were originally slated to appear in the 1995 movie; however, with the show’s rising popularity, their actors hoped Saban would go union so their salaries could improve. Saban didn’t concede, so the three walked offset halfway through filming the season. And, their departure didn’t go unnoticed: they rarely appeared unmorphed outside of stock footage or body doubles, and stand-in actors provided their morphed voiceovers… or tried to anyway. Eventually, the three rangers were shipped off to a ‘Peace Conference,’ and replaced by Rocky, Adam, and Aisha. And, while Zack and Trini never returned, Jason did make a few unexpected comebacks in Zeo and Wild Force’s Red Ranger team-up.
#6: Kalishplosions
“Power Rangers” Disney Seasons (2005-09)
Didja ever notice that, starting with Power Rangers SPD, the explosions in the show suddenly started becoming gigantic and less practical? They’d erupt way behind their targets, sending them into the air unrealistically, then the shot would be repeated again zoomed in. This is a case of the Kalishplosions; a process named after then-executive producer, Bruce Kalish. What’s worse is that this increase in over-the-top explosions coincided with the reduction in the number of unique martial arts fight sequences the series was known for – likely to tone down the violence. But in doing so the fight scenes became incredibly repetitive, to the point where they were a mangled mess of laser blasts flying everywhere and hitting nothing.
#5: Justin as the Blue Ranger
“Power Rangers Turbo” (1997)
A pre-teen fighting alongside teens with attitude… not exactly a perfect match. At the time, Power Rangers was losing at the ratings game, so the studio thought it’d be a good idea to bring in a younger Ranger to appeal to a newer audience. Enter Justin; a pre-teen genius taking on the mantle of the Blue Ranger after veteran Rocky injured his back. Justin himself actually made a decent Ranger, taking action the minute trouble arose; however, someone his age seemed out of place with the rest of the Rangers and his central episodes tended to feel silly and pandered to younger audiences. Needless to say, this audience-grabbing experiment was a washout.
#4: Operation Overdrive
“Power Rangers Operation Overdrive” (2007)
If you can get past the abysmal theme song, there’s no turning back. Originally, the plan for Operation Overdrive was for a grandiose and adventurous season, similar to its Super Sentai counterpart: “Boukenger.” Unfortunately the low budget caused a lot of cut corners that affected almost every aspect of the show: according to fans, the season’s pacing was off the wall, the potential for the multiple villain factions was wasted, and many of the main characters were incredibly unlikable. Not even a crossover with fan favorite past Rangers could redeem the season, as the special made the legendary heroes look incompetent compared to this unlikable team. Seriously, go watch those episodes again; the Retro Rangers don’t kill a single monster.
#3: The 20th Anniversary Season(s)
“Power Rangers Megaforce” (2013) & “Power Rangers Super Megaforce” (2014)
Considering it was a 20th Anniversary season, Megaforce ultimately failed to celebrate the occasion. To start, they split the season in half so that, by the time the actual anniversary content came into play, it was a year too late. As for the actual series, fans are quick to point out that our “heroes” lacked any depth or backstory, and their acting was extremely bland, with Troy, the Red Ranger, easily being the worst of the bunch. They may’ve had a much better season planned, but executive meddling thwarted those plans, leaving fans with two seasons that burned through as much Sentai footage as possible rather than filling in plot holes or telling an actual story. #2: Driving David Yost Away
“Power Rangers Zeo” (1996)
Billy is one of the most iconic Blue Rangers, and the longest-lasting member of the original five, eventually stepping down and becoming a tech assistant in Zeo. But, near the end of the season, he departed the show a few episodes after his actor, David Yost, resigned. There were rumors about a pay dispute, but the real reason was actually much worse: Yost has since claimed he was regularly harassed by several crew members about his sexuality, with some even deeming him “unworthy” of being a superhero. As a result, Yost opted to walk, and began the journey through which he’d ultimately accept his homosexuality.
Before we unveil our number one fail, here are a few embarrassing dishonorable mentions.
- Duct Taping Zedd’s Staff
“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” (1993-95)
- Clash of the Red Rangers
“Power Rangers Samurai” (2011)
- Ninja Turtles Team-Up
“Power Rangers In Space” (1998)
#1: The Legendary Battle
“Power Rangers Super Megaforce” (2014)
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Since the beginning of Megaforce, Power Rangers had been foreshadowing a legendary event for the finale; an epic battle featuring every Ranger from the previous two decades. For the next two years, fans endured what they called lackluster writing, bland characters, and dissatisfying tribute episodes with only TWO veteran appearances. Finally, the big battle arrived, and boy was it a letdown. A handful of veteran Ranger actors actually accepted the last-minute invites, and only a fraction of them had any dialogue at all. And sadly, the battle itself is just as disappointing, with a heavy reliance on stock footage, the Megaforce Rangers’ annoying commentary, and aggravating plot holes. Basically, it wastes the returning actors’ time, and the audience’s as well. Talk about a Super Mega Fail!
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