Courtesy: Saban Brands/Shout! Factory
Saban Brands and Shout! Factory released early this year, a massive box set containing all seven seasons of Saban’s original Power Rangers series. The multi-disc set took viewers from the birth of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers all the way through the Rangers’ journey to the Lost Galaxy. That mega-box set is the ultimate experience for any fan of the Power Rangers’ original series. For some though, the cost of the set might have been a bit much. That’s okay. For those fans, Saban and Shout! Factory have also released each season in its own standalone box set. The two companies have released the original series all the way up through the first volume of Power Rangers Zeo. Even the ten-episode “mini-series”, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers has been released to the masses. This connector series is one of the least remembered among the franchise’s legions of fans. Why this is the case is anybody’s guess. But the reality of the short-lived series is that it is just as important a part of the franchise’s early days as its previous seasons. It is just as important as the previous seasons and the one that follows first and foremost because it is a solid bridge between the two seasons. It is also an important addition to the overall franchise because it was a branching out from the original Power Rangers franchise. All things considered, whether taken as its own attempted spinoff or a bridge between seasons, it showed that the show’s writing was just as strong as ever. And now audiences that grew up with this “series” can re-live it any time they want thanks to Saban and Shout! Factory having released it to DVD by itself.
Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers is one of the more underrated installments of Saban’s hugely popular franchise. The reasons for this are varied. But as deeper look at the “series” shows that it is just as important an addition to the franchise as any of the show’s other seasons. The first reason for the “series’” success is it is a solid bridge between the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers series and the franchise’s next evolution. Those that grew up with the original series will recall that this “series” was not the first time that the Rangers had lost their powers. That means that the show’s writers had to figure out a way to keep the franchise fresh while still maintaining its original ongoing story. It can be said that they did just that and that they did it well. By bringing in a whole new team of Power Rangers from another world, the show’s writers achieved two goals. The first of those goals being that it presented a new “what if” scenario to the show. It put the responsibility of saving the planet on a team of Rangers not of this Earth. The second goal achieved through this story arc was that it showed the potential of a whole new Power Rangers spinoff, which is what the real reason was for this “season.”
The introduction of the Aquitian Rangers was a nice additional story arc for the Power Rangers franchise. The show’s writers achieved their goal of keeping the franchise fresh with the “series” while maintaining the franchise’s integrity. It also proved the potential of a new spinoff in the Power Rangers universe. That was the real goal of this installment. And it’s another reason that it is such an important addition to the property. While the Rangers of Aquitar obviously didn’t seem to grab audiences enough to mandate a spinoff, the writers are to be commended for even having taken the risk with them. As viewers have seen over the course of some twenty years, a massive number of spinoffs have been crafted from the original series. Taking that into consideration, it can be argued that Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers was a groundbreaker. That’s because next to one other very small early story arc, it is one of the very first spinoffs of the Power Rangers franchise. That makes this an even more important piece of Power Rangers history.
Whether one sees Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers as a spinoff, a bridge between seasons in the ongoing evolution of the Power Rangers, or a little bit of both, it’s clear that despite its underrated and undervalued status, this addition to the Power Rangers universe was just as important as any other installment. It showed that the show’s writing was just as solid as it was in the very first season of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. It also was a groundbreaker for the franchise, and proved that the franchise had the ability to branch out, as it later would and has since. All things considered it proves to be that much more valuable an addition to the library of any Power Rangers fan and fanatic. It is available now in stores and online. More information on this and other releases from Shout! Factory is available online at http://www.shoutfactory.com and http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.
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