Courtesy: Shout! Factory
Late last month Shout! Factory released yet another installment of Saban’s beloved Power Rangers franchise in the form of Power Rangers Dino Thunder: The Complete Series. The series, which is also considered to be the franchise’s 12th season, is an interesting installment of the long-running franchise. It proves over the course of its 38 total episodes to be a good bridge between the franchise’s past and future. That is due in part to the work of the show’s writers. That will be discussed shortly. The work of the series’ cast is just as important to note as that of the show’s writers. It will be discussed later. The show’s balance of CG effects and live action scenes is just as notable as the work of the show’s cast and writers. It will be covered later, too. Each element is important in its own right to the series’ presentation. All things considered, the Power Rnagers’ 12th season proves to be yet another enjoyable addition to the franchise and perhaps one of its best since the end of the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers era.
Power Rangers Dine Thunder: The Complete Series is one of the best installments of the Power Rangers franchise since the end of its Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers era. That is due at least in some part to the work of the show’s writers. The writers are to be commended once again for their ability to craft episodes that seamlessly blended together entertaining story lines with lessons about teamwork, friendship and other key topics for young people’s development. What’s more, they managed to incorporate said lessons without being preachy either. One prime example of that ability to so expertly balance the episodes’ entertainment and education (so to speak) comes in the form of “Diva in Distress.” The episode, which comes early in the show’s run, finds the young residents of Reefside being turned old by Mesagog’s monster Donkeyvac (yes, that’s really its name). It’s up to the Rangers to save the day and return everyone to their normal ages. The central story is entertaining in its own right. The lessons about friendship and respecting one’s elders are just as pivotal to the episode. Audiences will be pleased to find that the show’s writers were able to so seamlessly tie everything together and do so without being preachy in the process.
“Bully For Ethan” is another key example of the writers’ ability to balance the show’s entertainment and educational content. This time out, the writers take on the ever-present issue of bullying among teens when Ethan, the Rangers’ resident tech expert and Blue Ranger is bullied by a classmate. The writers are to be commended in how they presented the situation and how it was handled. Again, they managed to tackle the topic without getting too preachy. At the same time, the episode’s central story is just as entertaining as the lessons are informative and educational. That is because it could be argued to be the very beginning of the end for Mesogog and his minions as cracks begin to show in the villains’ relationships. It’s just one more example of the importance of the writers’ work in this season of Power Rangers. The series’ final could be just as easily cited as an example of the importance of the work of the series’ writers.
“Bully for Ethan” and “Diva in Distress” are both key examples of the importance of the work of the series’ writers in this installment of the Power Rangers franchise. They are hardly the only episodes that could be cited in exhibiting that importance. The series’ two-part finale could just as easily be cited in exhibiting the importance of the writers’ work to the series’ presentation. That is because on the surface, the episode wraps up the series’ without leaving any loose ends. On another level, one could argue that the episode also incorporates an important lesson about sacrifices. That is because (not to give away too much here) the Rangers are forced to make a huge sacrifice in order to defeat Mesogog once and for all and save Reefside (and the world). Given people might not have to make huge sacrifices on a daily basis. But sometimes sacrifices are necessary in life in different ways. To that end, this lesson – intended or not – is just as important to the show as any of the others which are presented throughout the series’ 38-episode run. Keeping all of this in mind, it becomes clear why the work of the writers is so important to the whole of Power Rangers Dino Thunder. Their collective work is just one part of what makes this installment of Power Rangers so enjoyable. The work of the series’ cast is just as important to note here as that of the series’ writers.
The work of the writers behind Power Rangers Dino Thunder is to be highly commended in examining the whole of the franchise’s 12th season. That is because they displayed in every episode their expert ability to balance the series’ entertaining and educational elements. As commendable as their work is, theirs is not the only work that is to be commended. The work of the show’s cast is just as important to note as that of the writers. Once again Jason David Frank impresses as Tommy Oliver. While Tommy is all grown up and doing adult things the hints of the old school Tommy are clear. That old school hero is perfectly balanced with the older mentor figure for the next generation of Power Rangers. At the same time, Kevin Duhaney is just as deserving for his portrayal of Ethan James, the Blue Ranger. It’s easy to see, in watching Duhaney’s performance, his channeling of the original Blue Ranger, Billy Cranston (played by David Yost). At the same time, it was just as easy to see how he took Billy’s nerdy side and amped it up a little bit for a new generation of Power Rangers fans at the time. Even Jeffrey Parazzo, who plays White Ranger Trent impresses in his on-screen work. It would have been so easy for him to ham it up as Trent basically comes of age and has to make some tough decisions. But he didn’t let himself go so over the top in that portrayal. To that end, he gets the job done just as much as his cast mates. That includes the rest of the cast not noted directly here. Keeping that in mind, the work of the Power Rangers Dino Thunder cast is just as important to note here as the work of the show’s writers to the series’ overall presentation. It still is not the only remaining element to note, either. The series’ production values are to be noted here, too.
The work of the Power Rangers Dino Thunder writers and cast is equally important to the series’ overall presentation. That is because both elements work in tandem with one another. While both elements are clearly important to the series’ presentation, they are not its only important elements. The series’ production values are just as important to note as the work of the series’ writers and cast. That is because it took a path that balanced the show’s CG and live action elements much better than previous installments of the Power Rangers franchise. The series’ CG elements were in fact used very sparingly throughout the show’s run. Every now and then, the show’s creative forces would incorporate some CG in the closing fight scenes between the Rangers and the monsters. But even in those cases, it was used very sparingly. Instead, those moments relied more on live action more so than CG. That is, in its own way, a throwback to the days of the MMPR, which to this critic is very welcome. It is a nice change of pace considering the direction that the franchise had taken in previous installments. When this is considered along with the work of the series’ writers and cast, all three elements join to show in full why Power Rangers Dino Thunder is such an enjoyable installment of the Power Rangers franchise. All things considered, Power Rangers Dino Thunder: The Complete Series proves to be another welcome addition to any Power Rangers fan’s collection.
Power Rangers Dino Thunder: The Complete Series is a welcome new addition to any Power Rangers fan’s personal collection. That is because this new standalone season set is a solid bridge between the franchise’s past and present. That is most evident in the work of the show’s writers. The work of the show’s cast is just as important to note in examining its overall presentation. The balance in the show’s live action and CG elements is just as important to note in its presentation. All things considered, this latest addition to the Power Rangers franchise proves itself a collection that will make fans roar with enjoyment. It is available now in stores and online and can be ordered online direct via Shout! Factory’s online store at https://www.shoutfactory.com/kids/kids-action-adventure/power-rangers-dino-thunder-the-complete-series. More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory is available online now at:
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