What's going on everybody? I'm sure by now the majority of you have seen the fan made film Power/Rangers linked above. So I wanted to give my oponion on it. A brief bit of background about myself is that I grew up a Power Rangers fan. I had a crush on Kimberly the Pink Ranger and wanted to be like Tommy the Green Ranger who happened to be my favorite Ranger as well. I recently got into the whole convention scene and was able to meet the man behind the green mask Jason David Frank at the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con! After meeting him I continued to follow Jason on Instagram @jdfffn, where he then selected me to be one of his Ambassadors for the state of Missouri. What is a JDF (Jason David Frank) Ambassador? I like to think of it as a promoter, I help spread the word about JDF! I'm proud to be an Ambassador for a guy I looked up to both as a child and an adult.
With all this said I've been asked by friends about what I thought of the film Power/Rangers? I did like it, the reason is because it's a grown up version of the show I loved when I was younger. However, while watching it I did feel like this definitely was not the kid version that I knew when I was younger. Following JDF on most Social Media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, he shared his thoughts in a video post and his thoughts were voiced in the article below.
This article is from ew.com
Whether fans enjoyed Power/Rangers, the short film that put an adult spin on the classic franchise, one of the original Rangers was not pleased with the project.
Jason David Frank, the original Green Ranger, who also served as the White Ranger during Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, posted a video to his Facebook page to give his thoughts on the Joseph Kahn-, Adi Shankar-produced Power/Rangers film.
Frank explains that he was actually approached to be in the film but declined.
“I’m just a PG-13 guy,” Frank said. “The cuss words, the drugs, all this other stuff, it doesn’t fly with me.”
Power/Rangers took a dark approach to the source material, making the Rangers warriors in a bloody battle where the words “dark” and “gritty” might as well be written on every frame of the short. The film has, since its premiere earlier this week, been taken off of Vimeo, but remains on YouTube in a slightly toned-down fashion. But either version is a sober, serious take on the more colorful source material, and while many older fans were pleased with the direction it took, Frank saw the new tone as an issue.
Frank’s primary sticking point for why he wasn’t a fan of the film had to do with reconciling the mature direction of the piece and the franchise’s originas as a children’s show.
“The problem is that they’re still connected with adults and kids,” he said. “You can’t take a brand like this and reboot it so dark and gritty…you still have the kids that want to watch Power Rangers.”
Frank indictaes that he did enjoy the film on an “inner geek” level, but he thinks there’s a responsibility on the part of the people creating something with the brand to always keep the kids in mind.
He also went on to talk about another reason why he turned down a role in the short: He’s holding out for the real thing.
“Do I like the film? Here’s my thing. I want to be in the real movie,” Frank said.
He wants a “Saban-blessing approved” opportunity to bring Tommy to a film format. Frank even makes a plea to Lionsgate in the video to include Tommy in the upcoming big screen Power Rangers film in production at the studio, which is set to hit theaters in 2016.
Again this article was from ew.com
I totally understand where JDF is coming from. The Power Rangers is a kids brand and thats what any adaptations of Power Rangers should be focused on. JDF wants to be in the real Power Rangers movie and as a fan so do I.
What did you think of the film? What do you think of JDF's response?
As an added bonus for being a JDF Ambassador for Missouri that means I get to do some great giveaways with JDF Autographed pictures and other great items on my instagram so don't forget to add me @thee.social.nerd
Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd