It’s morphin’ time! Go go to Tubi next month because the 1993 cult classic series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is coming to the free streaming platform on December 1 and whether you love it for its campy fun, its hard hitting fight scenes or the most unflattering costumes known to man, the cult series is still as rewatchable today as it was back then. The cast features the late Jason David Frank as Tommy (the White Ranger), Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly (the Pink Ranger), David Yost as Billy (the Blue Ranger), Walter Jones as Zack (the Black Ranger), the late Thuy Trang as Trini (the Yellow Ranger), and Austin St. John as Jason (the Red Ranger).
For those unaware, all the segments with the Rangers without their helmets on were filmed in the United States, but the series is actually inspired by the Japanese show Super Sentai. Specifically, the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was adapted from Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger, the 16th installment of the Super Sentai franchise. The sequences of the Zords, the giant robots which the Rangers pilot, are repurposed from Super Sentai.
The series became a massive cultural sensation almost overnight following the debut, capturing millions of viewers and becoming a juggernaut for TV ratings and merchandising, spawning a franchise that lives on 30 years later.
What Happens After ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’?
Released at the height of Power Rangers mania, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie was the first big-screen adventure of the teenage ass kicking warriors from Angel Grove. Directed by Bryan Spicer, who we are sure is thrilled to have this on his CV, the movie sees new villain Ivan Ooze (Paul Freeman) taking over the mantle from Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa in targeting world domination, all while being made entirely of slime. The story sees the Rangers—Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Rocky, Aisha, and Tommy—stripped of their powers and forced to venture to a distant planet to find the mythical Ninjetti powers to save the day. It’s just a fancy name for ninja, don’t worry. Filled with genuinely laughable dialogue, bright and colourful costumes, and a finale involving some of the most hilariously dated CGI imaginable, the movie is an exercise in 90s excess and you know what? That’s why it’s so good.
The movie was not canonically tied to the TV series, but it introduced elements later adapted into the show, such as the Rangers’ Ninjetti powers and updated costumes. The team returned to the big screen later in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, which served as a bridge to the follow up series Power Rangers Turbo. The series would go on to Power Rangers Zeo, when the last of the original cast members would depart. In 2023, Netflix released a special entitled Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, several original cast members from the 1995 film reprised their roles. Yost, Cardenas, Yong Bosch and Ashley all returned for the one-off, which revolves around the death of Trini Kwan, the original Yellow Ranger, and focuses on the legacy of the team.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers arrives on Tubi on December 1. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
- June 30, 1995
- Director
- Bryan Spicer
- Cast
- David Yost , Steve Cardenas , Amy Jo Johnson , Karan Ashley , Johnny Yong Bosch , Jason David Frank , Richard Steven Horvitz , Paul Schrier , Jason Narvy , Paul Freeman , Nicholas Bell , Robert L. Manahan , Mark Ginther , Robert Axelrod , Julia Cortez , Barbara Goodson , Kerry Casey , Kerrigan Mahan , Gabrielle Fitzpatrick , Jamie Croft , Peter Mochrie , Paul Goddard , Robert Simper , Neil Kaplan , R.J. Kizer
- Runtime
- 96 minutes
- Writers
- Arne Olsen