That's what I said to myself many times over when watching the show. That's what my brother said when we watched it together. That's what others said when I described it to them.
The story is very dark. Most of humanity has been wiped out in a war started by a computer virus that spread and took over the military, creating robots galore. People are being taken prisoner and transformed into hybrids - people with robotic implants that can, in due time, allow them to be possessed and controlled. Many of the Power Rangers themselves have tragic backstories, with family members and friends who were killed, and one of them is a refugee who escaped a factory where he was implanted with robotics that are attempting to spread through his body. We see much of this in flashbacks, some of which are surprisingly gothic and creepy.
If not for the brightly colored costumes, goofy looking monsters, cheesy fighting, and giant robot battles that look kind of like toys moving around a model city, this wouldn't be Power Rangers at all. It would be a sci-fi adventure/drama that happens to have a lot of light humor in it.
At times, it almost feels like two different shows. You have the serious story of humanity's last stand against the robot invasion, then once the Rangers have changed into their costumes, it becomes goofy fighting. Once the monster is destroyed, back to the drama. The humor that lightens this post-apocalyptic setting still verges on the corny (Gem and Gemma being The Scrappy when first introduced), but it's definitely not "Bulk and Skull" level. There's some genuinely clever humor at times, and in the early episodes, a good amount of Lampshade Hanging that pokes fun at elements of the Power Rangers mythos that we've always taken for granted.
The mix of humor, lampshading, serious storytelling, and corny action gradually turns towards the more serious side of the scale as the series goes on. Dillon, the Ranger who was infected with the robotic implants, has flashbacks of his life in the factory and desires to find his missing sister. The true origin of the virus is revealed... and it isn't a pretty one. And the virus that can possess people starts doing so. The story starts heating up, and the last few episodes are not to be missed.
Even if you don't like Power Rangers (and believe me, I don't!), I still recommend checking RPM out.
THIS is Power Rangers??
That's what I said to myself many times over when watching the show. That's what my brother said when we watched it together. That's what others said when I described it to them.
The story is very dark. Most of humanity has been wiped out in a war started by a computer virus that spread and took over the military, creating robots galore. People are being taken prisoner and transformed into hybrids - people with robotic implants that can, in due time, allow them to be possessed and controlled. Many of the Power Rangers themselves have tragic backstories, with family members and friends who were killed, and one of them is a refugee who escaped a factory where he was implanted with robotics that are attempting to spread through his body. We see much of this in flashbacks, some of which are surprisingly gothic and creepy.
If not for the brightly colored costumes, goofy looking monsters, cheesy fighting, and giant robot battles that look kind of like toys moving around a model city, this wouldn't be Power Rangers at all. It would be a sci-fi adventure/drama that happens to have a lot of light humor in it.
At times, it almost feels like two different shows. You have the serious story of humanity's last stand against the robot invasion, then once the Rangers have changed into their costumes, it becomes goofy fighting. Once the monster is destroyed, back to the drama. The humor that lightens this post-apocalyptic setting still verges on the corny (Gem and Gemma being The Scrappy when first introduced), but it's definitely not "Bulk and Skull" level. There's some genuinely clever humor at times, and in the early episodes, a good amount of Lampshade Hanging that pokes fun at elements of the Power Rangers mythos that we've always taken for granted.
The mix of humor, lampshading, serious storytelling, and corny action gradually turns towards the more serious side of the scale as the series goes on. Dillon, the Ranger who was infected with the robotic implants, has flashbacks of his life in the factory and desires to find his missing sister. The true origin of the virus is revealed... and it isn't a pretty one. And the virus that can possess people starts doing so. The story starts heating up, and the last few episodes are not to be missed.
Even if you don't like Power Rangers (and believe me, I don't!), I still recommend checking RPM out.