'Power Rangers: The Movie' - 25 Years of Morphin Time
A look back at the 1995 cult classic on its 25th anniversary.
In August of 1993, the hit show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers premiered on Fox Kids. The program's success would make it a pop culture cornerstone of the 90s. From action figures and toys to magazines and Halloween costumes, the Power Rangers' consumed the youth by saving the world every Saturday morning while spreading positive vibes.
After the show's first two successful seasons, the Power Rangers morphed onto the big screen. On this day in 1995, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie premiered in theaters. The film starred the original cast members from the television show - Steve Cardenas (Rocky, Red Ranger), Karan Ashley (Aisha, Yellow Ranger), Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam, Black Ranger), David Yost (Billy, Blue Ranger), Amy Jo Johnson (Kimberly, Pink Ranger), and Jason David Frank (Tommy, White Ranger). Paul Schrier and Jason Narvy reprised their roles as Bulk and Skull, respectively. Veteran English actor Paul Freeman portrayed Ivan Ooze, the Rangers new nemesis.
Relive the glory days and stream the original trailer below.
Accompanied by big budget special affects and a fresh plot, the film was produced by 20th Century Fox and shot on location in Australia. It was a commercial success, hauling in just over $66 million worldwide against a $15 million budget.
The movie even spawned it's own video game on Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis.
With some changes to the cast, the show continued for a third season into 1996. A new show Power Rangers Zeo premiered later that year. The installment would start the second chapter of the Power Rangers franchise.
Power Rangers nostalgia is still strong today. Jason David Frank has continued to play Tommy Oliver in the Power Rangers universe for over two decades. Frank, along with Karan Ashley and others, are staples at comic-cons and conventions annually. Fans of all ages still line up for pictures and autographs. Power Rangers are still a popular cosplay choice among fans as well.
Vintage Power Rangers toys sell for hundreds of dollars at conventions, private comic/toy shops, and on eBay. Complete sets can fetch over $5,000. And, in the digital age where streaming is king, Amazon still sells copies of Power Rangers: The Movie on VHS.
To fuel fans' nostalgia even more, a new live action film called The Order is in pre-production now. The movie features several old-school MMPR alumni setting out on a darker, more intense adventure. The film was created and written by Karan Ashley and David J. Felding, who played the Rangers' boss Zordon in the original series. Ashley played Aisha, the Yellow Ranger, in Seasons 2 and 3 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Felding played Zordon thought the Mighty Morphin era.
Slated to appear in the flick in addition to Ashley and Felding are Austin St. John (original Red Ranger), Walter Jones (original Black Ranger), Steve Cardenas (second Red Ranger), Catherine Southerland (second Pink Ranger), Paul Schrier (Bulk), plus David Yost and Jason David Frank.
And 25 years later, it's still Morphin' Time, baby.
To celebrate 25 years of 'Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie,' grab one of our exclusive KP Limited Edition Power Rangers shirts HERE.