Mighty Morphin Power Rangers MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -1 1/2

Youngsters all across America have been eagerly awaiting this movie version of the very popular POWER RANGERS TV series. And this movie is even more frenzied and violent than the TV shows. Zardon, the benevolent leader of the six teenage Power Rangers, four boys and two girls (Karan Ashley, Johnny Yong Bosch, Steve Cardenas, Jason David Frank, Amy Jo Johnson and David Yost),is attacked by the evil Ivan Ooze (Paul Freeman) and his control room destroyed. So the Power Rangers miraculously zoom off to a distant planet to obtain an energy source to restore Zardon and his headquarters. Along the way, they are attacked by ferocious warriors and skeleton creatures, but they call on their great supernatural powers to fight them off. The karate fighting, kicking, electric blasts and encounters with giant insects are relentless and intense. And the movie sound tract is turned up to blast the audience away. All the while, Ivan Ooze is manipulating his warriors from afar and manufacturing ooze balls for youth. All this frantic action and fighting may very well thrill and excite youngsters below 10, but parents are more likely to be horrified than entertained.

The incessant fighting in this film is little more than exploiting violence to entertain. However, most of the Power Rangers enemies are not humans, but metallic warriors who break into pieces when smashed, or slime creatures who explode into bits of slime when destroyed. Occasionally, though, a human is killed, including a man electrocuted by an electric blast hurled at him. At the same time, the destruction and killings are all bloodless. There is no sexual activity or suggestive dialogue, but a scantily clad female warrior is introduced, apparently to appeal to older boys in the audience. Also, the dialogue is virtually free of offensive language. On the other hand, the supernatural powers of the Power Rangers are derived from sacred supernatural animals whose spirits guide the Rangers. Undoubtedly, children who feed on this type of frantic, violent entertainment are more likely to become hyperactive and aggressive and inclined to try out some karate kicks on their young friends. There should be a warning on this movie that it could be harmful to your child's mental health.

Preview Reviewer: John Evans
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035