Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie

Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Produced by Jonathan Tzachor
Written by
Starring
Narrated by Robert L. Manahan
Music by Shuki Levy
Cinematography Ilan Rosenberg
Edited by
  • Henry Richardson
  • B.J. Sears
Production
companies
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • March 28, 1997 (1997-03-28)
Running time
 99 minutes[1]
Country
  • United States
  • Japan
Language English
Box office $9.6 million[2]

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie is a 1997 Japanese-American superhero film directed by David Winning and Shuki Levy and written by Levy and Shell Danielson. It was produced by Saban Entertainment and Toei Company, Ltd. like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, distributed by 20th Century Fox.[3]

The film serves as a bridge between the Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo television seasons, with the new cast and characters from the film becoming cast members of the television series. As with its television season, the film used concepts and costumes from the Japanese Super Sentai series Gekisou Sentai Carranger. Sets and costumes created for original characters in the film were later used in the television series, with the film's climactic antagonist Maligore being reused for the evil Dark Specter in the subsequent Power Rangers in Space season.

Plot

On a distant planet, a wizard named Lerigot is being hunted by Divatox; an intergalactic space pirate, who seeks his golden key in order to traverse an inter-dimensional gateway and enter into matrimony with Maligore, a demon who promises to grant her great riches and power. Lerigot escapes Divatox's forces and travels to Earth in search of Zordon and his friend Alpha 5, but lands in Africa instead. Weakened by the sun's ultraviolet rays, Lerigot meets a pack of chimpanzees and wanders off with them. Meanwhile, Divatox sets off for Earth in pursuit.

In Angel Grove, Rocky, Adam, and Tommy are training for a charity fighting competition to save the Youth Shelter, when Rocky accidentally injures his back. Kat and Tanya arrive with Justin, a kid who admires Rocky and frequents the shelter. As Rocky is rushed to the hospital, Justin follows the group and learns that they are Power Rangers. Zordon sends Tommy and Kat to search for Lerigot. They manage to find him and return to the Power Chamber.

Divatox's nephew Elgar, searches for two human sacrifices to revive Maligore. He abducts Bulk and Skull, but Divatox rejects them for not being pure of heart. Divatox finds two perfect specimens who are scuba diving nearby and captures them. While recovering, Lerigot is contacted by Divatox, who has captured his family and demands that he surrender himself. Divatox also uses the two hostages, revealed to be Kimberly and Jason, to pressure the Rangers. At the exchange site, Elgar tricks the Rangers and takes Lerigot without releasing their friends.

Zordon and Alpha create new powers for the Rangers to defeat Divatox. With the new Turbo powers and their new vehicular Zords, the Rangers drive across the desert to a ship called the Ghost Galleon. They are joined by Justin, who has received Rocky's Blue Ranger powers. On Divatox's submarine, Jason and Kim work on a plan to escape. When the Ghost Galleon and Divatox's submarine arrive at the inter-dimensional gateway, Divatox forces Lerigot to allow them to cross while the Rangers do the same with the keys to their Ranger powers.

Once they reach the island where Maligore is imprisoned, Divatox torpedoes the ship and Rangers narrowly escape. Bulk, Skull and Kimberly escape the sub, but Jason is trapped and left behind. Kimberly has been captured by the Malicians; inhabitants of the island, and Divatox forces Lerigot to make the Malicians join her with Kimberly. At the temple in the volcano, the Rangers fight Divatox's forces, but fail to free Jason and Kimberly before the two are possessed by Maligore and attack the Rangers mercilessly. The Rangers free Lerigot and his wife Yara, who undo the possession.

Angered, Divatox sacrifices her nephew and successfully revives Maligore. The Rangers summon their Turbo Megazord to fight Maligore. They defeat him as Divatox and Rygog flee, vowing vengeance. The Rangers pick up Jason, Kimberly, Lerigot, Yara, Bulk and Skull and return to Angel Grove. At the competition, Jason takes Rocky's place, and they win the fight, earning the money in order to save the shelter.

Cast

Production

Filming was done in Hawaii, California, Florida, and Tennessee.

As opposed to the storyline and CGI Megazord used in the first Power Rangers film, this entry is canon and utilizes the actual costume of the Turbo Megazord, appearing in American footage (the main series would rely on the Carranger footage). According to a 2013 post on Bosch's Facebook page, the original script called for a lengthy underwater battle using the Zeo Ranger powers, wherein the Power Rangers emerge with tattered costumes. The unused plot would also explained how the Turbo powers were created, It was also originally scripted that Billy Cranston (the original blue ranger) had created the turbo powers with Zordon and Alpha 5. While this plot element was ultimately dropped from the theatrical release, the concept of torn outfits would be used for the Turbo season finale. Also, whereas Hilary Shepard Turner appears as Divatox in the film, by the time filming began for the TV series, she had taken pregnancy leave, thus being replaced by Carol Hoyt; shortly after the episode in which the four veteran Rangers resign and transfer their powers to a new team (filmed after a hiatus of several months), Shepard resumed the role of Divatox, continuing through Power Rangers in Space.

Release

Box office

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie opened theatrically on March 28, 1997 in 2,113 venues. It earned $3,301,135 in its opening weekend, ranking number 7 in the domestic box office.[5] At the end of its run, the film had grossed $8,363,899 domestically and $1,251,941 overseas for a worldwide total of $9,615,840.[2]

Critical reception

The film received mostly negative reviews with an 17% "Rotten" rating from Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 3.8/10.[6] Kevin Thomas wrote a positive review in the Los Angeles Times saying the filmmakers have brought "much panache and sophistication to the making of this fantasy adventure extolling the good old-fashioned virtues of spirit and courage embodied by the Power Rangers and that Turbo is a solid follow-up."[3]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result
1998 Young Artist Award[7] Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor Blake Foster Nominated

Home media

The DVD (as well as 1995's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie) was re-released with different packaging in 2011.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "TURBO - A POWER RANGERS MOVIE (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. June 6, 1997. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Thomas, Kevin (1997-03-28). "Power Rangers Encounter 'Turbo'-Charged Villainess". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  4. ↑ "TV Playbook: Let's Add a Kid!". IGN. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  5. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for March 28-30, 1997". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. March 31, 1997. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  7. ↑ "19th Annual Young Artist Awards". Retrieved May 9, 2012.

External links

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