Power Rangers opened to solid results, coming in at No. 2 at the box office and getting mostly positive reviews. The updated take of The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers made a lot of necessary improvements over the original source material, introducing more modern teens with attitude and turning down the camp factor a notch. Despite these changes, we still found ourselves with quite a few lingering questions by the time the credits rolled, some intentional, some... not so much.
Of course, a movie shouldn't have to answer all the questions that it presents in its runtime, as long as the experience of watching is still fulfilling, but we couldn't help but think of these 12 questions Power Rangers left in the air.
Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the film, you might want to bookmark this and come back later.
Is Zordon's Meteor What Caused The Extinction Of The Dinosaurs?
Power Rangers has a pretty cool opening where Zordon and his Rangers make their last stand against Rita on Earth during the Cenozoic Era. It doesn't end well and Zordon orders Alpha (Bill Hader) to launch a meteor at his coordinates in a last ditch effort to kill Rita. It works -- for the most part -- but is this meteor responsible for also wiping out the dinosaurs? It would certainly explain why Zordon doesn't just do it again when Rita resurfaces millions of years later.
Did The Zeo Crystal Cause The Megazord To Form?
The Zeo Crystal is the source of life for all of planet Earth and it's conveniently located beneath the Krispy Kreme! When the Power Rangers make their last stand to defend the crystal from Goldar, the five and their Zords are pushed into the crystal's pit, but instead of dying (as Rita had planned), the Zords merge into the Megazord. Rita's reaction, plus Zordon and Alpha never mentioning this handy ability, imply this is a new thing, so what caused it? The Power Rangers growing a sense of unity? The power of the Zeo Crystal? A little of both maybe?
What Caused Rita Repulsa To Be Found In The First Place?
Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks) is the primary antagonist of Power Rangers, a fallen Ranger whose mad quest for power ultimately caused the downfall of Zordon, his comrades, and herself. Zordon's meteor sends her plunging into the sea, though the Green Power Coin allows her to enter a sort of hibernation. Fast-forward millions of years, and Rita's body is scooped up by Jason's dad's fishing boat. But how was she still in the same spot? After a couple million years, wouldn't the current have sent her halfway around the world? It's also pretty coincidental that she's found the same night the Rangers find their Power Coins.
Why Are All The Rangers Okay With Murder?
For a movie that takes the time to sell these kids as average teenagers, they sure are okay with murder. When they find themselves on Zordon's alien ship, none of them hesitate to suggest killing whatever's on it. Even when they meet Alpha, the idea is still on the table. Then, when they hear they have to kill Rita, there are zero complaints. True, she's a murdering psycho, but these teens that are told "never to escalate a fight" sure don't have any qualms about escalating it to the extreme.
Where Is The Green Power Coin?
When the Power Rangers finally defeat Rita and send her hurtling toward space, it looks like she no longer has the Green Power Coin, seemingly the source of her power. Is it just lying somewhere in the ruins of the Krispy Kreme? The coin will assuredly come into play for a sequel, where a certain fan-favorite character will likely find it.
What Exactly Happened Between Rita And Zordon?
There's a lot of implied history between Rita and Zordon (Bryan Cranston). The two of them used to be on the same Power Rangers team before they had some kind of falling out that eventually led to the events of the film. This event is never explained in detail, but there must be more going on there than "Rita just went crazy." She certainly took issue with the idea of Zordon judging her. Is this something we could learn more about in future sequels?
With Rita Defeated, What Do The Rangers Do Now?
The whole reason the Power Rangers are formed is to stop Rita from creating Goldar and seizing the Zeo Crystal. With Rita safely floating in space, what exactly are the Rangers still needed for? Without monsters to fight, will they just stop regular criminals in Angel Grove, or are they going to go back to homework and detention? It's possible that a sequel could open with the Rangers having not morphed since the events of the first movie. Now that we think about it, that's actually a cool way to kick off Power Rangers 2.
Will Rita Build Her Moon Palace Now?
After Rita got bitch slapped into outer space, the moon was very clearly in the center background as she was sent hurtling. Rita most likely survives this, but will her trajectory put her on the moon? If it does, then she might build her moon palace, which served as her base of operations on the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers TV show. Now all she needs is a good enough telescope.
Is It The Green Power Coin That Gives Rita Her Powers?
Rita was the former Green Ranger, but her abilities seem to surpass what the Power Rangers are capable of. It's not like Jason and the gang have to learn how to master gold powers or create monsters or anything, so is that just something Rita can do on her own? Is it a special power she learned from her Power Coin? The Rangers don't exactly use many of their abilities, so it's tough to tell.
If The Other Four Rangers Control The Limbs, Then What Does Jason Do In The Megazord?
It was never clear on the show just who was controlling what on the Megazord, but the movie made it pretty clear that one limb is controlled by one Ranger each. That just leaves Jason, the Red Ranger, sitting in the center, so what is he doing exactly? The head doesn't do anything. He's clearly calling out orders and tactics, but is he just sitting there the whole time? He doesn't even get to control the weapons? So lame.
If The Rangers Don't Need To Morph To Operate The Zords, Then Why Not Just Always Be In The **Zords**?!
This is admittedly more of a gripe than a legitimate question, but still. The Rangers have trouble learning to morph, so Alpha shows them the Zords as an incentive. It's implied that they need to morph to be able to pilot them, but then Zack just gets in his and takes it for a joyride. He clearly has trouble, but later in the movie, Billy -- who is currently in his blue armor -- has just as much trouble, so the suits make no difference. Why not just learn to pilot the Zords and be in them all the time? Just stomp Rita (and any other villains) out, and call it a day.
Are They Going To Rebuild The Krispy Kreme?
I mean, it's the source of life for the entire planet, a truly marvelous place. Plus there's now a big hole with a glowing magic rock where it used to be, so something's gotta go there.
These are the questions that nagged our brains after Power Rangers, a fun movie that we still enjoyed! (Read our review.) And for a complete rundown of movies coming to theaters later this year, click this link.
