Warning: spoilers ahead for Power Rangers! Don't read any further if you have not seen the awesome reboot of the classic 1990s show!
If you grew up with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, there's a good chance that you feel vindicated right now. Against all the odds, Dean Israelite's Power Rangers turned out to be a splendid superhero origin story, and it has rejuvenated this franchise in a way that we couldn't have expected. That said, part of the charm of Power Rangers is the sheer reverence it has for what has come before it. After seeing the film several times over, we can confirm that it's jam-packed with goodies and references that will drive any self-respecting Power Rangers fan wild.
We've gone through the details and picked out nine specific references that the Power Rangers reboot makes towards its source material. Check out our list, and let us know which of these deep cuts is your favorite in the comments section below.
Snap's "The Power"
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is the quintessential 1990s property, so it only makes sense that the reboot has a ton of reverence for all of the Power Rangers goodness that characterized that decade. On that note, during the credits for the new Power Rangers movie, a remixed version of Snap's"The Power" plays in truly badass fashion. This song choice is particularly notable, because "The Power" played a prominent role on the soundtrack for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie back in 1995. Don't act like you don't miss all of that great 1990s hip hop.
Alpha Saying "Aye Aye Aye"
There have been a few different incarnations of Alpha 5 that have worked alongside a few different incarnations of Power Rangers teams over the years. That said, all versions of Alpha have one very particular thing in common: they all utter the phrase "aye aye aye" whenever they get frustrated. Bill Hader's version of the Android is no different, and he uses the legendary phrase to cope with the stress involved with getting the team ready to fight Rita Repulsa before she can use Goldar to destroy Angel Grove.
The Three Rules
There are rules that go along with the suits and Zords, and the Rangers are required to abide by these rules at all times. In the movie, this system is no different, as Zordon (Bryan Cranston) announces that the team must: never use their powers for personal gain; never escalate a fight unless Rita forces them to; and always maintain a secret identity. Although this seems like a minor detail (and standard superhero stuff, really), it's a fundamental aspect of the Power Rangers lore and sells how faithful this movie is to the source material.
"Go Go Power Rangers!"
As far as superhero theme songs go, you would be hard-pressed to find one that is more iconic than the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme from the 1990s. It's up there alongside the music for Batman 66. Luckily for all of us longtime fans, Dean Israelite's reboot found a place to incorporate the awesome music into the narrative. Once the Rangers finally morph and get into their respective Zords, they ride into battle with the beloved theme music. It's a bit jarring at first, but that doesn't take away from how cool it is.
"Make My Monster Grow"
Yet another famous Power Rangers catchphrase pops up towards the end of the film when Rita Repulsa starts building her Goldar with gold stolen from the mine just outside of Angel Grove. As the giant monster starts to come together, Rita loudly and proudly yells "make my monster grow!" This is one of the most iconic lines from the Power Rangers series of the 1990s, as Rita would yell out "magic wand, make my monster grow" whenever she wanted to escalate a fight to potentially apocalyptic levels in an attempt to destroy Zordon's team.
The Cameos
The 1990s was an era defined by pop culture couples. From Justin and Britney to Ross and Rachel, everyone had his or her favorite famous pairing -- regardless of whether or not they were fictional. For most superhero geeks during the 1990s, that honor fell to Kimberly and Tommy. Although Amy Jo Johnson and Jason David Frank had not starred alongside one another in a Power Rangers project since Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Dean Israelite found a way to get them both back together on screen as Angel Grove citizens in awe of the new Power Rangers.
The Zeo Crystal
The central MacGuffin of Power Rangers is a powerful artifact known as the Zeo Crystal. Although it may simply sound like a really cool sci-fi device to the non-Power Rangers fans, the presence of the crystal in the movie has huge implications for the future of the franchise. By introducing the Zeo Crystal during the very first Power Rangers movie, the series now has a wealth of new stories to choose from that could involve turning the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers into the Zeo Rangers, the Turbo Rangers, or even the Space Rangers
"It's Morphin Time"
Power Rangers is a franchise that's absolutely full of iconic catchphrases -- some of which we have already covered on this list. However, the most legendary catchphrase of the bunch is finally uttered by Jason towards the end of the film when the Rangers stand next to the Morphin Grid and prepare to finally turn into genuine Power Rangers. The moment Jason says "It's morphin time," everyone in the audiences knew that they would finally get their armor. Needless to say, when they walked out of The Command Center in full Power Rangers suits, we all cheered like kids.
The Scorpion In The Pit
During the Power Rangers training montage (which shows all of our heroes receive a thorough ass-kicking from hologram Putties) a scorpion can be seen crawling on a boulder in the corner of the pit. Although this could simply be an indication that the pit is a dangerous place, the imagery of a scorpion crawling on a rock seems like a dead giveaway that Power Rangers is teasing the introduction of fan-favorite villain Scorpina for a future film. Scorpina has a rivalry with Tommy Oliver, so perhaps we will get a chance to see them face off.
