A Look At Red #18

And Again...



Character: Casey
Actor: Jason Smith
Ranger: Red Tiger
Picture From: Power Rangers Jungle Fury





For those of you observant enough, yes. I skipped a number mainly because I wanted to break order and say how cute (wiggles fingers like she's cooing a newborn) the new Red Ranger is. So this is mostly a snippet of the current Red Ranger that may or may not be updated as the series continues.

Why was he chosen to be Red? (takes deep breath) Because he's just so adorable and a quick learner that one week after starting at the top secret kenpou school located in the middle of a dense jungle that may or may not be in New Zealand/California, (Ran out of breath) cowed a senior student that was being an ass.

So um... we'll see if this series is worth watching after seeing the cute and cuddly wuddly little ranger (they even address him as a cub at the beginning) ok I'm sure that the actor would like being called cuddly wuddly seeing as how he's 23... I think.

A Look At Red #16

And to begin once again...

Character: Nick Russell (Bowen)
Actor: Firass Dirani
Ranger: Red Mystic Ranger, The Light
Picture From: Ranger Central



I've decided to return to my commentary on the Red Rangers with a continuing installment of the men in Red. At first I held no interest whatsoever in the current season. I don't believe the writers really quite knew what to do with the character of Nick. Firass is actually a decent actor but the role was flatter than a steamrolled pancake. There was great angst potential with him and it fell a bit short. Let's break down the angst module:

Heavy hinting from the very first episode (via a red blanket) that he is the long lost child of Udonna (Snow White at 40) when he does find out that Udonna is his mother its so anti-climatic... no grand declarations that "It's not true! That's in impossible" just a simple.. "You're my mom? Hi mom!"

Koragg, turning out to be his dad under a really powerful spell, would certainly be a cause for great angst. And that angle seemed to be the only avenue for his angst to vent. (Being psychically linked to your postal dad that's trying to kill you, tends to do that to a person)

Being the outsider from the big city to the small sleepy town (with a major shopping district for destroying massive amounts of buildings and property) and being the first accused of any deviant behavior (Ala stealing the daily deposit to the record store) was touched on mildly but later repercussions never thoroughly discussed.

All in all... Nick was a pretty bland character who might have been a slightly less mediocre Ranger had it not been for Richard Brancatisano's (Xander) show stealing presence.

A sad season

After watching the 3rd episode of Power Rangers Mystic Force... I think I'm actually going to hang my hat up on this series until next year. The premise this year is just a little bit too much. Usually there's only one maybe two Rangers in a series that I don't like and the plot is campy yet still fun to watch... This year, it's like they combined Tir Na Nog with Power Rangers and then ran with it. If you can, I'd recommend watching Mahou Sentai Majiranger (the Japanese version). There's actually a plot there and the red ranger is cute and I love the green ranger's hair. Yes that's a random reason to like the series but, hey! There's no need for logic when it comes to Sentai :)

"Destroy" versus "Death" in Power Rangers

Ok, having deep thoughts about Power Rangers is like contemplating whether Moo Goo Gai Pan tastes like chicken or pork, however, I do find it interesting that not a single Ranger in the cast has ever "died" (Zordon doesn't really count). I thought they were getting somewhere in the first episode of Time Force when Alex "Died" but no no, he turns up again later with no real explanation on how he survived other than the fact that Jen didn't wait to find out whether he was actually dead or just unconscious.

I was torturing Kalinara tonight by showing her the first two episodes of the new Mystic Force season and a thought crossed my mind. (yes I know, a rare event.) Why does no one say "Die" in Power Rangers? Instead of saying. "I don't want to die." they'll say "I don't want to be destroyed."

To me, being destroyed is much worse, a fate worse than death in my mind, because you can still be "alive" and be destroyed; a mass of broken pieces that can never know peace.

So, Power Rangers teaches us that villains and heroes get destroyed as if both were inhuman devices with no souls and it's perfectly fine for both to be destroyed because they really weren't alive in the first place. Versus saying that life is organic and death is a possible reality.

First Impressions: Power Rangers Mystic Force

Well, I happened to peak in last week and watch the first two episodes of Power Rangers Mystic Force. I'm not exactly sure what I think. The forced ethnic diversity of the show seemed a lot more muted, as well as the attempt to hide everyone's New Zealand accents. Xander's is especially thick. Watching the episode my mind went: "This is so close to the Japanese version... yet so very very different."

Other thoughts:
The show feels like one of those kids shows like Ocean Girl that aired on the CBC from New Zealand during an after school slot (4:30pm if memory serves) thinking a little bit on it, I guess it would qualify now.

Nick has eyes that make me want to stare at him. His eyes are very captivating, his acting is not.

I love it! A Pink Ranger that doesn't Think Pink.

The world of Power Rangers has a funny way of not saying someone dies or is out to kill them. They say "destroy" instead. So question... Are they machines? Yes I know you can destroy a body, but usually someone says they don't want to be killed... not destroyed. Interesting concept

I think I would have preferred the Japanese version of the non-morphed color coded outfits. There's just something about these that make me go. "Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog... cheap cosplay?"

And last... If the Yellow Ranger is male... must he be a complete ditz?

A Look at Red #15

And that brings us finally to...

Character: Jack Landers
Actor: Brandon Jay McLaren
Ranger: Red Space Patrol Delta Ranger, B-Squad
Picture From: Ranger Central

The reason I started this long glorious look at Red. In 14 Red Rangers, there's never been one to willingly quit. I can accept him being a complete jerk in the beginning; but the amount of his redemption away from being a complete and total jackass doesn't out weigh the fact that he repeatedly refuses to listen to his teammates who are almost always right.

The other Rangers do their best to work with what they've been handed. You can actually sympathize with Sky when he complains that he's more deserving than Jack in becoming the Red Ranger. In the last few episodes he shirks his duties to go off to play with his new found girlfriend. And of course he leaves his badge/comunicator/morpher in a spot he won't hear it, leaving the Rangers hanging. The least he could do was request time off and ask the others if they understood if he left as soon as the monster was destroyed.

But my main problem with Jack is a little unfair. My main problem is that even if Ban (Japanese version of Jack's Character) were on Ritalin, he would make Jack look like he were on tranquilizers trying to stay awake.

Ban's fire fused the others into being a team, and his energy carried them through everything trial and tribulation. He was a great character, and I was so excited to see how they'd import it into Power Rangers. They managed to get the characterizations of the other characters great; Sky and Bridge being the closest characters to the Japanese version, and then there's Jack. 

A Look at Red #14

Really there's a brain under that dumb jock exterior... really there is... ok even I can't lie that badly.

Character: Conner McKnight
Actor: James Napier
Ranger: Red Tyrano Dino Ranger
Photo From: Ranger Central

Conner had the misfortune of being a Ranger on the same team as the "Legendary" Tommy Oliver, or Dr. O as he's referred to by the other Rangers. Despite that he makes a decent Field Commander. OK, he's a figurehead leader who doesn't have any qualms about being a figure head. His job is to fight, look pretty, and be an arrogent prick with a secret soft heart. It works for him, amazingly so. 

A Look at Red #13

He kind of counts. Where else are you going to put the first male pink ranger?

Character: Hunter Bradley
Actor: Adam Tuominen
Ranger: "Crimson" Thunder Ranger
Picture From: PRM Ninja Storm...

I almost didn't include Hunter in my little rant... You just can't ignore a Ranger whose "color" says that he's a color of deep dark red, but ends up looking on most people's TVs as fuschia. He was a very manly Pink Ranger, and so I must give him props under Red. You go Hunter! 

A Look at Red #12

He wasn't hired for his brains ladies...

Character: Shane Clarke
Actor: Pua Magasiva
Ranger: Red Wind Ranger
Photo From: PRM Ninja Storm...

Ninja Storm was a great series, why? Because they make no qualms about the characters being dumb. The first three Rangers we see were chosen not because they were the best and the brightest. No, they were chosen because they were the last members of their school left, because they were goofing off and showed up after everyone was taken hostage.

Shane as a Red Ranger is naturally arrogent, however, he doesn't completely discount out of hand the members of his team. It takes him a couple of eps to realize they can work very well as a team, but he learns his lesson. So in a nutshell, he's sexy, he's red, and he can lead his team by being a contributing member.

A Look at Red #11

How do I loathe thee...

Character: Cole Evans
Actor: Ricardo Medina Jr.
Ranger: Red Wild Force Ranger
Photo From: Ranger Central

Another Red Ranger not beginning as leader but warming the hearts of his comrads and assuming the leader position if anyone asks. Cole is a Ranger I hated with a passion. His character seemed to be a Tommy Oliver marty stew wanna be. . . as if the character of Tommy isn't marty stew enough. I swear I went into near convulsions of revulsion everytime he said "For the Earth!" either that or want to watch Captain Planet and the Planeteers. He got to save the day in Forever Red the 10th year anniversary in a way that was extremely twitch worthy.

The only thing that made me chuckle was when Merrick came onto the show as first a kick ass bad guy and then as the 6th Ranger and Cole makes mention of seeing a guy bathing in a lake (and of course we flash to a naked Merrick bathing naked in a lake with a little huskie swimming around him.) All I'm saying is, he must have gotten mighty close to be able to tell the damn dog was half wolf. 

A Look at Red #10

The second half of the ambiguously gay duo...

Character: Eric Meyers
Actor: Daniel Meyers
Ranger: Quantum Ranger
Photo From: Quantum Power!

Eric takes the term hardass to a level nevel before seen on Power Rangers. He's the first 6th Ranger that's Red, he's also the first Ranger that sides with only himself when he first receives his Powers. He was originally Wes's "friend" in Prep School. (Yeah he's Wes's "friend" just like Achilles was Patroclus' cousin.. cousin yeah that's it, cousin.) As the series unfolds, the Leader of the Silver Guardians (That would be Eric at the moment) lets some of his ice queen exterior melt and the two Red Rangers re-establish their bond. Eventually Wes inherits the position of Leader of the Silver Guardians and requests Eric as his (coughs) partner.

I admit, initially I hated Eric for being an ass. Then I realized that was what I liked about him the most. And on another note, watching the Japanese crossover episode for this series my brain halted onto one peg seeing the resemblence to the Japanese version of his character. They look very much alike, in appearance and demeanor. That was one very very good bit of casting. 

A Look at Red #9

The first half of the ambiguously gay duo...

Character: Wesley Collins / Alex
Actor: Jason Faunt
Ranger: Red Time Force Ranger
Picture from: Futures Apart // Images of Jason Faunt...

There's something about the name "Jason" that draws me to a Ranger. Whether it be the actor's name or the character's name.

Alex and Wes are near genetic douplicates 3000 years apart. This enables Jen (Pink Ranger) to give Wes a morpher locked by DNA encoding thus enabling the Time Force Rangers to activate their powers and become a full team. His angst... because we know by default he has some... is that he's a rich playboy trying to pull away from his father's influence and at the same time trying to be loved by him, the Rangers (Jen) hate him because he looks so much like Alex, and Eric (the second half of the ambiguously gay duo) hates his guts for well... being a rich boy (you might read that as unwitting suducer, but then there's Jen.)

Overcoming the role of outsider to the group of time traveling cops, Wes gives up his inheritence and helps the Rangers make a new home for themselves in the year 2000. His overpowering charisma, ability to fight, and surprising selflessness earn him respect by his team. Making him one of the few Rangers actually having to earn their way to leader after joining the team.

As for Alex, he had a heroic 'death' in the first episode, came back as a complete jerk, though slightly sympathetic.. slightly, and then regaining respect from the rest of the team by helping Wes.

If going by length... yes I do believe Wes is my favorite Ranger. ^_^ 

A Look at Red #8

Lightspeed Rescue as a series is somewhat of a sore spot for me. Don't ask... it stems from a very irrational reason. It's a TV show for Pete's sake, and a bad one at that!

Character: Carter Grayson
Acter: Sean CW Johnson
Ranger: Red Rescue Ranger
Photo From: Ranger Central

I admit that I haven't seen very much of this season. I pretty much caught the episodes in which Ryan (The Titanium Ranger) came on to the scene, a few around the time he "leaves" and the Ending. As a Leader Carter is a man that plays by the rules to the point that he comes across as having a Ten Foot Pole shoved up his nether regions (or Ryan if the general concensus is true :P ) He also has the honor of being the first Red Ranger to make me twitch. 

A Look at Red #7

Hurt me I'm pretty...

Character: Leo Corbett
Actor: Danny Slavin
Ranger: Red Galaxy Ranger
Photo From: Realm of Fire - Danny Slavin Online

Again with the angst. Having to deal with not actually pulling the sword from the stone, Leo walks in the shadow of his Hero older brother whom for half of the series is believed to be dead. (Not hard to believe he isn't... seeing some one fall into a bottomless chasm tends to make one believe death is certain.) He began as a carefree kid who just wanted to see the universe by stowing aboard a shuttle for Terra Venture.

He spends most of his time on the show getting injured like a good little Red Ranger, dodging the Kai - the Blue Ranger, and angsting over the fact that he's the replacement for his brother whom is more deserving (so he thinks.) But most of all he looks pretty. If he wasn't so gung-ho about making everything right, I'd hate him.

This season also had several episodes that were very character driven and had little to do with actually being Power Rangers but humans in an unknown environment. 

A Look at Red #6

Get it? Striped hair = Alien

Character: Andros of KO-35
Actor: Christopher Khayman Lee
Ranger: Red Space Ranger
Photo From: /ckl; a christopher khayman lee site

Red Rangers are supposed to have Angst. It's apart of what defines them as a Ranger. TJ had no real angst as Red Ranger; his angst only came later. Andros on the other hand has volumes of angst. A leader with no angst is boring.

Andros brings angst to the color Red by having his younger sister kidnapped by aliens at a young age, later finding out that his archnemesis is his aformentioned missing sister, a best friend sleeping in cryo because he took a near fatal shot for him, returns his sister to the side of good only to have her taken away and brainwashed again, and the topper of it all Andros has the dubious honor of killing Zordon - The Ultimate Mentor of All Rangers for over 10,000 years. Like I said... Angst baby... Angst.

A Look at Red #5

Filler of large shoes...

Character: Theodore Jay Jarvis "TJ" Johnson (why did they have to give him such a horrid name? Theodore Johnson would have sufficed for TJ)
Actor: Selwyn Ward
Ranger: Red Lightning Turbo & Blue Space Rangers
Photo From: Unknown (My brain is like a well greased sieve. Not much sticks)

TJ had a rather unfortunate career as Red Leader. He had the daunting job of replacing the Ranger with one of the largest fan followings and managed to be the Ranger to have the Power Chamber blow up on them. (Tommy doesn't count as blowing up the Command Center as a Ranger because he was technically Powerless at the time... I think.) In spite of it all he was a goof ball and managed to balance it well with being a decent team leader. 

A Look at Red #4

All hail to the Pirate King! Tommy is a record holder to beat all record holders in the Power Ranger Universe.

Character: Tommy Oliver
Actor: Jason David Frank
Ranger: (cracks knuckles) Green Dragon Dino, White Tiger Thunder, White Falcon Ninja (& Ninjetti), Red Zeo #5, Red Lightning Turbo, and last but probably not the final, Black Brachiosaurus Dino Thunder Rangers.
Photo from: Frankly Jason

Seeing as how you'd probably need a whole blog just to talk about Jason's character I'll just talk about Red. Tommy had a slight advantage, ok a large advantage over other Red Rangers in that he'd already been the leader of the Team before donning the imposing color. He pretty much let the team do it's own thing and if anyone asked who the leader was they'd all point to him unanimously so that he'd be the one to land on his but after being beat up by a girl.

So essentially, Tommy's role was to look pretty, have someone else think of something, and be on the spot marked X where his teammates need him to be. Whether it's coming to the rescue or to be the damsel... er hero in distress. 

A Look at Red #3

Some would say like Paul McGann, Aurico doesn't count. But he was a Ranger, appeared in more than one episode, and was in the 10th Anniversery special as a Ranger, so he counts :: blows raspberries ::

Character: Aurico
Actor: David Bacon (I pride myself in the fact I actually had to look that up)
Photo from: Alien Ranger Pictures

I don't remember much about this character as he pretty much only appeared in the mini-series Alien Rangers and the 10th Anniversery special, and even in the special I don't believe it was the same actor, as we never see him demorph. He was co-Leader of his team sharing the position with Delphine, the White Alien Ranger. She brains, he braun, them mash! 

A look at Red #2

So he was never a team leader. He was still a man in Red...

Character: Rockwell "Rocky" DeSantos
Actor: Steve Cardenas
Ranger: Red Dragon Thunder & Blue Zeo #3 Rangers
Photo From: Ranger Central

The first thing I remember about Rocky is his ability to do the full splits. There's just something about a guy that can spread his legs more than 180° that get's to me right there.

But I digress; being one of a small group of Rangers wearing Red yet never holding the position of Leader (only 2 if memory holds,) we had the opportunity to see a goof ball in action without trying to balance the role of leader on his shoulders.  

A Look at Red #1

Looking at my last post... I realized that in order to define how disappointed I am in Jack's character I had to look at the past Red Rangers. And well, it's always best to begin at the beginning...

Character: Jason Lee Scott
Actor: Austin St. John
Ranger: Red Tyranosaurus Rex Dino & Red Dragon Thunder Rangers
Photo from: Ranger Central

Jason is the standard of which all others are compared. He was the first Red American Power Ranger. His code of Honor was strong and he knew how to get the most out of his team. Such as not discounting Billy because he was a weak fighter, but relying on his intelligence and helping him to increase his fighting abilities.

On a side note. I find it interesting that the 500th episode coincided with the Ranger season called Dino Thunder (combining the names of the first two sets of powers for the show), and Tommy's return... Coincidence? I think not!