Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Five Things Dino Charge Simply Must Have

News of Judd Lynn's return to Power Rangers has inspired hope for a return to form for the franchise. Before reality sets in, here's a list of five things I believe Dino Charge simply must have.

5. A Mentor


"I'm going to murder you."

Let's get real for a moment. Power Rangers hasn't had a mentor figure since Jungle Fury. Sure, you have Doctor K, Ji, and even Gosei serve their purpose of handing out power ups and arsenal or expelling expository dialogue. But when was the last time we had a mentor who.... was a mentor to the team? We need a wise old sage who's seen a thing or two. Who has something of value to teach the Rangers, and in turn, the intended audience.

4. Secret Identities

"Oh, goodness. Look at my wrist. I gotta go."

The juggling act of a super hero with a secret identity is not only an integral component of early Power Rangers, but a staple in the entire super hero genre. How the Rangers struggle to keep their powers a secret adds storytelling variety to a series vulnerable to monotonous repetition. Watching the Rangers balance saving the world and homework is a key ingredient.

3. A New Beginning


"Not bad, rookie."

When Abaranger came around, the dinosaur theme was as good an excuse as any to bring the series back to its roots. Teenagers with attitude. Kyoryugerr is presenting a similar opportunity, and after a 20 season team up event, this seems like a good time to start fresh. Lay the groundwork for a new Ranger era. Seal the deal with a well placed torch passing cameo from Austin St. John. 


2. A Story to Tell
All things were possible in Dino Thunder.

The best seasons have a story to tell. It doesn't have to be a complex or particularly complicated story, but a coherent one. This means riding that line of knowing when to draw from the source material and when to veer in a different direction. The Sentai is your road map, but don't stray away from taking detours or finding a new, better way to reach your destination. Make the journey an interesting one.


1. Characters

Run up to any 25 year old and yell "MAKE MY MONSTER GROW!" 
They will instantly know exactly what you're talking about.

Power Rangers has never been a source of nuanced, complicated characters. And it doesn't need to be. We don't need well written characters, we need memorable ones. Villains with big, larger than life personalities. Monsters of the week with distinct voices. Bumbling bullies. Kind hearted allies in the fight against evil. Rangers with unshakable resolve and a cringe inducing need to always do the right thing. In short, give us someone to root for.


That's my two cents. What do you think Dino Charge simply must have?

3 comments:

  1. We need more comic relief for sure, and a dumb but strong villain like elgar and goldar

    ReplyDelete