TV DVD Review: "Power Rangers Megaforce: The Great Dragon Spirit"

Rated: TV-Y7 for fantasy violence
Starring: Andrew M. Gray, Ciara Hanna, John Mark Loudermilk, Christina Masterson, and Azim Rizk
Released: April 6 - September 28, 2013 (original TV premieres) / April 8, 2014 (DVD)

Synopsis: The Power Rangers Megaforce, along with their mechanical ally the Robo Knight, find themselves in their toughest battles yet in this third set of episodes! When the ancient guardian Gosei tells of an ancient artifact that holds great power, the Rangers battle against the villains to get it...and even the Rangers' combined powers may not be enough! With new bad guys, new powers, it's going to take everything the Rangers have got to save the Earth once again!

The Good: Every episode of the Megaforce incarnation of Power Rangers is very much in the style of the original Mighty Morphin seasons, which isn't a bad thing...for the most part.  In these episodes, the Rangers use more than just brute force to defeat their enemies, though their Zords and blasters still come into play a lot.  The action is enthralling, and the special effects are fun, if not blockbuster movie quality.  As usual for this series, a lack of sexual content and profanity was a bonus.

The Bad: As much as I loved the action, I did think it was a bit brutal at times, especially for a show that will likely be seen by kids as young as five or six.  Also, I was rather disgusted by a scene where a monster passes gas.  A regular annoyance with this season is that the teenagers dress like cartoon characters; every time you see them in "unmorphed" form, they're wearing the same clothes.  Even if they wear their Ranger colors every time, they don't have to wear the same outfits.

Content Concerns:

• Sex: None. 5/5
• Nudity: Girl in short shorts. 4/5
• Language: Occasional usage of euphemisms, i.e., "Gosh darn it!" and name-calling. 4/5
• Violence: Though not bloody or graphic, the violence is rather intense, and every episode ends with the villain--a monster of sorts--being killed. 2/5
• Drugs: None. 5/5
• Frightening/Intense Scenes: The monsters are a bit scary-looking, and their voices are creepy, too. 3/5
• Other: A monster passes gas. 4/5

Conclusion: I've talked before about the interesting history I have with Saban's infamous franchise.  Though I largely avoided it for a while, over the past two years or so, I've been watching it like crazy, even making special requests at my local library to get it on DVD.  While kids may be the target audience for this series, I'm sure there are still adult fans, especially millenials who grew up with it.  For them I say, this is mostly quite fun; then again, I'm just a sucker for entertainment, so, what do I know?

Score: 4/5