It is hard to imagine that the Power Rangers franchise is 16 years old! There are really not a lot of kid’s shows out there that can lay that type of claim for constant original programming, so I took a look at the first two volumes of Power Rangers: Jungle Fury entitled “Into the Jungle” and “Way of the Master”, which comprise the first 12 episodes of the series as seen on Jetix through Toon Disney.
Hardcore fans are well aware that the Power Rangers series was developed originally through a distribution deal with Saban Entertainment in which they took many of the Toei Studios Super Sentai Series (sentai meaning task force or fighting squadron) and marketed them for an American audience using the Power Rangers brand. In doing so, many new sequences were shot using young American actors in totally different situations, while utilizing the original Japanese stunts and effects sequences. While many fans of the original sentai series were put off by this ‘bastardization’, it’s hard to deny this formula has worked for an altogether new audience as shown by 16 years worth of programming. This latest incarnation in Power Rangers: Jungle Fury still utilizes these techniques and is derived from Toei’s show Juken Sentai Gekiranger.
The premise behind Power Rangers: Jungle Fury involves a young group of three elite martial artists (Casey, Theo, and Lily) that are part of the Order of the Claw. They have been specially chosen by their master (Mao) to watch over and ensure that the evil spirit Dai Shi does not get loose. Apparently centuries ago, Dai Shi waged war against humans using great beasts and the Order of the Claw utilized animal spirits to fight back and contain him, and have been watching over his imprisonment ever since. Unfortunately, a jealous former student named Jarrod, removed from the Order for his attitude and ego, releases Dai Shi and subsequently Mao is killed and Jarrod is possessed by Dai Shi. Casey, Theo, and Lily are sent to a new master, a seemingly slacker named R.J. who runs a pizza parlor (no lie), to continue their training by working with and for him, and use their powers and skills with animal spirits to combat Dai Shi, his minions, his giant monsters, all the evil that has arisen anew, as the latest Power Rangers!
Interestingly enough, though the back story seemed a bit convoluted and overly mystical for a kid’s show, most of the premise is established within the first few minutes of the first episode and once Casey, Theo, and Lily meet R.J. and start facing the monster-of-the-week, the show establishes its routine of lessons learned, teamwork, friendship, and how to believe in oneself, all the while kicking some evil butt with a wide array of powers, gadgets, and good old giant robots!
I found myself trying to watch these episodes with the mindset of its target audience, which is very much the pre-teen male demographic. For that crowd, Power Rangers: Jungle Fury offers a lot of action, some really nice special effects, and a decent storyline. The main characters are likable, the monster designs are good, and there is some goofy humor for laughs. The show really isn’t designed though for a broader audience and adults attempting to watch it with their kids will see several flaws. The premise is a bit forced until the characters get settled in and the humor is juvenile. There are a couple of just plain annoying characters (Flit, a nearly unbearable insect-like commentator) that interrupt the flow of the action and story at times. However, parents should appreciate that many of the episodes try hard to incorporate a worthy moral lesson, such as the benefit of teamwork, patience, or tolerance.
As a fan of Japanese special effects, I paid close attention to the work displayed in the episodes. First of all, if they are still incorporating the original Japanese footage with English footage, the editing is seamless. I honestly can’t tell where one ends and the other begins and that’s a credit to the current production values. The CGI work when the Rangers use their animal spirit powers is extremely well done. The monster designs and suit usage is adequate, though nothing that hasn’t been seen in many other sentai or henshin style shows.
Overall, I am not the audience for Power Rangers: Jungle Fury and I’m not sure how many of our readers are, but there is a generation of viewers that are the audience. Much like my childhood being filled with Transformers, Voltron, and Star Blazers leading me into a whole new world of animation and science fiction that only the Japanese could provide, Power Rangers continues to introduce young people to an all new universe of action and special effects and I can’t fault that!
