Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie is a 1997 superhero action film directed by David Winning and Shuki Levy, starring Johnny Yong Bosch, Nakia Burrise, Steve Cardenas, Jason David Frank, Austin St. John, Blake Foster, Amy Jo Johnson, Hilary Shepard Turner, and Paul Schrier. The legendary Power Rangers must stop the evil space pirate Divatox from releasing the powerful Maligore from his volcanic imprisonment on the island of Muranthias, where only the kindly wizard Lerigot has the key to release him.

Plot: For all the flack this film gets, the story is just as fun and entertaining as the previous film. Still, it does lack the same impact of its predecessor. It a lot of aspects the film feels more like an extended episode rather than a full length movie. It’s not a boring story, and it does have some interesting elements, but the film just doesn’t feel compelling. It would’ve been nice to have actually seen a bit more about Divatox, Lerigot, and Maligore’s backstories. Also, there are really no interesting subplots. Yes, the Power Rangers are trying to stop Divatox, but outside of this there’s really nothing going on. Even the film’s climax feels exceptionally bland compared to other similar stories. Yes, it would’ve been nice to see how high the stakes could’ve been. There’s a bit of character growth and it’s mostly due to the character Justin. It’s a Power Rangers story but it should’ve deeper, more emotionally charged with more subplots to help “season” it. (3 out of 5)

Characters: For all those Power Rangers fans that love the characters in the series, they’ll love them in this film. The main characters are Adam (Green Turbo), Tanya (Yellow Turbo), Tommy (Red Turbo), Kat (Pink Turbo), and Justin (Blue Turbo). The characters are bit more balanced this time around with them having more time to shine. They still lack depth in their personal lives which could’ve added layers to the actual plot. I was worried about Justin being added to the team (as he’s a kid and everyone else are young adults) and he’s alright. Definitely changes the dynamic of the group. Kimberly and Jason come back and it’s great having them in the film, but I think their presence actually hurts the movie because their story and moments take away from the other Rangers. However, the star is the film’s main villain Divatox. She’s as cruel as Rita, but is probably one of the finest villains…hell characters in the entire franchise. Her personality is only balanced by her beauty and it’s nice to see a fun villain. Yeah, she’s cartoonish but she’s fun. Maligore is a cool villain but ultimately the character was rather weak. He has no memorable moments, doesn’t really do anything cool except fight at the end, and just falls under Divatox’s shadow. Divatox’s nephew Elgar, is just ridiculous and I’ve never liked the character, even in the series. In the end, the characters are good, but the most standout is Divatox, of course. (3 out of 5)

Cast: I liked the performances and the cast. The most standout is Hilary Shepard Turner as the villainous Divatox; the woman was just awesome. The main cast includes Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam), Nakia Burrise (Tanya), Blake Foster (Justin), Jason David Frank (Tommy), and Catherine Sutherland (Katherine). Austin St. John, Amy Jo Johnson, and Steve Cardenas make a return as Jason, Kimberly, and Rocky. We have Winston Richard (Zordon), Donene Kistler (Alpha 5), Jon Simanton (Lerigot), Paul Schrier (Bulk), Jason Narvy (Skull), Danny Wayne (Elgar), and Mike Deak (Maligore). You can’t go bad with this talent. (3 out of 5)

Visuals: There’s a lot to appreciate when it comes to the effects although there are some setbacks here and there. First, the Ranger suits go back to the traditional suits from the show and although I don’t like the skintights, they look really good. Set pieces look alright for the most part. I liked Divatox’s design; she’s sexy but not too revealing. I liked Maligore’s design. It more than makes up for his lack of presence. I’m on the fence about them going back to the traditional Zord effects. I would like for there to have been more CGI-like Zords (similar to Transformers). The fights this time around are a bit better but not by much. There isn’t a fight scene that has any actual intensity. Lerigot and his family…the puppeteering are fucking atrocious. Why they didn’t have people in make-up is beyond me. Honestly, the film does feel like a step back from the first. Zordon looks as shitty as he does in the show. (3 out of 5)

Score: Thumbs up to Shiki Levy for the soundtrack. It isn’t as impressive as Graeme Revell’s from the first film, but it’s still enjoyable. Hearing the Power Rangers Turbo theme during the desert scene was highly enjoyable. (3 out of 5)

Writing: The writing and direction will leave you disappointed. If the first film maintained the campiness of the series, then the second takes it overboard. All these one-liners, all the goofiness of the villains; it just makes the edgy atmosphere feel cartoonish in its execution. I still hate how poorly written the characters are. And the lack of exposition when it comes to the motivations we do see is just atrocious. The film was directed by David Winning and Shuki Levy and boy does it feel like it was directed by an amatuer. As I’ve said before this film feels like an extended episode. The action is nearly nonexistent, the humor is lacking, and there’s no emotional drama to help push the story forward. (2 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie just feels like a step down from the previous film. The campiness of the film actually effects the characters, dialogue, writing, and even the few action sequences. Yes, the performances are good, we have a great villainess, and the music is awesome. Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie gets 3 out of 5.