Latest news with #PowerRangers
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The Simple Joys of Watching a Giant Robot Knee a Giant Monster in the Balls
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie is a movie filled with many absurd excesses. A combination of the intense mania surrounding the '90s phenomenon and a big-picture budget, it is a film that constantly asks the question, 'What if we could possibly be doing the most at all times?' The film also constantly answers that. From the opening skydiving sequence to the Rangers' new 'armored' super suits slapping layers of plasticky padding on top of their now even shinier, faux-leathered Spandex suits, to a climactic CG smackdown that includes perhaps some of the most chromed but worst-aged visual effects of the decade, Power Rangers: The Movie might as well have just been called Power Rangers: More instead. Which is why it remains absurdly funny that that excessive CG showdown that wraps the film up comes down to one simple moment. It's the moment Aisha decides to defeat the big bad of the piece, Ivan Ooze, by kneeing him in the dick. Okay, she's admittedly kneeing him in the dick to punt him in the direction of a passing comet so he can violently explode into, well, ooze. But still, it's a moment of sheer simplicity in a climax that's already about doing the most that remains profoundly funny to this day, even if much of the movie around it struggles to hold up. Let's rewind a little. The battle between Ooze—who becomes giant-sized, as the third act of any Power Rangers story demands, by taking over the body of one of his Zord-esque minions, the Ecto-Morphicons—and the Rangers' brand-new Ninja Megazord begins on Earth, a brief but titanic battle that is now best remembered for its absolutely wild CGI. Ooze and the Megazord themselves are rendered in the chromiest chrome to ever grace a chrome-silver screen, and while rudimentary to modern standards, you can still see the spirit of what the creative team was trying to capture here. This was a chance to do more than what could usually be done with Power Rangers' TV budget and people-in-suits mecha/monster action. It's clunky, sure, but not clunky in that live-action, model work, and rubber suit way, and brief because there's no doubt that, for as laughably off as it looks to us now, at the time this looked expensive. There are rolls, there's a smoothness to the Zord's and Ooze's action; there is even a great, quick cut to a practical model when Ivan tosses the Megazord through a building—it's just that you can barely see it because it's not illuminating the screen with the sheen of polished chrome that the VFX Zord model has. The fight takes to the skies and into space (because again, if you were asking 'more,' where else would you take it?) as the shiny CG models of Ooze and the Megazord hurtle around each other, locked in supposedly dire combat. Sparks start flying in the cockpit; things look bad for the Rangers as they try to free themselves in time to enact their last-ditch plan of using the passing comet to destroy Ooze. And it's only then that Aisha decides enough is enough. 'Desperate times call for desperate measures,' she says, flicking a series of switches at her console before cracking open a comically huge red button labeled 'FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY.' Slamming it with all the might she can muster—heralded by the equally comical blaring of a horn that sounds more like a clown car than the weapons system of a giant robot—what happens is not some massive beam attack or some otherwise unholy flashing of visual effects. The Megazord just… knees Ivan in the dick. Sure, it looks like it hurts; the Ninja Megazord has a spiked piece of knee armor that no one would be comfortable getting hit in the junk with. But this is the attack that saves the day, that sends Ooze spinning off into the path of the comet so he can explode in that typically Power Rangers flourish of pyrotechnics. There's something charming that in a movie about giving in to excess, this simple move—one that feels ripped right out of Power Rangers and its Japanese sibling Super Sentai's practical stunts work, of people just grappling and punching at each other in oversized rubber suits—is what seals the deal. And 30 years later, it's still an utter delight to watch unfold. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Express Tribune
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
28 Years Later: Fans question ending amid Power Rangers comparisons
The ending of 28 Years Later has divided fans after an unexpected twist that many are comparing to Power Rangers. While the film features tense action and horror sequences, it closes with a stylised scene that caught audiences off guard. As Spike (Alfie Williams) faces a swarm of infected, a group in colourful tracksuits appears, fighting off zombies with martial arts. Their leader, Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell), invites Spike to join them. The dramatic shift in tone, featuring coordinated moves and vibrant outfits, drew immediate comparisons to the classic action series. On social media, viewers shared mixed reactions. One wrote, 'The ending of 28 Years Later was crazy where Df the power rangers came from,' while another commented, 'I didn't expect a cameo from the power rangers.' A third added, 'I swear some of the choices in that movie are just baffling and that ending straight up does feel like an episode from Power Rangers.' Some pointed to a Power Rangers toy shown earlier in the film as a potential clue to the ending. 'Spike had some sort of Power Ranger toy that he was gonna take with him and his dad,' one viewer noted. Director Danny Boyle addressed the scene in an interview with The Independent, saying, '[The ending] is about reintroducing evil into what has been a compassionate environment,' and explained that each film explores a theme—this one, the nature of evil. As discussion continues, anticipation grows for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, set to release on January 16, 2026.
Newsweek
22-06-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Boy Wears Eyepatch in First School Photo—Had No Idea the Danger He'd Beaten
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A man who lost his eye to cancer as a child has shared a school photograph taken not long after, and which one commenter said made him "the coolest kid in class." Dertrick Winn Jr, 31, from Austin, Texas, took to Reddit's r/OldSchoolCool on June 17 via his account u/ninjadertie, where he wrote simply: "I lost my eye to cancer when I was about 5. This is me on my first picture day (1998)." Attached to the post was the school photograph, with Winn beaming at the camera, his denim shirt buttoned up to the last, and a large black patch covering one of his eyes. "It's honestly my favorite photo ever, and the memories that it triggers are all good ones," he told Newsweek. "I got a lot of comments saying I was brave, and a warrior, and an inspiration. Those comments are very kind. I'm sure they were all true about me, but what's also the truth is I had no idea the kind of danger I had overcome. "I was treated with so much love and attention that I probably just thought I had the flu or something. I spent most of my time in the hospital playing video games, watching the Power Rangers movie on repeat and chasing medicine with apple juice. The whole thing felt like a sweet adventure and the older I get, the more I'm convinced that that is exactly what it was." He remembers it all, he told Newsweek—"I even remember the first day waking up after my enucleation, the surgical removal of my eyeball." Enucleation sees the entire eye removed, but the muscles that control eye movement left intact and resewn to the artificial eye, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Winn shared in a Reddit comment that he now uses a fake eye. Recalling the surgery, Winn said he and his family were staying at the Ronald McDonald House, which houses the families of sick children, and he awoke with a "huge egg-shaped bandage on my eye. Dertrick Winn Jr at around five years old, wearing a patch after losing his eye to cancer. Dertrick Winn Jr at around five years old, wearing a patch after losing his eye to cancer. Reddit u/ninjadertle "But even then, I didn't really seem to 'get' that my right eye had been removed. It was almost as if nothing changed at all, and honestly, I may have been too young to comprehend what exactly had taken place." He called the "eye patch days" at school "a bit of a blur," but remembers "getting a lot of attention from my fellow classmates". Most of it was general curiosity, he said, adding that he doesn't recall any bullying or "anything negative at all." Despite his huge positivity, with Winn revealing his memories of cancer treatment are "mostly fond ones," there are still some things he is "haunted" by, he admitted. Slipping in and out of consciousness under anaesthesia, still "mumbling words of encouragement" to his mother who was by his side at every moment; trying to get out of a hospital bed and being "pushed back down by several clammy, gloved hands" who he understands now weren't trying to hurt him, but whose weight he can still remember; and above all, "the smell of those medical masks." "I have had to wear the mask again for things like dental surgery and lasik and other post-cancer related things in adulthood," he said, and has to steel himself—"because as soon as I get a whiff of that mask, I can almost surely feel the hands pressing me against the bed." He recalled his mother—who is working on a book on her and her son's story—being by his side for everything he went through, even though she was so young herself at the time. "She was 14 when she gave birth to me and had to become an emancipated minor to sign all of the paperwork at the appointments," he said. "My dad stayed behind to work, so most of the trips to Houston were just little me and teenage her on a Greyhound." Winn's Reddit post of his five-year-old self in the eyepatch caught a huge amount of attention, racking up more than 100,000 likes, as one commenter wrote simply: "This would literally be the coolest kid in the class and no one would be able to top this." "Losing an eye to cancer sucks. You're a warrior," another praised Winn, as another said he was "cute but brave too"—to which Winn replied: "My parents are the brave ones."
Boston Globe
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘28 Years Later' is a coming-of-age sequel with an identity crisis
For the most part, though, '28 Years Later' is a coming-of-age tale centered around Spike (Alfie Williams), a 12-year-old boy born after the outbreak. Spike is (almost) ready to trade in his Power Rangers toys for bows and arrows in order to join his very manly father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), for his first trip foraging the mainland, now filled with new dangers like the 'Alpha' (infected who are more intelligent and boast superhuman strength). They must also care for Spike's mother and Jamie's wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), who suffers from an illness causing hallucinations and memory problems. From left: Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his son Spike (Alfie Williams) in "28 Years Later." Miya Mizuno Advertisement Like the original, which captivated audiences with its intimate portrayal of a found family coming together at the end of the world, '28 Years Later' shines best when it focuses on the humanity of its core characters. The complicated father-son relationship drives the first half of the film, as the stern but loving Jamie teaches his son brutal lessons of living among the infected. 'The more you kill, the easier it gets,' he tells Spike in a scene where they find an infected man with a bag over his head strung up in a house and are forced to shoot him. It's one of several emotionally charged and violent moments that start to erode Spike's innocence. Their bond frays after their harrowing return home, culminating in Spike learning a fact kept hidden by Jamie: There's a mysterious doctor on the mainland (Ralph Fiennes) who might be able to help his sick mother. That secret and other morally questionable decisions shatter Spike's image of his dad. He sets out with his mother in search of the doctor, leaving Jamie behind. From left: Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his son Spike (Alfie Williams) in "28 Years Later." Miya Mizuno Williams brings the raw emotion needed for these pivotal sequences (in one heartbreaking moment, Spike recoils after getting slapped by his father), and, overall, turns in a standout performance. Taylor-Johnson and Comer are quite powerful, too, in their parental roles; I wouldn't have minded more screen time from either. But '28 Years Later' too often veers away from this compelling family drama in favor of zombie-killing spectacle, with blood splatters and bullet-time freezes attached to nearly every slash, shot, and bite (it gets old fast). Some scenes come off more like mindless grindhouse gore than something I was expecting from the filmmakers behind the experimental, claustrophobic original. Advertisement The new film also shifts the antagonist role almost exclusively onto the zombies, like a generic monster movie. But most baffling is the film's uneven use of humor. With '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,' another sequel written by Garland and directed by Nia DaCosta ( From left: Spike (Alfie Williams), Isla (Jodie Comer), and Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) in "28 Years Later." Miya Mizuno There are other odd moments of humor, too, often from Fiennes's Dr. Kelson, who is not the menacing presence we're led to believe. He's a boogie man turned eccentric sage of sorts for Spike, reminding me of Old Man Marley from 'Home Alone,' but if he stumbled into 'Mad Max.' The iodine-stained doctor is not so scary once you get to know him, made palpable thanks to Fiennes's charm. The biggest laughs, however, belong to Edvin Ryding's Erik, a smart-mouthed Swedish soldier stranded in the quarantined country. Erik and Spike have a genuinely funny exchange about all the new inventions that locked-down Britain has missed out on over the decades, like smartphones and lip fillers. Erik's frank reactions to the zombie mayhem bring a few chuckles too, but his brief cameo felt better suited for a franchise like 'Zombieland.' '28 Years Later' isn't sure what kind of movie it wants to be: Action-comedy? Gory grindhouse? Serious family drama? Despite some interesting concepts and commendable lead performances, its identity problems alienate. It seems like the years have finally caught up. Advertisement ★★ 28 YEARS LATER Directed by Danny Boyle. Written by Alex Garland. Starring Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, and Ralph Fiennes. At Alamo Drafthouse Seaport, AMC Boston Common, AMC Causeway, AMC South Bay Center, Coolidge Corner Theatre, Landmark Kendall Square, suburbs. 115 minutes. R (bloody violence, grisly images, language, and lots of graphic zombie nudity) Matt Juul can be reached at
CNA
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Power Rangers star Erin Cahill to attend Singapore Comic Con in December
It's time for Time Force this December, as American actress Erin Cahill will attend Singapore Comic Con 2025. For kids who grew up in the 90s, Cahill, 45, is best known for her role as Jen Scotts, the Pink Ranger, in the 2001 series Power Rangers Time Force – the ninth season of the Power Rangers franchise. Video game fans, on the other hand, will know her as the voice of Chloe "Karma" Lynch in Call of Duty: Black Ops II. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Retro Experience (@ Erin Cahill will be at the booth of events management company Retro Experience on both days of Singapore Comic Con 2025: Dec 6 and 7. The company previously hosted the cast of Power Rangers In Space at last year's Singapore Comic Con. Meet and greet opportunities with Cahill are available at the event, with packages starting at S$50. All available packages can be purchased via this website. Do note that fans will need to purchase a separate entry ticket to Singapore Comic Con 2025. Tickets for the two-day convention will go on sale at a later date. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Retro Experience (@ This marks the second time that Retro Experience is hosting a cast member of Power Rangers Time Force at their Singapore Comic Con booth.
