The 1990s’ Power Rangers mania is one of the main reasons why the franchise remains so popular to this day. Even though Power Rangers is primarily aimed at younger audiences, those who grew up with Mighty Morphin and other Zordon Era shows will always have a soft spot for the franchise. Even someone who hasn’t watched Power Rangers in years will names like Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, or Ivan Ooze. Interestingly, neither Ivan Ooze nor anything else from the 1995 Power Rangers movie was ever part of the show’s official canon.

Learning That Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie Isn’t Canon Was Heartbreaking

My Favorite Power Rangers Story Never Happened In Canon

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) featured the cast of MMPR in a brand-new adventure but is not considered canon. The film works as an alternate take on the TV series and makes both small and significant changes to the preestablished Power Rangers canon. From the design of the Command Center to how Zordon’s energy tube works, the Power Rangers movie includes dozens of inconsistencies when compared to the TV show and cannot be considered part of the Mighty Morphin canon. Instead, it is better perceived as a standalone adventure set in an alternate continuity.

As a kid who would watch Power Rangers: The Movie almost every day, those inconsistencies were never a problem. While I did notice that the Power Rangers' costumes and the Command Center suddenly looked much better than they had ever looked on the show, I was still a few years away from becoming worried about canon and continuity. Still, once I realized that there was no way the Power Rangers movie could fit into the same universe as the TV show, I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed. My favorite Power Rangers adventure had never been a canon story.

The concept of “canon” in a TV show aimed at children is very loose, but Power Rangers at least tried to keep its main universe somewhat consistent. For example, in "Clash of the Red Rangers," the show establishes that Power Rangers R.P.M. takes place in an alternate universe from the other shows, which solved quite a few inconsistencies created by R.P.M.’s post-apocalyptic setting. Likewise, Dino Charge avoided retconning MMPR and Dino Thunder by taking place in a different universe entirely. That said, not even the multiverse angle can help the 1995 movie’s canon status.

Why Power Rangers Told The Same Story Twice (In The 1995 Movie And MMPR Season 3)

MMPR Season 3 Did A Different Version Of The Movie’s Story

Whereas shows like R.P.M. and Dino Charge are still part of the Power Rangers TV canon despite taking place in alternate realities, the 1995 Mighty Morphin film exists as its own thing separated from the rest of the franchise. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie was produced by Saban like the TV show but was released by 20th Century Fox. While it’s unclear who has the rights to what when it comes to the movie, the fact is that none of the new characters from Power Rangers: The Movie was ever used by Power Rangers again.

For example, Ivan Ooze, one of the most iconic Power Rangers villains from the 1990s, never appeared in the TV show. Ooze never appeared in the Power Rangers comic books either, although there was once a species in the background that looked quite similar to the purple villain. To make things more complicated, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers season 3 retold the story of how the Rangers went from their classic powers to their Ninja powers. The “Ninja Quest” episodes are essentially an alternate version of what happened in the movie.

Power Rangers: The Movie borrowed costumes and designs from Kakuranger, a Super Sentai season that was also used as the basis for certain episodes of Mighty Morphin season 3. In “Ninja Quest,” the Rangers have to find Ninjor, the creator of the power coins, to get new powers. In the movie, they meet Dulcea, an old friend of Zordon, who tests them before giving them access to the Animal Spirits. In other words, if you watch Power Rangers season 3 after the movie or vice versa, you will watch pretty much the same story twice.

Power Rangers (1995) Is Still Incredibly Fun & Rewatchable Despite Not Being Canon

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie Has Aged Well

Regardless of its canon status, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie still holds up almost 30 years later. It is an incredibly fun movie that captures everything that made the original Power Rangers show so special. Everything feels bigger and more carefully crafted compared to the series, which isn’t surprising given that the movie had a much bigger budget than the average Power Rangers episode. From the reimagined costumes to the new weapons and Zords, I could never get tired of rewatching the Power Rangers movie.

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Whereas some episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers can be hard to sit through in 2024, the film holds up surprisingly well. The fact that it is a standalone adventure means that the movie has a clear beginning, middle, and end and can be watched even if you don’t have much context about Power Rangers. It’s important to note that the MMPR movie was filmed when Austin St. John, Thuy Trang, and Walter Emanuel Jones had already exited the show. The film sees Rocky (Steve Cardenas), Aisha (Karan Ashley), and Adam (Johnny Yong Bosch) as the Red, Yellow, and Black Rangers.

Power Rangers: The Movie Not Being Canon Means It Never Got A Sequel

The Second Power Rangers Movie Had Nothing To Do With The First

While there was another Power Rangers movie two years after the Mighty Morphin film, it was not a proper sequel. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie remained as a standalone, separate property, with Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie serving instead as a prelude to the Power Rangers Turbo TV show. To this day, the Turbo film is the only TV-canon Power Rangers movie. Released in 1997, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie covered the transition from the Zeo powers to the Turbo ones.

After Turbo, Power Rangers would only return to the big screen 10 years later with Power Rangers (2017). The reboot reimagined the characters and the costumes of Mighty Morphin and delivered a more grounded, mature take on the Power Rangers. Despite a positive reception from the fanbase – myself included – Power Rangers (2017) sadly flopped at the box office and never got a sequel. Although I like to rewatch the 2017 film from time to time, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie remains my favorite film in the franchise.

Power Rangers

Created by

Haim Saban, Shuki Levy, Shotaro Ishinomori

First Film

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Latest Film

Power Rangers

First TV Show

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers

Latest TV Show

Power Rangers Cosmic Fury

First Episode Air Date

August 28, 1993

Power Rangers is a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the Japanese Super Sentai series, Power Rangers became a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage from Super Sentai with new scenes featuring American actors. The franchise follows teams of young heroes who transform into Power Rangers to battle various villains, using martial arts, special powers, and giant mechas called Zords. Over the decades, the franchise has expanded into multiple TV series, films, comics, video games, and merchandise, becoming one of the most successful children's franchises in the world.

Cast

Bill Hader, Elizabeth Banks, David Yost, Amy Jo Johnson

TV Show(s)

Power Rangers Cosmic Fury

Video Game(s)

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, Saban's Power Rangers Megaforce, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind

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Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

PG

Action

Adventure

Science Fiction

Fantasy

8.0/10

Release Date

June 30, 1995

Runtime

96 minutes

Director

Bryan Spicer

Writers

Arne Olsen

Producers

Shuki Levy, Suzanne Todd

Cast

See All

• 
  David Yost

  Billy Cranston / Blue Ranger
• 
  Steve Cardenas

  Rocky DeSantos / Red Ranger

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