UPDATE 2/27 (9:40am CST): It appears that the squeebs at SCG Power Rangers LLC (Saban Capital Group) finally forced the video to be taken down “due to copyright claims.” Shankar responded on Facebook (where the film is still posted) by saying:
To all the viewers that enjoyed this film, I consider this an outright infringement on freedom of expression and individualism. I set out to make this film because I am a childhood fan of the Power Rangers. As children our retinas are burned with iconic images and as we grow older these images come to represent crucial moments within the trajectories of our own lives.
This film is a homage to the original creators of the Power Rangers, and a parody of a television series we all grew up loving. Films like my Power/Rangers ‘Bootleg’ are vital expressions of creativity in our troubled world. If we suppress this creativity and become passive participants in the consumption of the culture we live in, we implicitly allow a dangerous precedent to be set for the future of the internet.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is a staple of any strange kid who grew up in during the 90s. Centered around a group of teens called to fight against the forces of evil, the concept is so cheesy, weird and Japanese it could only be a staples of the 90’s. While the series, which is owned by Saban Capital Group, has seen its fair share of high and low points through the years, it has always thrived in an uncanny ability to reinvent itself while remaining true to that original concept. One thing that Saban has never dared to do is to make the show overtly serious.
But that’s exactly what director Joseph Kahn and producer Adi Shankar did in POWER/RANGERS, the latest “Bootleg Universe” project which to date has included Shankar reimagine characters like Venom, The Punisher and Judge Dredd. In POWER/RANGERS, Kahn and Shankar transport us into a dystopian future where the Rangers lost the war: Kimberly (Katee Sackhoff) is chained to a chair, being interrogated by the traitor Rocky (James Van Der Beek) as they narrate how the old Rangers fit in this new world and meet their untimely deaths. Jason is recast as a redneck alongside Skull and Bulk who dies after marrying Kimberly, Billy mass-produces and sells Ranger Tech but decides to kill himself, Jack becomes a fitness star/government agent and ends up being assassinated, Trini died long before the hunt and that leaves only Tommy (Russ Bain) wondering aimlessly as the suspected link to all deaths.
The whole movie is a true tribute to all things Mighty Mophin that gives the Power Rangers a gritty edge many thought to be impossible. For any Powers Rangers fan, and even non-fans, this is a short that you’re going to want to see. The special effects are wonderful, with believable giant robot fights and advanced hologram computers that never overstay their welcome.