For those who grew up watching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie on the big screen, it’s almost surreal to realize that 30 years have passed. Millennials now find themselves looking back fondly on a time filled with after-school cartoons, drinking from the garden hose, and riding bikes way farther than you probably should have.
In honor of that unforgettable era, and the film that brought the Power Rangers to theaters, animator Dominic Estephane has returned with a brand-new animated tribute. This latest fan project brings the iconic team back into action for a nostalgic showdown with none other than Ivan Ooze.
He's previously released fan animated projects for an anthology Power Rangers series, VR Troopers, and Big Bad Beetleborgs, but this project celebrating the 30th anniversary of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, might be his finest work yet.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) received a mixed response from critics but still managed to achieve solid box office success and win over its young audience.
While some critics praised Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie for its improved production values and Paul Freeman’s scene-stealing turn as the villainous Ivan Ooze, others were far less impressed. Detractors pointed to the film’s thin narrative and a plot structure that felt more like an extra-long episode of the television series than a fully fleshed-out cinematic experience.
The visual effects also received mixed feedback. Even in 1995, the early CGI was seen by some as unpolished and lacking the staying power to match the excitement of the live-action stunts and practical effects fans had come to love from the show.
Even though the film received mixed reviews and wasn’t a hit with critics, it still turned out to be a box office win. With over $66 million earned globally on a relatively small budget, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie showed that the franchise could bring in big crowds beyond the small screen.
For kids and pre-teens of the '90s, it was everything they wanted, huge Zord battles, cooler costumes, and action on a scale the TV show couldn’t match. It felt like a true upgrade for longtime fans.
Today, the movie is fondly remembered as a colorful and fun blast from the past, a defining part of childhood for many. It helped move the Power Rangers from after-school staple to pop culture icon.
Looking ahead, the franchise is once again evolving as plans for its future start to take shape.
While Netflix was at one point developing a big-budget reboot focused on the original Green Ranger, Tommy Oliver, that project was ultimately scrapped.
The rights have since moved to Disney+, where the team behind Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz, are now developing a fresh take on the series, signaling a new era for the morphin’ heroes.