5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 2.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
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. The hope of victory lies in the Ranger's incredible new Turbo powers and powerful Turbo Zords.
Starring: Johnny Yong Bosch, Nakia Burrise, Jason David Frank, Catherine Sutherland, Amy Jo JohnsonFantasy | 100% |
Family | 92% |
Adventure | 68% |
Action | 55% |
Sci-Fi | 46% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
5.1: 3472 kbps; 2.0: 1580 kbps
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997) acted as a bridge between Power Rangers Zeo, the fourth season of the MMPR series, and Power Rangers Turbo, which began airing a month after the Rangers sequel hit theaters in March. Turbo definitely caters to a younger demographic (kids between ages 4 and 8) than the original series. The viewer takes note of this in the film's opening while Lerigot is being pursued by warriors sent by Divatox (Hilary Shepard Turner), an intergalactic villianness. Lerigot isn't the long-bearded wizard with a cloak and scepter that one expects in myth and the fantastical. No, Lerigot is a very small and furry creature that looks like an amalgamation of Cabbage Patch, Yoda, and one of the Ewoks. It doesn't alter its facial expression or speak. Devatox wants to catch Lerigot because he possesses the power key to unlock a dimensional wall, enabling her to reach the Nemesis Triangle. There she hopes to resuscitate a malevolent lava demon named Maligore, whom she plans to marry so together they can conquer the known world.
Another new character introduced is 11-year-old Justin Stewart (Blake Foster), a student at Angel Grove who's still mourning the death of his parents. The movie's producers employ a convenient plot twist when Rocky DeSantos (Steve Cardenas) falls from a boxing ring during a practice, injuring his back. Justin has been eavesdropping from beneath Rocky's hospital bed and learns the true identity of the Rangers. It feels forced when Justin goes to the Command Center and Zordon anoints him as Rocky's replacement, making him the new Blue Turbo Ranger.
Co-creator Shuki Levy and fellow screenwriter Shell Danielson roll out the “Turbo-Zords,” color-coordinated SUVs and trucks specially outfitted for each Ranger. Each are given the names like “Red Lightning,’’ “Desert Thunder,” “Wind Chaser,” “Dune Star,” and “Mountain Blaster. According to the production notes, car customizer George Barris created the Turbo cars out of a Pontiac Fiero, a Suzuki Samurai, a Ford F-150 pickup truck, a Honda Civic, and a Dodge van. Though they'll be revved up for the inevitable final battle, it's too bad that we couldn't see more of them. I was also disappointed that the Rangers didn't morph into their makeover Turbo suits (only twice in the film). The film's first half hour is sluggish and I bemoaned the lack of extended action. John Petrakis, one of the Chicago Tribune's film critics at the time, saw a screening of Turbo with a group of children who "seemed unimpressed by the story, especially because the Rangers spend so little time in their colorful costumes."
It's Turbo time!
Shout! Factory brings Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie to Blu-ray for the first time on this MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50. The feature sports a mean video bitrate of 35898 kbps while the full disc clocks in a total bitrate of 43.33 Mbps. Appearing in its originally projected ratio of 1.85:1, Turbo looks very solid overall, although at times it appears soft and flat. The first image in the film of the end of an arrow with the greenery out of focus (Screenshot #17) contains a lot of dirt but fortunately much of the film appears clean. Skin tones are natural without any post-processing or sharpening. Colors on the Rangers' suits are clean and well-pronounced (especially the overhead shot in #16). Medium to long shots don't exhibit a great level of detail.
The 99-minute feature is accompanied by the standard twelve scene selections.
Shout! supplies a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround (3472 kbps, 24-bit) and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (1580 kbps, 24-bit). Bob Fenster of The Arizona Republic observed that the creepiest thing about Turbo is the intensity of the soundtrack, which produces a kind of aural violence." In terms of pitch range and "loudness," I wouldn't go that far and think it lags behind a bit compared to the DTS-HD MA 5.1 I heard on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Dialogue is always audible as the 5.1 track gets the job done. When there's a spaceship in the shape of a fiery meteorite descending on Earth, I could hear a rocket roar on the SR channel. Directionality for f/x (and when the Rangers jump and kick-box) is spaced out well on the front and surround speakers. I was unimpressed by the then-new theme song, "Power Rangers Turbo, Go," which is primarily relegated along the center and fronts.
While there's optional English SHD for the main feature, they don't identify the speaker in brackets (only for music and ambient noise).
I was pleasantly surprised to see Austin St. John and Amy Jo Johnson make their returns in fairly substantial roles. Unfortunately,Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie doesn't have anything else going for it. The script is banal and the villains are played up for campy fun. Apparently, the film didn't fare that well with audiences in Canada, either. In his one-star review, Marc Horton of the Edmonton Journal stated that the material belittled youngsters: "Not even the kids seemed to like the film at the screening I attended. There was a restlessness born of boredom as the movie ground on and on." Shout! Factory does deliver very good video and lossless audio presentations. The new min-doc featuring interviews with three cast members is a nice addition. Fans of the series may want to check it out but only buy if you really like and appreciate the sequel.
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