Now, in the interests of balance, I will address some of the movie’s flaws, which, while major, are still not major enough to derail it. In its own way, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie is as pure a portrayal of Sartre’s humanist existentialism as you could want. Zordon may have chosen the Power Rangers, implying some form of predestination or even a theistic interpretation of human purpose, but here they choose to fight, and to regain their abilities – abilities that, crucially, are exponentially more badass once they return to Earth to defeat Ivan Ooze. We may be born without inherent meaning or essence, but we can make our own essence, find our own meaning. Ultimately, in a sly satirical poke at some of Fred Nietzsche’s more outré moments, the Rangers redefine their own existences by becoming supermen (and women) again, thoroughly inverting the Nietzschean archetype.
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In the wrong hands, this is a bleak and nihilistic philosophy, and at first the movie seems to wholeheartedly embrace its darker undertones, suggesting that without their powers, the Rangers’ lives are essentially meaningless – if a de-powered Ranger does unnecessary acrobatics in a forest, do they make a sound? This theme is initially presented as a study in futility, and the film does not retreat from its terrifying implications and while Sartre’s idea of “meaning” may not have involved teleporting to a distant planet, meeting a hot witch in a green bikini and fighting a load of rock monsters to regain one’s lost power (in a sharp ninja ensemble, naturally), the parallels are undeniable.
John Paul Sartre was two parts Beatle, one part French magician, and he revolutionized the teachings of existentialism, a philosophy whose underlying point is that we shouldn’t worry, because we mean nothing in and of ourselves, and therefore if we mean nothing, then there’s nothing to worry about. Specifically, high ones.Īt this point, it seems appropriate to bring Sartre into proceedings. And that’s, like, 20 minutes or so into the film.
Zordon is left to die beneath a manky blanket, and the Rangers are left without power or hope. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie - A Close Textual Analysis Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie - A Close Textual Analysis
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