Every ‘90s kid (and their pocket-money distributing parent) will be familiar with the television (and merchandising) phenomenon that was the Power Rangers. The recent big screen reboot may not have quite set the box office alight but it still managed to generate a renewed interest for a franchise that boasts a grand total of 24 spin-off television series to its household name. Some incarnations have been more miss than hit (we’re looking at you, Megaforce), but Dino Charge is a widely regarded as one of the better efforts, that the likes of Jason and co would be proud of.
Saban continues their unusual choice/cash in by staggering the DVD release of the series and Hero is the fifth and final chapter in the rollout. It covers episodes 17-20 with special Christmas-themed episode Race to Rescue Christmas included as a festive bonus. In-case you’re not familiar with the premise, 65 million years ago the evil Sledge tried to harness control of a source of great power called the Energems, but an alien called the Keeper managed to stop him with the assistance of some handily placed dinosaurs. In 2015, the Keeper partners with Kendall Morgan, a scientist, and along with a new group of Rangers they race to locate all the missing gems before Sledge can get his evil hands on them.
Sledge is a glorious antagonist, particularly compared to some of the one-dimensional villains in some of the older series, but the real stars are the Rangers themselves. By liberating their central characters from the confines of a high school setting, Dino Charge finds plenty of new stories to play with and the series is better off for it. It’s also refreshing to see female characters taking centre stage in roles traditionally reserved for their male counterparts.
Whilst there’s no denying the original series remains the best, Dino Charge is a strong contender for pole position which is no mean feat given there’s over two decades worth of alternatives to choose from. This particular collection features some of the better episodes; in particular the series finale One More Energem raises the stakes higher than before as the Rangers go on the offensive by attacking their nemesis’ ship, a move which neatly sets up the next series Dino Super Charge, whilst the Christmas bonus one-shot is definitely one to enjoy whilst wrapping presents after a trip to Toys R Us.
Dino Charge may not boast the novelty of the first series and the grittiness of the recent reboot but it remains a solid, charming and action-packed family-friendly viewing that future Rangers series would be wise to draw inspiration from.
POWER RANGERS DINO CHARGE: VOLUME 5 HERO / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: BRENNAN MEJIA, CAMILLE HYDE, YOSHI SUDARSO / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
