Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie is a 1997 American superhero film directed by David Winning and Shuki Levy and written by Levy and Shell Danielson. It was produced by Saban Entertainment and Toei Company, Ltd., and was distributed by 20th Century Fox.[4]The film stars Johnny Yong Bosch, Nakia Burrise, Steve Cardenas, Jason David Frank, Austin St. John, Catherine Sutherland, Jason Narvy, Paul Schrier, Hilary Shepard Turner, Amy Jo Johnson, and Blake Foster.
The film takes place after the events of the Power Rangers Zeo television season, with the new cast and characters from the film becoming cast members of both Zeo and its successor, Power Rangers Turbo. As with its television season, the film used concepts and costumes from the Japanese Super Sentai series Gekisou Sentai Carranger. Sets and costumes created for original characters in the film were later used in the television series, with the film's climactic antagonist Maligore being reused for the evil Dark Specter in the subsequent Power Rangers in Space season.
The film was released on March 28, 1997 to generally unfavorable reviews. It was criticized for its visual effects and campiness, but critics praised the performance of its cast.
== Plot ==
On a distant planet, a wizard named Lerigot (Jon Simanton and voice of Alexis Lang) is being hunted by Divatox (Hilary Shepard Turner); an intergalactic space pirate, who seeks his golden key to traverse an inter-dimensional gateway and enter into matrimony with Maligore (Mike Deak), a demon who promises to grant her great riches and power. Lerigot escapes Divatox's forces and travels to Earth in search of Zordon (Winston Richard and voice of Bob Manahan) and his friend Alpha 5 (Donene Kistler and voice of Richard Wood), but instead arrives in Africa. Weakened by the sun's ultraviolet rays, Lerigot meets a pack of chimpanzees and wanders off with them. Meanwhile, Divatox sets off for Earth in pursuit.
In Angel Grove, Rocky DeSantos (Steve Cardenas), Adam Park (Johnny Yong Bosch), and Tommy Oliver (Jason David Frank) are training for a charity fighting competition to save the Youth Shelter, when Rocky accidentally injures his back. Katherine Hillard (Catherine Sutherland) and Tanya Sloan (Nakia Burrise) arrive with Justin Stewart (Blake Foster), a kid who admires Rocky and frequents the shelter. As Rocky is rushed to the hospital, Justin follows the group and learns that they are Power Rangers. Zordon sends Tommy and Kat to search for Lerigot. They manage to find him and return to the Power Chamber.
Divatox's nephew Elgar (Danny Wayne Stallcup), searches for two human sacrifices to revive Maligore. He abducts Farkus "Bulk" Bulkmeier (Paul Schrier) and Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch (Jason Narvy), but Divatox rejects them for not being pure of heart. Divatox finds Kimberly Hart (Amy Jo Johnson) and Jason Lee Scott (Austin St. John), who are scuba diving nearby, and captures them. While recovering, Lerigot is contacted by Divatox, who has captured his family and demands he surrender himself. Divatox also uses Kimberly and Jason to pressure the Rangers. At the exchange site, Elgar tricks the Rangers and captures Lerigot.
Zordon and Alpha create new powers for the Rangers to defeat Divatox. With the new Turbo powers and their new vehicular Zords, the Rangers drive across the desert to a ship called the Ghost Galleon. They are joined by Justin, who has received Rocky's Blue Ranger powers. On Divatox's submarine, Jason and Kim come up with a plan to escape. Bulk, Skull and Kimberly escape the sub, but Jason is trapped and left behind.
After Divatox and the Rangers traverse the gateway and reach the island where Maligore is, Divatox torpedoes the Ghost Galleon and the Rangers narrowly escape. Kimberly is recaptured and taken to Divatox. At the temple in the volcano, the Rangers fail to free Jason and Kimberly before they are possessed by Maligore and attack the Rangers mercilessly. The Rangers free Lerigot and his wife Yara (voice of J.B. Levine), who undo the possession.
Angered, Divatox sacrifices her nephew and successfully revives Maligore. The Rangers summon their Turbo Megazord to fight Maligore. They defeat him as Divatox and Rygog flee, vowing vengeance. The Rangers pick up Jason, Kimberly, Lerigot, Yara, Bulk and Skull and return to Angel Grove. At the competition, Jason takes Rocky's place, and they win the fight, earning the money to save the shelter.
== Cast ==
* Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam Park / Green Turbo Ranger, a martial artist of Korean descent from Stone Canyon and the previous second Black Power Ranger and Green Zeo Ranger.
* Nakia Burrise as Tanya Sloan / Yellow Turbo Ranger, an orphaned girl from Africa who was sent to the future by the second Yellow Power Ranger, Aisha Campbell, with a Zeo Sub Crystal to become the Yellow Zeo Ranger.
* Blake Foster as Justin Stewart / Blue Turbo Ranger,[5] a child in the care of Tanya and Katherine at an Angel Grove children's group and friend of Rocky. He learns the secret identity of the Power Rangers and is entrusted by Zordon and Alpha 5 to become Rocky's replacement.
* Jason David Frank as Thomas "Tommy" Oliver / Red Turbo Ranger, the leader of the Power Rangers and the original Green Power Ranger, White Power Ranger and Red Zeo Ranger.
* Catherine Sutherland as Katherine "Kat" Hillard / Pink Turbo Ranger, an Australian teen and love interest of Tommy as well as the second Pink Power Ranger and Pink Zeo Ranger.
* Austin St. John as Jason Lee Scott, the original Red Power Ranger and Gold Zeo Ranger. Jason returns with Kimberly to Angel Grove as a surprise to the others for the upcoming martial arts tournament. Jason is captured by Divatox as a human sacrifice to the demon Maligore.
* Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly Hart, the original Pink Ranger and Tommy's former love interest who returns with Jason to Angel Grove. Kimberly is captured by Divatox as a human sacrifice to the demon Maligore.
* Steve Cardenas as Rocky DeSantos, the second Red Power Ranger and previous Blue Zeo Ranger. He injures his back training for a martial arts tournament, forcing Justin to take his place to become the Blue Turbo Ranger.
* Winston Richard as Zordon, an inter-dimensional being caught in a timewarp. Mentor of the Power Rangers.
* Donene Kistler as Alpha 5, a robot from Edenoi who assists Zordon and the Power Rangers.
* Jon Simanton as Lerigot, a powerful wizard who holds a magical key that can open portals to worlds and realms which causes him to be pursued by Divatox.
* Paul Schrier as Farkus "Bulk" Bulkmeier, a police officer who is captured by Divatox as a human sacrifice, only to be rejected and have his mind scrambled.
* Jason Narvy as Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch, a police officer who is captured by Divatox as a human sacrifice, only to be rejected and have his mind scrambled.
* Gregg Bullock as Lt. Jerome Stone, the superior officer of Bulk and Skull.
* Richard Genelle as Ernie, owner of the Angel Grove Gym and Juice Bar.
* Hilary Shepard Turner as Divatox, a space pirate who plans to marry the demon Maligore and conquer the galaxy. Pursues Lerigot to Earth in order to steal his magical key and gain access to the Nemesis Triangle, where Maligore is imprisoned on the lost island of Muranthius.
* Danny Wayne Stallcup as Elgar, Divatox's dimwitted nephew who has cyborg parts.
* Mike Deak as Maligore, the true antagonist in the film and Divatox's fiancé .
* Carla Perez as Rita Repulsa, a sorceress who has fought the Power Rangers in the past. She is married to Lord Zedd.
=== Voices ===
* Bob Manahan as Zordon
* Richard Wood as Alpha 5
* Alexis Lang as Lerigot and Rygog
* David Umansky as Elgar
* Barbara Goodson as Rita Repulsa
* J.B. Levine as Yara and Bethel
* Brad Orchard as Announcer
== Production ==
As opposed to the story-line and CGI Megazord used in the first Power Rangers film, this entry is canon and utilizes the actual costume of the Turbo Megazord, appearing in American footage (the main series would rely on the Carranger footage). According to a 2013 post on Johnny Yong Bosch's Facebook page, the original script called for a lengthy underwater battle using the Zeo Ranger powers, wherein the Power Rangers emerge with tattered costumes. The unused plot would also explained how the Turbo powers were created. It was also originally scripted that Billy Cranston (the original Blue Ranger) had created the Turbo powers with Zordon and Alpha 5. While this plot element was ultimately dropped from the theatrical release, the concept of torn outfits would be used for the Turbo season finale. Also, whereas Hilary Shepard Turner appears as Divatox in the film, by the time filming began for the TV series, she had taken maternity leave, thus being replaced by Carol Hoyt. In the 26th episode "The Darkest Day" seven episodes after the four Veteran Rangers resign and transfer their powers to a new team (filmed after a hiatus of several months), Shepard resumed the role of Divatox, continuing through Power Rangers in Space.
== Release ==
=== Box office ===
Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie opened theatrically on March 28, 1997 in 2,113 venues. It earned $3,301,135 in its opening weekend, ranking number 7 in the domestic box office.[6] At the end of its run, the film had grossed $8,363,899 domestically and $1,251,941 overseas for a worldwide total of $9,615,840.[3]
=== Critical reception ===
On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 16% approval rating based on 19 reviews, with an average rating of 3.8/10.[7] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 35 out of 100, which indicates "generally unfavorable reviews", based on 9 reviews.[8]
Joe Leydon of Variety gave a negative review of the film, criticizing the "high-camp cheesiness" while praising the acting of both Hilary Shepard Turner and Amy Jo Johnson.[9] Lawrence Van Gelder of The New York Times criticized the film's storyline and dialogue while he praised the visual effects and production values.[10]
Conversely, Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times gave a positive review, saying the filmmakers have brought "much panache and sophistication to the making of this fantasy adventure extolling the good old-fashioned virtues of spirit and courage embodied by the Power Rangers" and that "Turbo is a solid follow-up." He also praised Turner's acting and the visual effects.[4]
== Soundtrack ==
Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the licensed soundtrack to the film. It was released by Mercury Records on March 18, 1997 on Audio CD and Compact Cassette.
=== Album information ===
The album serves a dual purpose, as it not only used much of the music heard in the movie, but also contained several tracks from Power Rangers: Zeo.
=== Track listing ===
# Fulflej - Shift Into Turbo
# Super Power - Power Rangers Turbo, Go! (Main Theme)
# The Mighty Raw - Hope For The World
# Ellen ten Damme - Turbo Time
# Super Power - Invincible
# The Mighty Raw - Unite!
# Super Power - Let's Rock 'N Roll
# OO-spies - Freewheelin'
# Super Power - Big Bang
# Zeo & The Mighty Raw - Power Rangers Zeo/Go Go Power Rangers (Main Theme)
# Super Power - Go Gold Ranger
# Super Power - Enemies Beware
# Super Power - Here Comes The Power Again
# Super Power - Calling For A Hero
== Awards and nominations ==
Year	Award 	Category 	Nominee 	Result
1998	Young Artist Award[11]	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor	Blake Foster	Nominated
== Home media ==
The film was released in July 8, 1997 on VHS and LaserDisc. The film (as well as 1995's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie) was then released on a two-sided DVD disc in March 13, 2001, and then re-released (just this film) on a single-sided disc in 2003. This film was re-released with different packaging in 2011. The film then re-released in 2017 in a bundled set with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (this time as two single-sided DVD discs) to coincide with the film Power Rangers.
==References==
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