Power Rangers Dino Charge - Powers from the Past - Episode Review

 

 Summary:

Millions of years ago, the bounty hunter Sledge and his crew chased the mild Keeper through space. Sledge had his fiancé Poisondara, the warrior Fury, the worrywart Wrench, the footsoliders Viviks and all the counties he collected in a prison. Fury goes after Keeper on Earth, Keeper tricks him and Fury goes to Sledge's ship with a bomb disguised as the Energems they want. Their ship blows up, Fury is sent to Earth again, his collection of asteroids go to Earth and Sledge is propelled away into space. Meanwhile, Keeper gave the energems to different dinosaurs. The asteroids hit Earth and kill the dinosaurs.

 

Now in current times, Tyler Navarro is on the search of his dad and asks for help at a history museum with dinosaur fossils. Chase, an employee that fancies him a lady's man flirts with girls and he is from New Zealand. Shelby is a bad waitress and wants to go on a dig and implores Dr. Morgan to go on it, she doesn't understand why Chase and Koda are going. She sneaks on the truck and goes on the dig. Tyler goes into a cave and finds a red Energem. He bumps into a robed monster and tries fighting it off, he takes the Energem and runs off. At the dig, Shelby spots the same robed foe stealing a box.

 

Shelby goes after the monster, he threatens her and Tyler rescues Shelby. They find out a Pink Energem is in the box, they both held the gems and they glow. Dino Charge Morphers appear and they shoot the monster. Tyler and Shelby accidently transform and battle the monster. T-Rex zord appears and scares off the monsters. Morgan, Chase and Koda leave without Shelby and Tyler drives her. Tyler shows Shelby his dad's journal and he is after Fury who is drawn in it. Shelby is sure he will find his dad.

 

Review:

The production values are lightyears better than Super Megaforce and it has the feel of a Disney season with actual characterization, an actual story and original footage. The whole episode barely uses any Kyoryuger footage. Sledge's ship is impressive and reminds me of Grumm's ship and it is more atmospheric than let's say Vekar's ship which is an obvious TV set. I like how they are slowly revealing the characters, we haven't even met Green yet. Fans have already suspected Dr. Kendall Morgan might be the Purple Ranger, given she is a 'doctor' character and seen with the Energems, it is clear she might be as KyoryuViolet was a scientist. I have to admit I made fun of the Keeper as well when I first saw him, I don't like how his eyes don't move.

 

They did a bit but that was CGI. Also early descriptions said there was 12 Energems but we see Keeper with 10. I also like that the prelude was almost half the episode, good it wasn't rush. Some people were complaining about the dinosaurs but I think they look pretty good, I mean with a TV budget, it's fine. The CGI T-Rex Zord was a bit jarring as I am used to seeing the Kyoryuger puppet (it's not felt but I am calling it a puppet). It's too early to judge the Rangers themselves, but I didn't like Tyler's generic dialogue, I liked Shelby and Chase's better. Anyway a decent beginning, most people like it. See, Saban and Tzachor this is how it is done!