Wednesday, July:5, 1995- The Miclhigan Daily.- 11
Power Rangers' is a guilty pleasure
Heather Phares
ilty Arts Editor
"What is that odious stench? Can it be
teenagers?"thunders Ivan Ooze,the lat-
t threat to the Earth's safety. A cross be-
veen a Califomia Rasin and ajar of slime,
oze clearly revels in his own foulness.
hat can be said of "Mighty Morphin
>wer Rangers," the film he terrorizes: It's
finitely hornid, but gleefully so.
The smelly youthsIvan despises are the
VerRangers.They spend thebeginning of
movie doing fun things like wearing short-
oats,rollerblading, skydiving andbeing role
odels to the kids of Angel Grove. Trouble
rives when a mysterious grave is uncovered
aconstrutionsite.Telid(whichlookslike
i overly omate manhole cover)isripped off
reveal an enonnous purple egg.
Which of course contains the gelatinous
an Ooze (the plot twists aren't any more
Mighty Morphin
Power Rangers
Directed by Bryan Spicer;
with Paul Freeman
At Briarwood and Showcase
subtle in the movie thantin the mega-success-
fulTV show), who's looking to settle thescore
withZordon, the Rangers' mentor.Ivan oozes
all over Zordon's Command Center and
breaks the crystals that sustain him. He also
zombifiestheparentsofAngelGrove,enslav-
ing them in his evil ooze factory. The Power
Rangers, with their leader dying, their power
source disabled and their city threatened, do
the practicalthine: They go to anothernplanet,
leam that they aretheir own strongest power
(and get really cool toys to boot), and fight
Ivan Ooze in agalactic battle. Of course, the
Rangers (and Zonion) live to rolerblade an-
other day.
So the plot's thin. The movie delivers
what kids want to see: The TV show on a
larger scale. The Rangers engage in the
stilted dialogue ("Have a nice trip! See ya
nextfall!" whoops the Pink Ranger in one
crucial action scene) and perform hilari-
ously unrealistic, highly posed battle ma-
neuvers, proving that "Mighty Morphin
Power Rangers" is merely a glorified car-
toon.
There's some nifty moments, however.
Paul Freeman obviously enjoys portraying
slime; his performance asIvan Ooze makes
the film. The giant metallic ooze-poweredin-
sects Ivan uses tobattle the Rangers are cool,
and what kid could resist hypnotized parents
-Mighty morpnin rower Rangers': Coming to a toystore (er, theater) near you.
chanting "Leap to ourdoom ... Leap toour So"MightyMorphinPowerRangers"is
doom"? The audacious single I'Trouble" by filled with an odious stench.But thekids will
kewpie-punks Shampoo lendsrmischief to the be too busy having funto notice.And if it's fun
soundtrck(although theircameoin ended up you're after, then you should go! go! to this
on the cutting-room floor-pity). movie.
Cl-
a
t
a
v
screen Legend James Dean comes to the Fox Theater E
y Scott Plagenhoef America's post-war youth. open after his death. Directed by tious adaptation of the Edna Ferber Earth
ilyArts Editor As a celebration of James Dean's Nicholas Ray, "Rebel Without a novel. The film, co-starring Rock Phase 3: Thrones and Do-
One and a half years. Three films. remarkable, albeit brief, career, the Cause" was a landmark in youth cul- Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor, follows
ot the most typical screen career for Fox Theater, to coincide with the 40th ture and method acting. Dean, along a Texas oil family through a series of minions
universally accepted legend. Then anniversary of his death is presenting a with fellow east-members Natalie decades. Ironically, Dean and his char- Sub Pop
ain James Dean was neither a typical two-week run of two of Dean's three Wood and Sal Mineo explored the acter thus age well into the 50s, giving Oh yeah! It's the newalbumfrom Earth.
tor nor is a typical legend. masterpieces: "Rebel Without a pain and trials of growing up in the audience a glimpse of how the al- Earthtakesthesoundsthatcomefromguitars
True, James Dean's impact on Cause" and "Giant." America as never had been done be- ready departed Dean may have eventu- and stretches them into long, elegant
erican culture has been height- "Rebel Without a Cause," though fore and has rarely been done since. ally matured. This transformation also soundscapes withenoughrockin'bitetofas-
d by his untimely fatal car crash not the first Dean film released - "Giant," Dean's final film (he died marked the first time Dean portrayed tenonto the listener'searand growlinto it.
the age of 24. But like subsequent that was the Cain and Abel metaphor just shortly before filming had been an adult role. His performance ce- 'TibetanQuaaludes"isanearlyeight-minute
indidates for martrydom such as "East of Eden" - was the first to completed) is a sprawling and ambi- mented the expectations both the pub- long opusof droning guitars."Iullaby"isan
iver Phoenix, Ian Curtis and Kurt lic and the industry had for him. It was interesting visionofthestandard"How DryI
obain he possesed a true talent and rsorely apparent that not only a life and Am"asfilteredthroughthemorerecenttrAi-
tangible charisma. He is not, to a personality had been lost in Salinas tionsofmusic,anditsoundscleanandsober.
araphrase a famous eulogy, simply 1 but a rising star and a brilliant actor as Theoccasionalinclusionofpercussionis
nlarged by death beyond what he well. the only deviation from the focused mu
as in life. His idolatry - unlike SEE RECORDS, PAGE 13
hat of say, Jim Morrison - is not
ependent upon his death to create
*stique. It is not unfortunate that
he image has existed long after
)ean's life, it's unfortunate that it is
o often confounded.
Those uninformed or uniniated in
)ean's work often either confuse
im with the Marlon Brando persona
n "The Wild One" or disregard his
alents, assuming he is simply an
dol. Yet along with Brando, and as
i e would subsequently prove, Paul
man, Dean was the one of the
est young actors of his generation.
)ean's creation of decidedly un-
kndy Hardy like teenaged charac-
ers; individuals who were restless,
ored, confused, and above all,
lone, personified the lives of
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