9 Years Later, Power Rangers Fans are Still Hurt by the Reboot’s Failure (but They Know Why it Flopped)

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Nine years after the Power Rangers movie came out, people are still talking about why it wasn’t a bigger success. Despite having a lot going for it, and even plans for future installments as revealed by one of the actors, the film underperformed. While fans remain disappointed by the reboot, many understand the reasons behind its box office failure.

There’s been a lot of talk about why the recent Power Rangers movie didn’t succeed, and a post by @BlackMajikMan90 really sums up the conversation. The film had a lot going for it – a $100 million budget, a good release date, strong trailers, and a fresh take on the classic series. However, it didn’t perform well in theaters, and the related toys didn’t sell well either. The discussion highlighted several problems with the movie, but the biggest issue seems to be that the characters didn’t actually become Power Rangers and use their powers for a significant portion of the film.

It’s still disappointing how the 2017 Power Rangers movie didn’t succeed, especially since it had a lot going for it. It benefited from a good release date – ‘The Fate of the Furious’ didn’t come out for another three weeks – a sensible $100 million budget, and promising trailers.

— The Moonlight Warrior (@BlackMajikMan90) April 11, 2026

The Power Rangers Reboot Had One Key Major Flaw

I have to say, even though the new Power Rangers movie didn’t quite become the blockbuster everyone hoped for, I really think it got a lot right. What stood out to me most was how they actually developed five characters we could really connect with and watch grow. Plus, the actors were fantastic! But Phil Summers hit the nail on the head – it was a little frustrating that they were only in their Power Ranger suits for such a short time, like, just 45 seconds! It really felt like we didn’t get enough of the action we were waiting for.

Maybe it’s because they were only fully suited Power Rangers for 45 seconds. I’m not even joking.

— Philip Summers (@heyphilsummers) April 11, 2026

When the actors are fully suited up – meaning their helmets completely cover their faces for over 45 seconds – it highlights the film’s biggest problem. While the movie does a good job showing the characters earn their Ranger powers and transform, the pacing is off. We spend too much time watching them become Rangers and not enough time seeing them as Rangers.

I’ve mentioned before that the fight scene with the Rangers in their suits is fantastic. However, it’s cut short too quickly, immediately leading into the Zord sequence and then the final battle with Goldar, which has its own problems. While the Zord fight against the Putties is still enjoyable, the movie really needed more scenes of the Rangers fighting without the Zords. The moment where Jason saves his dad, exits his Zord, and fights Putties on the way to the truck is great, but it’s too brief – it highlights just how much more of this kind of action the film needed overall.

Regarding the Goldar fight, it simply didn’t work. What should have been a spectacular finale felt incomplete because Goldar, as a golden, personality-less giant, wasn’t very engaging to watch. While the Megazord sequences were decent, every scene with Goldar made you wish for a more compelling villain design. It definitely wasn’t worth diverting so much focus away from the Rangers, who were the strongest part of the battle.

It’s understandable many fans would have preferred seeing a longer fight with the Rangers at full strength. The sudden appearance of Krispy Kreme, even though played for laughs, felt a bit jarring and pulled you out of the moment.

Honestly, most complaints about the movie aren’t really objective ‘failures.’ Things like personal taste in costume design or the Megazord’s look are up for debate, and people clearly disagree even within this discussion. A lot of people mention the costumes and Megazord having a more alien look, but I actually enjoyed them. While I still prefer the original Megazord, I didn’t think the movie version was bad. I felt the same way about the Zords – they fit the overall alien-inspired style of the film.

The movie’s Putties were much scarier and more powerful than the silly ones from the original TV show, which weren’t really a threat. Some people have criticized the amount of time spent on the Rangers’ personal lives before they transformed, and while I think that part could have been shorter, I really appreciated getting to know them as people outside of being Rangers. The cast was fantastic, and it’s a shame we didn’t get any sequels to explore those characters further. As for the drama, the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers had plenty of that too, it just felt different because it was a product of the 90s.

Looking at when the movie was released, March 2017 was a very busy month for films. Logan came out on March 3rd, followed by Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast on March 17th. Power Rangers was released on March 24th, and Fate of the Furious arrived a few weeks later on April 14th. Power Rangers landed between two huge movies, and even though it had a brief period with less competition, both Logan and Beauty and the Beast were very successful for weeks, meaning it still faced tough competition.

It’s hard to say for sure, but many people likely would have enjoyed the movie more if the first half focused on developing the characters and villain, and the second half featured a fight without transformations, then a big fight with transformations, and finally a battle with the Zords and Megazord. It might not have turned it into a four-movie franchise, but it would have definitely been a significant improvement.

You can watch the Power Rangers 2017 Reboot for yourself right now through Howdy or Lionsgate+.

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2026-04-12 19:12