Weaponized nostalgia continues to be all the rage these days, as do legacy sequels and unexpected multi-generational crossovers, so combining the three in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always was a shrewd move on Netflix’s part.
After the last attempt at rebooting the long-running property failed miserably when Lionsgate’s plans for a six-film franchise fell apart at the very first hurdle, owners Saban ended up selling off the rights to the IP entirely, with Hasbro swooping in to claim ownership of the Power Rangers brand in an eye-watering $522 million deal.
The toy giant then partnered up with Netflix to give the streaming service the opportunity to breathe new life into the martial arts fantasy saga, with Jonathan Entwistle appointed as the architect of an entire shared universe. So far, that particular partnership has yielded absolutely nothing, but Once & Always has done exactly what was asked of it as the streaming service’s maiden foray into morphin time.
Per FlixPatrol, the Spider-Man: No Way Home-esque special might only run for a brief 55 minutes, but it’s already powered up and landed right on the Top 10 in 43 countries around the world. That’s good enough to see it rank as the sixth most-watched feature on the platform’s global charts, and while it was always the easiest option to take when the rose-tinted glasses are as powerful as they are, it can’t be denied that Once & Always delivers exactly what was expected of it.
Now things are off the ground, then, maybe Entwistle’s reinvention we keep hearing about can actually gain some momentum.