Original Green Ranger Not So Thrilled With ‘Power Rangers’ Parody

So it turns out the original Tommy Oliver isn’t thrilled with the recent Power/Rangers parody movie. If you’ve been living under a rock the past 48 hours, Power/Rangers is a definitely NSFW “bootleg” of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers of the 90s by Dredd producer Adi Shankar. Shankar’s version of Power Rangers is definitely not the Rangers fans watched as kids, and that has one of the series’ most beloved stars upset.

On his official Facebook fan page, Jason David Frank, the original Green Ranger, gave his thoughts on the R-Rated Power/Rangers.

Look, guys, I know there is a lot of fans out there that love it and all that stuff, but I’m just a PG-13 guy. Like, the cuss-words, the drugs, the all this other stuff — it just doesn’t fly with me. And the only reason, let me explain before y’all just start jumping the gun here. Everybody loves Power Rangers, I get it. The problem is that they’re still connected with with adults and kids. The Super Mega Force and the Power Rangers Dino Charge is still on Nickelodeon, so you can’t take a brand like this and reboot it so dark and gritty.

Frank goes on to say that while his “inner geek” wanted this, Power Rangers fans still need to be responsible and know that this is still a “kids brand.” Another reason why JDF isn’t completely overcome with joy about the Power Rangers short is because it isn’t officially sanctioned by Saban, the company that holds the rights to Power Rangers. Frank actually has a few projects in the works that are Saban-sanctioned using his Rangers persona, Tommy Oliver.

Saban isn’t too thrilled with the Power Rangers remake, actually demanding that the short video be shut down. In fact, Vimeo has pulled the video, but the Power Rangers short still exists on YouTube, exceeding five million views in under 24 hours.

Jason David Frank did mention that he bears no ill will towards any involved, in fact stating that the actress who played his former love interest, Kimberly (Katee Sackhoff) is a good friend of his and he is only upset she didn’t mention she was involved. Most of the reaction to JDF has been pretty positive, with many fans agreeing with his reasoning despite enjoying the reboot themselves.

What are your thoughts on the Power Rangers parody movie? Did you enjoy it, or dislike the adult-themed premise? Sound off in the comments below.

[Image via Power/Rangers]