'Power Rangers' International Trailer Brings In The Zords

We're a month away from the release of director Dean Israelite's new Power Rangers movie and I still have no idea what to make of it. Sure, it looks slick and handsomely made, but is it the movie old school fans want to see? Is it the movie new, younger fans want to see? Is a movie that anyone who has never watched the series in any of its incarnations wants to see? This is an area where I find myself standing outside of the bubble, looking on without a passionate opinion.

This much is certain: the new international trailer (which arrives on the heels of a new domestic trailer) is full of all kinds of action and mayhem and giant robot animals fighting giant monsters. Sure. Why not? Those are all words that I tend to enjoy on their own.

Here's the trailer. Let's reconvene after you watch it to discuss what we have learned.

You're back? Okay. Let's talk about this.

First, there's Bryan Cranston playing Zordon, a giant floating head and the leader of the Power Rangers. He seems to be taking the role very seriously (he does have a history with this series, after all), which helps sell the fact that he's...you know, a giant floating head.

Second, there's Elizabeth Banks clearly having a grand old time as Rita Repulsa, the arch-enemy of the Power Rangers. Whether this performance turns out to be good camp (Batman '66) or bad camp (Batman & Robin) is unclear, but...I'm somewhat eager to find out?

Third, the initial trailers' oh-so-serious, Chronicle-inspired tone has been pushed to the background in favor of bright colors and giant robots shaped like prehistoric beasts battling gold beasties, which feels a bit more, well, right. If you're going to make a Power Rangers move, you might as well embrace the primary colors and inherent silliness of the whole thing. Those costumes still look a bit over-designed to my eye, but hey, at least they're bright pink and bright yellow and unapologetic in their shiny goofiness.

Of course, my opinion doesn't matter here because I have no personal stake in the Rangers. So what think you, fans? Do you have hope? We'll find out for sure when the film arrives on March 24, 2017.

If you want something else to dissect and bicker over, there are always these five new character banners, which depict each Ranger alongside their Zord.