The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Movie Costumes Were An Absolute Disaster

When "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" debuted, the titular team got a major outfit upgrade. Unfortunately, not only were the costumes too tight and hot, they also proved tough to clean, resulting in the shiny new ranger uniforms becoming a complete wreck by the end of the shoot.

In 1993, kids' TV was already in a great place. "Batman: The Animated Series" had children transfixed with its mature storylines and immersive Dark Deco art style, while the X-Men pulled off a similar trick with its own more adult themes and one of the best TV theme songs of all time (which has since been recreated for the Disney+ series "X-Men '97"). The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers hit screens in August 1993 and quickly became a phenomenon. Any '90s kid will surely have memories of parents battling in the aisles of Toys "R" Us for Power Rangers action figures, and any child lucky enough to assemble the complete Megazord quickly became the envy of everyone in their school.

With Power Rangers mania sweeping the nation, it was only a matter of time before the rangers received their own movie. That big screen debut came in 1995 with "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie." As someone who was there to witness this monumental cultural moment, I can say that seven-year-old me was instantly won over by the redesigned costumes showcased in the movie. Suddenly, the formerly spandex-clad rangers had donned upgraded suits with armor and detailing that made them look so much more intimidating and, frankly, downright powerhouses. It was a thrill to see, but not so much a thrill for the actors, who evidently could barely move in their updated garb.

If you're looking to watch the "Power Rangers" shows and movies in order, you won't need to revisit "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie." The film was essentially disregarded by the TV shows and remains non-canon to this day. Forgetting the movie entirely might well have been a blessing for the actors themselves, if only because it sounds like nobody would want to remember the nightmare that was those new movie suits.

Conventional Relations interviewed the production team about the trouble endured by both the actors and team when it came to the costumes. Stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt recalled how, despite the fact they looked to be made from some sort of armor plating, the suits were actually crafted from a "tight material" that prevented anyone from kicking above the waist. "They were very heavy and tight," said Pruitt. "So I said to them in pre-production, 'We have to have a gusset stretch in the crotch area and under their arms so they can move.' And they went, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. We'll take care of that.'" Guess what? They didn't.

In fact, special effects artist Jennifer McManus remembered specifically being told not to put any gussets, or even ventilation, into the suits. "With the spandex being a double-coated vinyl process, that made it not as flexible," she said. "The producers wouldn't allow me to put gussets or any sort of breathable fabrics into the areas that were necessary." According to McManus, the performers were sweating so profusely that they could get hypothermia just by coming out of their suits. Alas, producers stood firm, telling the effects artist, "We want it tighter. No wrinkles. It has to be smooth and perfect."

"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" debuted long before Hollywood figured out how to make comfortable superhero outfits. In 1989, Michael Keaton famously struggled with his suit for "Batman," and little had changed by 1995 when Val Kilmer endured Batsuit woes on "Batman Forever." That was the same year the Power Rangers suited up for their first movie, and it seems they were similarly miserable to do so.

As Jeff Pruitt recalled in the Conventional Relations interview, "nobody could move," prompting the stunt performer to take a razor and "cut these expensive suits in the crotch area and under the arms so they could throw a punch and kick." Not present on-set were special effects artists Rob Burman and Jennifer McManus, who nonetheless heard plenty of stories. "They came at us with, 'They're getting rashes,'" recalled McManus. "I had to say, 'Well, in memo 972, we said this is a possibility, and you said to do it anyway. We even sent them cleaning instructions for how to maintain the suits, but they ended up wiping them down with turpentine and kerosene."

This, unfortunately, led to more issues. "They're like, 'Why is the paint coming off?'" recalled Burman. "Well, you're cleaning with kerosene! What the hell are you thinking? Plus, the vinyl coating on the fabric just melts under kerosene. So all of a sudden, they're talking about the suits coming apart." Ultimately, the suits were so damaged and delicate that they couldn't be used as planned in the third season of the TV show. Still, it seems at least one ranger enjoyed themselves, with Burman recalling how, during his first fitting, the Red Ranger said, "I feel great! I'm like a superhero!" before doing a double backflip across the workshop.