MMPR 2010 logo.

Green with Evil Part IV

Revisiting Power Rangers compares, frame-by-frame, the original airings of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (which ran on Fox Kids in 1993) with the reversioned airings (which ran on ABC Kids in 2010), seeking to document any striking visual differences between the two.

For the most part, it is left to the fan to form their own personal opinions on this reversioning.

Watch the complete reversioned versions on YouTube.  (off-site link)

Today on Power Rangers:

In Viewing Globe, a building bursts with sparks and falls apart as fireball erupts within it in slow motion.

Reversion: Shot is removed in its entirety.

Warning! The video clip above violates the three-flashes-per-second rule and as a result may cause seizures in those with photosensitive epilepsy.

In the Command Center, the five teens watch the Viewing Globe. “Green With Evil Part IV” title card fades in and out at bottom of screen. Jason turns to speak to the others then faces the camera and shouts “It’s Morphin Time!”, followed by all five reaching for their Morphers, thrusting them forward, and turning them as a white flash envelops the screen. Quick shots of side view, front view, and side view again as the Morphers spark wildly. Front view as the Morphers stop sparking and the teens react.

Reversion: Before the last spark fades, scene freezes briefly in a slanted frame followed by a comic-style stamp reading “power fail!” near the bottom of the frame when the shot resumes.

Goldar sparkily slashes building with sword on his left, then hits one on his right, before smashing into another on his left as he makes his way through city. Close up of fireball of flames expanding in semi-slow motion, multiple pieces of debris flying out from within.

Reversion: First shot ends before third building is struck. Second shot is removed in its entirety. 73 frames cut in total.

Close on Rita, looking upward to our right, making fist with right hand and giving a slight nod as a smile creeps onto her face. Fades to close up of sun becoming covered by moon, a bright light-blue glow around it once fully eclipsed. Megazord is bursting with sparks and smoke as it stands in darkness, holding sword and jolting arms about, until flashes engulf screen. Fades to Rita smiling with her right palm by her face and Finster folding arms and talking.

Reversion: As the foreshadowing begins, camera zooms out with the active frame outlined in black to the right and a stylized yellow dragon shape on a green banner to the left. Camera zooms back into frame as the foreshadowing ends.

In the Dark Dimensions, downward angle on the Green Ranger as he rises the Sword of Darkness high.

Original: Camera fades to black in to commercial break.

Reversion: Before the break, a bumper focusing on the Red Ranger: three frames with roughly painted black outlines in the upper-left show Jason posing in the front of his class, the Red Ranger in his standard pose, and the Red Ranger dropping down after completing the Power Blaster, with stylized red-and-black Tyrannosaurus Power Coin in the background. Slight zoom out to reveal a cut-out Red Ranger as text is typed on screen - Red Ranger. Weapons: Blade Blaster, Power Sword. Zord: Tyrannosaurus. Camera fades to black in to commercial break. [Recycled from Green with Evil Part II.]

Slow zoom to Goldar’s feet as he walks through city, causing smokey explosions on the street as he stomps along, finally kicking out structure at the end. Shot of a bunch of gray debris, as more large gray debris crumbles atop it. Fades to close up of fireball of flames expanding in semi-slow motion, multiple pieces of debris flying out from within. Dissolves to close-up shot of open Morpher being held by Jason, who then closes it and turns around to rejoin his friends.

Original: Camera fades from black out of commercial break into first shot.

Reversion: First three shots removed in their entirety. Camera fades from black out of commercial break into fourth shot, post-dissolve. 238 frames cut in total.

A stylized lightning bolt drops in from the top of the screen, causing lightning to crackle once it hits its final destination.

Original: Lightning bolt is from 1993 MMPR logo.

Reversion: Lightning bolt is from 2010 MMPR logo.

Sharp zoom out from Red Ranger’s helmet to all five Rangers posing in city harbor.

Reversion: After posing, scene freezes with Rangers cut-out from now gray-toned background, with stamped “POWER RANGERS” above them revealed via brush swipe.

Close on Scorpina, holding up boomerang and left hand in fist, shouting before leaping up.

Reversion: Before she shouts, scene freezes briefly with Scorpina given a yellow glow and cut-out from now-slanted frame background with striped radial gradient.

Squatt (slapping his butt) and Baboo rush up behind Scorpina, as she charges up her boomerang, then flings it over at the Rangers, slashing sparkily into each one until they all fall down.

Reversion: As the Rangers are struck, four black-outlined white starbursts with “BAM!” and kanji characters (バム) appear over the sparkbursts.

Giant Goldar sparkily slashes building with sword on his left, then hits one on his right, raising sword one last time as he makes his way through city. Upward shot of giant Goldar lifting right leg and stomping foot into camera quickly. Multiple-building complex explodes. Shaking establishment shot of external Youth Center sign. As the camera pans right, Ernie comes into view, commanding everyone to evacuate. Camera continues to pan to Bulk and Skull sitting at Juice Bar eating ice cream, Skull dropping his bowl and starting to leave before being stopped by Bulk, who is not finished eating. Skull protests briefly, but then accepts it... until a beam crashes onto the bar top from above, causing Bulk to quickly finish his ice cream and then both of them leaving, escaping just before another beam crashes to the ground behind them.

Reversion: Last frame of first shot is cut. Second and third shot cut in their entirety. First 59 frames of establishment shot cut. Last shot cut before Bulk & Skull come into view (over 20 seconds cut).

Laughing Rita floats on her penny farthing in the sky above the five Rangers, who look upward with their backs to us.

Reversion: At the end, shot freezes in a slanted frame as multiple gray beams are emitted from Rita to the bottom and right of the frame, all while Rita and the Rangers grow slowly toward the center.

Close on Rita floating on bike, peddling as she talks with an evil grin.

Reversion: Blue sky background is replaced with a darker blue with black wavy stripes radiating outward behind Rita.

Rita talks while peddling penny farthing in sky above Red and Blue Rangers, the former making a fist.

Reversion: Murky blue sky background is replaced with purple with black wavy stripes radiating outward behind Rita, who also has a white glow.

On the floor of the bus, Skull looks at Bulk as Bulk speaks, both then turn toward the camera and scream.

Original: Camera fades to black in to commercial break.

Reversion: Slight wavy effect added to Bulk & Skull as they scream. Before screaming ends and before the break, a bumper focusing on the Blue Ranger: with a cut-out Blue Ranger in front of a spinning blue star in the lower-right, three jagged frames in the upper-left show Blue and Yellow Rangers jumping off a train car, Triceratops Dinozord raising its head and opening its mouth while driving through the dusty desert, and Blue Ranger free falling beside an office building. Zoom out to reveal all three frames as text appears on screen, a triangular cursor expanding details - Blue Ranger. Weapons: Blade Blaster, Power Sword. Zord: Triceratops. Camera fades to black in to commercial break.

Camera fades from black out of commercial break and zooms in on bus on edge of cliff, as multiple Putties rock the vehicle back and forth.

Original: Bus has a Japanese license plate, reading 28-78.

Reversion: Bus has a completely blank, white license plate.

With the five Rangers on the beach, Goldar’s sword stabs into the sand in the foreground.

Reversion: As the sword stabs into the beach, a comic-style “Slice” overlays the sword.

Megazord catches bus mid-plummet.

Reversion: At the end, shot freezes on Megazord’s forearm, holding the bus in-hand and slowly growing toward camera and with an added white glow, all cut-out from the now-slanted frame background with rotating yellow-orange radial gradient in the back.

Scorpina spreads arms as she’s overcome with growth smoke.

Reversion: At the end, shot freezes with Scorpina cut-out from now-slanted frame background, blue light beams moving quickly in from sides and back outwards when they approach her.

Scorpina grows into monster form as mist subsides.

Reversion: At the end, shot freezes with Scorpina cut-out from now-slanted frame background with growing, striped radial gradient and slowly filled in red splatter pattern.

Close on Scorpina opening her left claw hand.

Reversion: At the end, shot freezes with claw hand cut-out from now-slanted frame background with growing, striped radial gradient and single flash added to one claw tip.

Close on Scorpina turning blade of boomerang weapon. Close on Scorpina raising stinger tail up into air.

Original: First frame of the second shot is a blended frame of the last frame of the first shot and the first frame of the second shot.

Reversion: At the end, shot freezes with stinger tail cut-out from now-slanted frame background with growing, striped radial gradient.

Sun finishes becoming fully eclipsed, corona glowing.

Reversion: Additional commercial break inserted - Camera zooms out and pans across multiple frames, each outlined as if part of an old-fashioned storybook: Close on Tommy’s clenched fist as inner-camera pans left to show Tommy staring at it. Green Ranger leaps up, slashes sword downward and bends left knee as shot zooms in. In the Megazord cockpit, Green Ranger opens back door, holds up fist, then inner-camera zoom in as he punches Yellow. Close on Scorpina, holding up boomerang and left hand in fist as camera zooms in on frame. Camera fades to black in to commercial break. Camera fades from black out of commercial break to repeated instance of same shot of eclipse.

Green Ranger leaps up, slashes sword downward and bends left knee as shot zooms in.

Reversion: Before shot zooms in, shot freezes with Green Ranger (with added glow) cut-out from now-slanted frame background with spinning, green-striped radial gradient. Four frames cut.

Scorpina, Goldar, and Green Ranger slowly start to circle the surrounded Megazord, eclipsed sun looming overhead.

Reversion: Saturation of background is increased, creating a white halo around all four combatants. As Megazord looks around, a comic-style stamp reading “outnumbered!” flies in near the bottom of the frame.

Slow zoom on Rita, who laughs, then points right hand at us while talking happily.

Reversion: Saturation of background is increased, creating a white halo around Rita.

Warning! The video clip above violates the three-flashes-per-second rule and as a result may cause seizures in those with photosensitive epilepsy.

Megazord begins to burst with sparks, burst after burst popping all over its body, arms flailing as screen flares out from all the explosions. Megazord cockpit shakes, Rangers throw arms up, as four spark bursts occur in consoles around them, shot flaring to white after the fourth. Huge crack in the ground, sides spreading out with dirt & debris falling between, as a large fireball bursts upward from within, spewing flames upward continuously. Chest-up shot of Megazord, bursting a few more times, finally subsiding, still-smoking, before collapsing backwards.

Reversion: As Megazord flails its arms, a comic-style stamp reading “DEFEATED!” quickly slides in near the bottom of the frame. All but first frame of second shot cut and third shot cut in its entirety - over seven seconds cut. Parts of final shot slowed to reduce flashing.

Camera fades from black out of commercial break to shot of Trini, Kimberly, and Jason leaning on Command Center consoles, Kimberly stepping forward and beginning to speak as camera pulls back.

Reversion: Before fade-from-black begins, white flash as five colored polygons with corresponding Rangers in each of them fly in from all directions from off-screen, forming a unified rectangle with electricity. Red polygon loses color overlay, showing Red Ranger receive his Power Sword in the Command Center. Black polygon loses color overlay, showing Black Ranger receive his Power Axe in the Command Center. Yellow polygon loses color overlay, showing Yellow Ranger receive her Power Daggers in the Command Center. Blue polygon loses color overlay, showing Blue Ranger receive his Power Lance in the Command Center. Pink polygon loses color overlay, showing Pink Ranger receive her Power Bow in the Command Center. Picture shatters from center, revealing zoom out from Red Ranger’s head as five Rangers pose with new Power Weapons. [Recycled from Teamwork.]

Billy looks up from the control panel and towards the Viewing Globe and talks. The camera pans left as Zack, Jason, Trini, and finally Kimberly react to what they see on the Viewing Globe. Close on the Viewing Globe as a pixelated view of the Green Ranger’s identity is slowly cleared up. Close on Kimberly, asking “Tommy?”

Reversion: End credits run over bottom half of frame during final scenes of the episode, rather than the :30 second outro.

Close on the Viewing Globe as Tommy is revealed as the Green Ranger. Freeze frame.

Original: After freeze frame, “TO BE CONTINUED...” fades in and out over bottom of frame followed by Executive Producers credit fading in over bottom of frame. Fade to black at end.

Reversion: End credits continue running over bottom half of frame. Before credits end, “To Be Continued” fades in over middle of frame. After freeze frame, white beams are emitted from the Viewing Globe and a comic-style speech bubble reading “TOMMY IS THE EVIL RANGER!” appears on the screen.

Episode Segment Lengths
Airing“Today on Power Rangers”Opening CreditsEpisodeEnding CreditsTotal
Original00:3001:0218:4600:3120:49
Reversion00:3001:0218:5800:0420:35

Thanks to SirStack’s Morphylogeny  (off-site link) for the use of some clip descriptions.