Power Rangers Reboot Mixes "Souped Up" Spectacle with Relatable Message

07/22/2016 12:12 pm EDT

The upcoming Power Rangers reboot will feature alien monsters, giant mechanical dinosaurs, and cool armor, but the heart of the upcoming movie is about characters dealing with a relatable and universal lesson.

Speaking at a Lionsgate press event at SDCC, director Dean Israelite spoke about the central plot of the Power Rangers movie. "When I read the very first script, I loved that this was a character journey about five real relatable kids, all of whom were going through something personal," the director said. "I thought that, coupled with the backdrop of the spectacle, combining those two things was so thrilling and exciting."

The new Power Rangers movie will feature updated takes on many classic elements of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers franchise, including the Power Rangers suits, Rita Repulsa, and even Alpha 5. But Israelite thinks the movie uses some of those elements to create a fitting metaphor. "As these five kids go on their coming of age journey, they have to shed their teenage armor to fit into the skins they truly belong in and those skins are the Power Rangers suits."

Fans shouldn't expect the campiness of the original television show. Israelite said that the movie will be a reinvention of the franchise that brings the Power Rangers to a more sophisticated and contemporary place. "They're going to find all the hallmarks they love, but it's going to be souped up."

Power Rangers stars Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston, Dacre Montgomery, Becky G, RJ Cyler, Naomi Scott, and Ludi Lin. Power Rangers will be released in the United States on March 24, 2017.

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