Power Rangers Dino Fury: Destination Dinohenge Review and Fan Reactions

The day Power Rangers fans have been waiting for is finally here, as this morning we all got to watch the premiere of Power Rangers Dino Fury. As you might expect, there were quite a few reactions to the anticipated season, and overall the vibe is very much positive. Fans seem to be enjoying the new cast, Ranger battles, and storyline choices so far, and you can check out some of the reactions coming in for the premiere starting on the next slide. Before we get to those, however, I figured I would share my impressions of the episode, so check out my review of Destination Dinohenge right here!

First impressions mean a lot, and the show makes a great one by introducing us to only three Rangers throughout the premiere as opposed to shoehorning in the whole team. It makes a difference, as by episode's end you already have a genuine feel for Amelia, Ollie, and Zayto's personality and how they will play off of each other.

There's a delightful charm and optimism to Hunter Deno's Amelia, and the practical and science-focused Ollie (Kai Moya) is a lovely contrast, though it's worth noting that both have a sense of adventure and curiosity that helps their team-up feel organic and unforced.

While we only get to see Russell Curry's Zayto in the second half of the episode, he immediately conveys the leadership qualities you want from a Red Ranger, offering a seasoned and comforting voice to the team that immediately resonated on-screen and conveys the sense that he's a big deal without explicitly telling you. You believe in him from his first line, and that only heightens when he starts to interact with the team.

Speaking of the team, their interactions show off Dino Fury's refined formula for humor. While we do get a fun little sequence involving an electrified net early in the episode, it actually plays a role in the battle later on, and the rest of the episode's humor is expressed more in the back and forth banter and occasional pun (looking at you Amelia), and so far it does a much better job at picking its spots for big gags and more often letting the characters' endearing charm and personalities create those opportunities, and hopefully, that continues.

When we spoke to Simon Bennett about the premiere, one of the biggest challenges of the episode was revealed to getting in the necessary setup for the story and introducing the new Rangers in 22 minutes, and it's immensely impressive how well Bennett and the team pulled it off. In a minutes-long montage, we get Zayto's past, the Knights of Rafkon, the Sporix origins, and the Morphin Masters, and despite the wealth of ways that could go wrong, it works out quite well, filling you in on what you need to know while keeping the plot moving forward.

Visually the suits look fantastic, and the first battle dished out some fun action, though it was actually the unmorphed fight that impressed me more. What did not impress was that Solon kept throwing keys after getting one intercepted. Like, change the strategy! (You can't see me, but I'm shaking my head. That was a fail.)

On a serious note, the episode sets the stage and the stakes for the series, and it's promising all around. The Sporix come off as actual threats because we've seen in a convincing manner what they've done to Zayto and the galaxy, something wonderfully conveyed in Zayto's "It wasn't the kind of victory you celebrate line. The stakes are high, the threat is real, and the fact that we're talking about the monsters and not Void Knight when I say that is as surprising to me as it probably is you.

Dino Fury's premiere was all you could pretty much ask for in a Power Rangers premiere. Action, humor, a charming cast of characters, and stakes all tied up in a bow is a stellar way to get started, and hopefully, it only gets better from here.

You can check out what other people are saying starting on the next slide, and let me know what you thought of the episode in the comments or on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!