Would Power Rangers Be a Bigger Success as an R-Rated Feature?

After the underwhelming debut of Power Rangers (2017) left us questioning whether or not the reboot was at all worth waiting for, fans of the franchise began delving into why the movie wasn't what they were expecting. All the elements of a good Power Rangers movie were there, except its execution didn't go as planned. Whether it was the cast selected, or the plot in general, something hindered the success of the project overall. Although, the biggest proponent in that regard was likely Dean Israelite's vision for the reboot.

Israelite's vision for the modern day Power Rangers intended for the kid friendly themes to remain intact, and it succeeded in retaining those tones. But in a day and age where movies need to appeal to a wider audience, properties like the Power Rangers, that are based in kid oriented demographics, need to be updated in order for adult viewers to share interest in them as well. And while it might be contrary to Dean Israelite's vision for a tame PG- movie, Power Rangers could have been a bigger success were it geared towards a more mature audience.

To be fair Israelite's Power Rangers was a large success. But, we can't fail to acknowledge that quite a few reviews of the reboot turned out to be very unflattering. Plus, there's a fair amount of skepticism towards the prospect of a sequel even taking place, which may lead to the project being shelved indefinitely. The uncertainty present therein shows how unprofitable the first installment was to the studio that developed the picture, as well as how it may affect the future of a supposed six movie series. Of course, there's a good chance that the following five movies will move forward as planned.

Could An R-Rated Reboot Turn Things Around For The 'Power Rangers'?

To some, it may seem like a fool's endeavor to continue investing in the latest reboot of Power Rangers, but a potential sequel doesn't necessarily have to follow the same construct as the original. It's possible that the sequel could go in a completely different direction, swapping out the kid friendly themes for more adult influences. Although, the biggest concern with that is whether or not fans would rally behind an entirely different take on the property after a reboot was just released. Then again, fans would likely overlook the previous installment, in the scenario of a R-rated sequel proving to be a better setting for the Power Rangers.

Since the cheesy fights and nostalgia aren't cutting it, any followup Power Rangers movies need to become sci-fi adventures we as fans expect of a modern day take on the property. Something along the lines of Adi Shankar's vision for the Power Rangers. Shankar developed a highly praised short film in 2015, that could stand as the basis for a live action, R-rated Power Rangers film. Check it out below:

At first glance, the prospect of an R-rated Power Rangers movie might seem like an idea that would only appeal to a small audience, but something along those lines is already in development. Shankar himself is developing a retelling of the first three seasons of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, calling it "really fucking dark". So, Shankar probably intends to craft a story just as bleak as the one he wrote out for his unofficial short. Nevertheless, it'll be interesting to see what direction Shankar takes on this new Power Rangers series, and more importantly, how successful it turns out to be.

Will a Movie Follow Shankar's Dark Power Rangers Series?

The success of an R-rated Power Rangers series might even have Lionsgate / Saban reconsidering a movie deal for an R-rated version. On to top that, the studio wouldn't necessarily need Shankar to develop it either. Once success of the R-rated series becomes known, Lionsgate and Saban can start recruiting lists of well accomplished directors, who'd be willing to take on an R-rated Power Rangers movie. And seeing as how reboots / remakes are a hot commodity nowadays, a few directors would probably jump at the prospect of turning the kid friendly Power Rangers into a dark tale for mature audiences.

In that scenario, an R-rated take would probably have to reboot the entire franchise since the tone would be drastically different from the kid friendly adventure depicted in the 2017 movie. Unless, the world established in the latest reboot shifts attention towards a dark tale of the Rangers attempting to survive in a world plagued by monsters like Rita Repulsa. That said, a prospective R-rated Power Rangers movie is only wishful thinking until the proprietary owners decide that the franchise needs to shift its focus towards a more mature audience.