REVIEW: Power Rangers Ninja Steel 4 "Presto Change-O"
Well, this was fun! I think Power Rangers Ninja Steel is finding its legs now and understanding the sort of show it wants to be. I don’t think this was a perfect episode, of course; it still had a bit of weirdness here and there, and there were a lot of horrific moments that the show just sort of glossed over--most likely in order to make them seem less horrific. Still, there was a good amount of good and not a lot of bad, though we’ll still get a weirdness workout here. So, without further ado…
I suppose it was a smart idea for the magician character to be named Preston, though the characters sometimes call him Presto (his stage name), which is an interesting touch. I kind of like the idea of Preston as the guy who loves something so much but is absolutely terrible at it. I remember being a kid and wanting to be able to do magic tricks, but I didn’t really have talent for misdirection. So I can relate to Preston’s troubles as his tricks fail for lack of skill. I can also relate to the urge Preston has to use his new awesome magical powers for his magic shows, because if you’re a magician and then you suddenly get magical powers, it seems logical that they would be applicable to your normal trade. I’m going to stick a pin here, because this aspect of the episode will be revisited in the bad section.
At the same time, it’s mostly Victor and Monty’s fault that anyone else realizes the gaffes. The integration of Victor and Monty into the group plots is another positive of this episode and series as a whole. I’m reminded of the characters such as Bulk and Spike and Mr. Burley who almost never interacted with the Rangers in their respective seasons, and Dino Charge had very few recurring non-Ranger/ally characters due to the large amount of Rangers. It’s good that we seem to be getting wacky nonsense with them that the Rangers can see and react to and more importantly, interact with during their daily lives.
As another positive, Slogre might just be my favorite monster in a long time. From the TMNT references to the funny effects of his slow-down mist to his slightly better banter than most monsters, I think he works great as a MoTW. He’s goofy enough to fit the tone they’ve set while having a legitimately formidable gimmick to threaten the Rangers with. I also enjoy the confrontation between Galvanax and the Rangers, as short-lived as it is, but again, another pin in this moment.
As for the bad, there isn’t much here, but there are two things I want to touch on. First, the kinda preachy and nonsensical idea that Preston’s magic can only be used to help people. Beyond the moral lesson that they’re trying to teach, I can’t really see why that would be the case. If ninja steel (note the lack of capitals) grants a person’s wish, then shouldn’t it have...granted Preston’s wish? Being able to wield magical powers in battle is not the same as being able to put on amazing magic shows. Furthermore, does this mean that if he hadn’t been showboating specifically to teach Victor and Monty a lesson (perhaps the least charitable interpretation of his actions) his magic tricks would have gone well? Like, could he volunteer at the local children’s hospital and do good magic tricks for them there?
The other issue I wanted to address as a negative was the fact that Galvanax immediately runs away after a bit of trash-talk instead of attacking the Rangers. I’m not thrilled by the fact that the main villain isn’t sure enough of his powers that he doesn’t want to look bad for the cameras should he take a loss. Quite frankly, at this stage of the game, the villain should be able to slap them around, so that it gives a sense of scope and danger for the series. It’s just a little nitpick, but it bugs me that he’s been given this aura of awesome power, and then he runs away when he could have established himself as a credible threat to Earth.
As for the weird, well, why are LEGENDS the catch-all answer to every question the show throws at us? I mean, I’d even feel better about Mick just spouting these things if he glanced at a secret ninja scroll or something that made it seem less like Mick’s just making it up as he goes along. Maybe even if it had been mentioned that “ninja steel grants wishes” prior to the episode where it just suddenly happens. At least that kind of explains how the Ninja Steel Zords were created, from a certain point of view. On the other hand, I do like how that ties into the new Megazord formation from this episode. Another weird moment I have to mention is Monty becoming a box monstrosity creature at the end, which is really frightening if you think about it for more than seven seconds. He seems oddly sure that it will just wear off, but if Power Rangers has taught me anything, either Preston has to remove that spell himself, or they’re going to have to destroy good old Presto once and for all to get Monty back to normal.
All in all, this episode was probably the best of the four thus far. I’m at peace with the tone going forward, and I think I’ve made my peace with the running explanation for everything being a secret ninja legend that Mick just made up a few moments ago. The team seems to have gelled, we’ve been getting good focus for the members, and aside from a few villain hiccups this episode there’s some intrigue on that front as well. Looking forward to next episode!
