First of all, I forgot to do the review last week. Not only that, but I screwed up the review schedule to boot. The next game I was to review wasn't American Gladiators for the NES, it's Sol-Deace. So, in order to make it up to you guys (and to get back on schedule), I'm going to make this a DOUBLE review. Including the make-up review for Sol-Deace plus the regularly scheduled review of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

VG Review #39: Sol-Deace (AKA: Sol-Feace)
Year Produced: 1990
Publisher/Developer: Wolf Team
Game Style: Space Shoot'em up
Sample Video of Gameplay: CLICK HERE
Additional Information: The sample video posted appears to be from the Sega CD version...I've played the Genesis version (which would explain the difference in title since the Genesis version was called Sol-Deace and the CD version was called Sol-Feace. The only real discernable difference I noticed between the two versions was the sound quality).

Plot: More or less, the plot is similar to that of Thunder Force III. In the future, humans build a super-intelligent super computer which is meant to unite galaxies, but instead is used as a tool for conquering worlds by an evil emperor.

Personal Experience: This is the other Space shooter for the Genesis that I got into along with Thunder Force III. I knew very little about the game at the time I played it and had never heard of it before in my entire life. To be honest, I don't know exactly what compelled me to start playing it in the first place...it was about 15 years ago and my memory on how I decided to pop this in my Genesis is a bit fuzzy. However, once I did begin playing it, I enjoyed doing so. Even if the furthest I've ever gotten in the game was the fourth stage.

> In Sol-Deace, the weapon system is a bit more simple than in Thunder Force III. You start with a single shot cannon on the front of your craft and it can be upgraded in these ways through destroying satellites.

Side Cannons: This is the first power-up you'll likely encounter and it will come out each time you die as well. These will give you two extra cannons that initially shoot single shots, but you can tilt them in up to about a 45 degree angle to suit your needs. I haven't played this game in years, so I forgot how to do this off the top of my head.

Double Shot: Turns either your main gun or your side guns into a double shot. The benefit to this is when your side cannons are tilted, you can shoot up to five ways at one time, since the angle of each turret would be slightly different.

Rockets: Shoots some sort of missle from your cannons

Laser: This is my favorite weapon in the game, shoots a steady stream laser from your cannons that goes through enemies like a hot knife through butter. Can make quick work out of tough opponents.

What works with the game

+: The gameplay (Fast paced and easy to get into)
+: The music (While not as impressive as Thunder Force III, it still has good music for a Genesis game)
+: Having tiltable side cannons (depending on what weapon you're using, you can shoot up to five different directions
+: The laser (I would recommend having at least one of these whenever possible (preferably as your main cannon)
+: Some of the enemies in the game look pretty intimidating (although some of them are also more bark than they are bite)

What doesn't work about the game

-: The difficulty (This is another game that can become a bullet hell at times...especially during boss battles)
-: The story (while it isn't bad per se, it just feels generic...especially considering that I just reviewed Thunder Force III a few weeks ago)

Normally, this is the part where I'd have questions regarding the game, but I seriously can't think of any this time around.

CONCLUSION: In all honesty, I prefer Thunder Force III in comparison to this. However, this is still an enjoyable game and I don't think it would be a bad choice to have it in your collection...though there are better space shooters out there.

Graphics: 10 (Seems quite detailed in the sprites and as I mentioned before, the enemies can look a bit intimidating at times...especially when they're hurling a million bullets and/or projectiles at you. Both the Genesis version and the CD version have nearly identical graphics)
Music (sound effects): 8 (Not as memorable as Thunder Force III, but still quite good)
Story: 6 (More or less, copypasta from Thunder Force III)
Gameplay: 6 (This game is more of a bullet hell than Thunder Force III is. I've managed to beat Thunder Force III before, but I've only made it to Stage 4 in this. Plus, the weapon system is not as great in this as in Thunder Force III.)
Replay Factor/Intangibles: 5 (Outside of the graphics and the music quality, it seems fairly generic otherwise.)

FINAL GRADE: 7.0/B (Not the best space shooter, but worth giving a try at least)


And now, for the regularly scheduled review for the week...

Movie Review #19: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
Released in: 1995
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 45%/C-

Personal History

To begin with, I was in middle school (AKA: Junior High) when Power Rangers first aired on TV and while at first it seemed kinda stupid to me, I actually got into it. Of course, it helped that the first episodes that I really watched were a part of the "Green with Evil" 5-part series. After that, I was into the show and watched it through the first two seasons. So naturally, when the movie came out I wanted to see it (along with my younger siblings). At the time, I was gullible enough to think that the movie was "good" and expected this to be the Power Rangers' future. When I saw that it wasn't, I sorta lost interest in the series and stopped watching it for the most part, save for a few episodes here and there.

Little did I know at the time, and I wouldn't find out about this until learning about this from Linkara, that the movie was not in continuity with the actual series. Furthermore, because of Linkara's History of Power Rangers series, I've gotten back into watching the show from beginning to it's current end to see what I had missed out on. As of now, I'm currently in the middle of Season 3 of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

Anyway, this review will serve to both give my honest opinion on the movie some 15 years after I've seen it the first time after re-watching it as an adult as well as sort of a tribute to my fellow Minnesotan.

Basic Storyline

In the movie, a bunch of construction workers reveal a hyperlock chamber (which looks like a manhole cover with a weird design) and open it up, revealing the egg of Ivan Ooze. Upon the egg's release, Lord Zedd comes down to awaken Ooze who promptly gets revenge on Zordon by totalling the command center and causing him to age rapidly without the time warp to support him. In order to stop Ooze and save Zordon, the Power Rangers must travel to a distant world and claim the Ninja powers

What works with this movie

+: Most of the original cast from the show is there with the original actors (The Rangers, Bulk and Skull, Rita and Zedd, and Goldar. Although there are some differences, I'll get to that in a bit)
+: The first unmorphed fight scene is actually pretty good with decent choreograhpy (it felt a lot like the fight scenes in the actual show)
+: There are a few jokes that actually are a bit funny in this (such as Ooze's "Brady Bunch Reunion" gag and Adam's "I'm a frog" bit...though the latter of the two might be more of a corny gag than a legitimate one)
+: Rita and Zedd in the snow globe (I don't completely understand why, but I find it humorous that they're in the snow globe like that)
+: Van Halen's "Dreams" is playing at the end of the movie (I love that song) =3
+: The last scene during the credits where Goldar thinks he's in charge now, only to have the restored Rita and Zedd enter the throne chamber, looking pissed off. (Makes me really want to see what those two would've done to monkey boy)

What didn't work in this movie
(Let the obscenities and swearing begin) >:}

-: THE CGI IN THIS MOVIE IS ABSOLUTE SHIT!!! (Especially during the final fight sequence. No, I don't give a rat's ass if the movie was made in the mid-90's there's NO EXCUSE FOR IT! The zords look HORRIBLE done in CGI, Ivan Ooze's "pets" don't look much better and when Ooze merges with the hornet robot...OH MY FUCKING GOD! He looks so bad that it makes the scene where Liu Kang turns into a dragon in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation look good in comparison! Hell, the CGI sequence where Ninjor gets angry and transforms looks better than this, and that's JAPANESE SENTAI FOOTAGE FROM LONG BEFORE THIS MOVIE WAS EVEN MADE!!!)
-: The Power Rangers' costumes look like shit as well (seriously, WTF were these people thinking. What is wrong with just using the damn costumes from the show?!! In this, their helmets look blocky, they have fake ass plastic abs and they have those stupid medallions on their chest which makes it seem like kids are so stupid that they don't know which one is which. Why do you even need that, do they have them in the TV show? Hell no...because they aren't necessary!)
-: The Music...outside of a few actual songs (No Ron Wasserman music to be found here for starters, plus the fact the original sound track has absolutely nothing to do with Power Rangers whatsoever)
-: While the opening fight scene is decent, the rest of 'em are not as good. (Either it's because of the choreography, the dialogue, the Rangers getting their asses handed to them, or a combination of the above)
-: Some of the dialogue in the movie is bad (even for Power Rangers standards)...Yes, it's common for there to be some corny dialogue during the fight scenes, but this takes it to a whole new level. Only a few of the quips I would deem "acceptable for Power Rangers standards", most of them are just dumb.
-: Bulk and Skull are WASTED in this movie...figuratively, not literally (There really isn't any really good "Bulk and Skull moments" in this, which is a bit of a drag because those two are humorous together. Add this to the fact that there's no Bulk and Skull theme in this also hurts)
-: Zordon looks weird in this (not much else to be said here...I liked him better how he was done in the TV series). Speaking of weird looks for characters...
-: Lord Zedd looks different as well (while I do kinda like how his exposed brain seems to bubble, it looks like his armor is too exaggerated. Plus, if it wasn't for Rotten Tomatoes, I would never had guessed that it WAS Robert Axelrod doing Zedd's voice, since it sounds different from the show.)
-: The way the final fight ends (very anti-climactic...not only that, but for the Power Rangers to use the comet instead of their Megazord's final attack to destroy him doesn't really do much to signify how much "better" the Ninja powers are to the older ones)
-: Skydiving...really?!! (Y'know, I can believe a lot of shit that these "teenagers" do in this show. I can see them riding on ATV's, I can see them being "obsessive goody-goods". But, seeing them going skydiving? No...that does not happen in real life. First of all, it would take a lot of training for them to do it and not end up like Peggy Hill from King of the Hill did when she tried it*. Secondly, it costs hundreds of dollars to be able to do it and I highly doubt that these "teenagers" all have jobs that would pay that kind of cash. That is too unrealistic in real-life for it to happen...even in Power Rangers)

Things that have me asking questions in this movie

?: Who the hell is that pig guy hanging around with Goldar and Co. (Is that supposed to be like the Pudgy Pig or something...re-reincarnated? Where the hell did he come from...seriously!) For that matter...
?: Where the hell are Finster, Squatt, and Baboo? (They were supporting characters in the series and yet they never show up in this movie. Granted, Squatt and Baboo were comic relief characters and Finster hasn't had much to do since Zedd took over, but it still would've been a plus to see them in this thing to show that they actually give a rat's ass about the kids who come to see the fucking film!)
?: If Ivan Ooze wants to control the world...why doesn't he just use his ooze to hypnotize all of the adults (Y'know...like he does to have them dig up his mechanical creatures. It would be a lot easier than having them do that, plus he could use the innocent civilians against the Power Rangers if he wanted, forcing them to make a difficult decision about whether or not to fight against those who are being brainwashed)

CONCLUSION: If this were an episode (or mini-series) on Power Rangers, and if it were done right...like in the middle of Season 3 and not as an origin story for how they claimed the Ninja powers. I can possibly see this being a believable story in relation to the series. As it stands right now, no...this does not make for a good transition story and it sure as hell doesn't make for a good feature film...which will dock it somewhat when I get to the final grade. Linkara said that this movie is not in continuity with the series, and I can clearly see why. If you want the story of how they got the Ninja powers that's told WELL, go look for the four part mini-series titled "Ninja Quest" in season 3. It's WAAAY better than this movie.

Story Grade: C- (it could've been good...if it wasn't a feature film and done on the TV show by more competent writers and those who have more respect for the Japanese Sentai)
Entertainment Grade: D (A few decent jokes and one decent fight scene, but not much of legitimate entertainment value outside of that, aside from riffing it that is.)

OVERALL GRADE (Story/Entertainment average): D+
(Even if you're a Power Rangers fan, you should avoid this movie...it doesn't do the show much justice. I won't say it's as big of an abomination as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3, but it's still not very good.)

I'm going to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving, so there will not be a review next week...the next review will be done in 2 weeks. Hopefully by then I'll be able to keep up with the review schedule a little better.

Next Movie Review: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (in 3 weeks)
Next Review: American Gladiators (NES)...for real this time

*: Please ignore the stupid ass joke at the end of this clip, it's the only one I could find featuring Peggy Hill's accident.