dean israelite

I’m like most recovering casuals as of late when it comes to anything remotely having to do with the Tokusatsu genre of film and television. That said, there’s still plenty of content to take in from Japanese TV shows and movies, though America’s participation in this signals a tremendous and opportune moment for us Westerners as part of the worldwide audience. Needless to say, if you were a Fox Kids viewer on Saturday mornings, you were never bored and due largely in part to the succession of Toei’s succession of their Super Sentai franchise with Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Crossing over into North America with producer Haim Saban and Shuki Levy for the longstanding hit series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the show took on multiple evolutions on the small AND big screens, all now preceding Lionsgate and SCG Films on their quest to birth a new big screen franchise reboot starting […]

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Director Dean Israelite has some expectations to fill next year with the release of Saban’s Power Rangers. With a March 2017 date stamped and the prospects of at least seven films rebooting for its adaptation of the hit Japanese Tokusatsu series and its subsequent American counterpart, we already have a good idea about how our color-coated heroes will look. To that end, we’ve since gotten another casting update with actor Bryan Cranston in the role of transdimensional sage and leader of the Rangers, Zordon. It’s just a matter of time before we see what that visually entails, but rest assured that for a Hollywood film with a such an ambitious scope, one can expect Israelite’s take on the property to be a worthwhile feat. On that note, the marketing campaign continues following last month’s costume reveal, and with a full new teaser poster to hold you until some footage arises. […]

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Filmmaker Dean Israelite had a specific vision in mind for the upcoming big screen Tokusatsu reboot, Saban’s Power Rangers. It’s one now erected as so by production designer Andrew Menzies and this week, we finally have a glimpse at the new suits courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, ahead of the film’s March 24, 2017 release. “It’s tricky finding a new language for a superhero costume,” said Menzies who worked on Jon M. Chu’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013). “Ours is an alien costume that grows on them, that’s not man-made. You can’t win everyone over, but we are trying to appeal to a more mature audience and gain new fans.” So there you have it! Sharp, muscular, detailed, refurbished homages to the the classic Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger series suits and their respective Fox Kids counterparts of the U.S.. Menzies probably has a point as fans usually tend to be fickle, but I […]

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Filming is approximately four days in with Lionsgate making its gamble with a contemporary feature film reinstallation of their own for Saban’s Power Rangers. Some Toku fans may not like it while others do, although it’s fair to say, generally, that a reboot has been a long time coming since its heyday as a crossover Ameritoku series for Fox Kids and the subsequent films thereafter. Saban’s Power Rangers follows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late. EW has since […]

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For those of you waiting on Saban’s Power Rangers, the process has finally begun in Vancouver. The release date has jumped a bit from this July to next January, but the last known official release date is March 24, 2017. Time will tell if that changes while we wait to see how the current crop of newcomers impresses us as many a fans’ Tokusatsu favorite. Interestingly enough, however, is that the stunt coordinator they have is someone who worked with actor Sam Worthington on both ‘Titans films, as well as with Bruce Willis on both Red films and the first two titles of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. While these don’t exactly sound like Super Sentai-friendly films, it appears Jennings is no stranger to epic action sequences either and so I’m looking forward to just how big in-scale many of the spectacular fights will look in this newest theatrical reboot. Putties, […]

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