TURBO: A POWER RANGERS MOVIE

Here is the decision, plainly. This second Power Rangers film was made for children, but it is exactly the wrong movie to hand them. Beneath the plastic knapsacks and martial-arts poses runs a great deal of New Age teaching, plus a plot built on an occult sexual union — a witch trying to mate with a volcano monster so she can rule the universe. That's not a summary you want to be explaining to a seven-year-old.

Even setting the worldview aside, there's little here to enjoy. The story is thin to the point of nonexistence, the fight sequences are among the most boring ever filmed, and the attempts at humor fall flat. What's meant for children is undercut by sexual innuendo, low-cut necklines, and genuinely disgusting creatures.

So the practical answer is simple: skip it, and don't let the bright colors fool you into thinking it's harmless.

The evil witch Divatox is hunting the great wizard Lerigot, whose power could open the way to a forbidden triangle — and to a plan that would let her rule the universe.

Meanwhile, our Power Rangers are training for a martial-arts tournament, hoping to win the purse and keep a shelter for orphans open. When one Ranger is hurt, a young boy named Justin steps into his place. Then Divatox crosses their path, and the fight is on.

One star, and the reasons are not hard to find. The plot is delivered up front in a cheap STAR WARS-style space scrawl, and everything after it is a dull, confused, meandering march to an ending you already know. The fight sequences — the movie's whole reason for being — are among the most boring ever filmed.

If it was trying to be camp, it failed for lack of humor. If it was trying to reach children, it failed on its own terms. The one thing to its credit: the actors did their best and seemed pleasant enough under the circumstances. That's not enough to save it. Word of mouth, our reviewer predicted, would be negative — and the film gives no reason to argue.

This is a children's fantasy that runs on a strong Eastern, New Age worldview with occult elements woven throughout. That's not incidental decoration; there is a great deal of New Age teaching packed into the running time, aimed squarely at young viewers who won't recognize it for what it is.

The engine of the plot makes the problem concrete. The villain's goal is an occult sexual union — a witch seeking to mate with a volcano monster to seize power over the universe. Around that premise the film scatters sexual innuendo, low-cut necklines, and a parade of slime monsters. Even the heroes' good deed — fighting to keep an orphanage open — can't redeem a story whose driving force is occult and whose spiritual assumptions run opposite to Scripture.

The Bible is direct about where power and protection actually come from, and it warns plainly against dabbling in the occult: "There shall not be found among you anyone who... practices divination or tells fortunes... or a sorcerer" (Deuteronomy 18:10). This is a film that treats sorcery as the shape of the world; a Christian family has every reason to look elsewhere.

Bright suits and martial-arts kicks can't hide what's underneath: a nearly plotless movie built on New Age teaching and an occult premise, sold to the children least able to see it. So our answer stands: skip it. For a family movie night that won't leave you explaining a witch and a volcano monster, start with our latest family-friendly picks.