It’s worth noting thatPower Rangersis not the only tv-to-film adaptation on the block this week. The other one isDax Shepard’s goofy take on the late 70s comedy seriesCHIPS, which is not looking very healthy at the box office after the Friday numbers started trickling in. The differences in approach are of particular interest, as Shepard’s film is a film that shirks any responsibility to embrace the modern day. In contrast,Power Rangersaggressively attempts to be part of the here and now, overtly playing towards the teenager crowd rather than nostalgists, though the latter category has seemingly been embracing the film as well thus far.
Indeed,Power Rangersended Friday with an estimated $15 million, putting on track for an admirable $40 million weekend overall. The movie cost $100 million to make and we won’t now it’s full impact overseas for a little bit, but there’s definitely a fanbase for this in international territories. As long as it can stay in the top five for another two frames or so, the movie seems destined to spawn at least one more sequel. It also helps that the movie, though not exactly good, is not overtly formulaic and never bores. It’s problematic on several levels - the product placement is egregious - but it’s entertaining and unpredictable. In that,Power Rangersunfortunately counts as something unique.
Still, the quintet was not enough to fend offEmma Watsonand her CGI be-horned beau, asBeauty and the Beasttook the top spot for the second Friday in a row with $23.5 million. Unless we see some major dips in today’s numbers, one should expect Power Rangers to finish strong in second place, with third newcomer, the innocuous sci-fi horror show Life, placing in third with $4.4 million. Meanwhile,Kong: Skull Islandcame in fourth with $3.7 million andLogantook in $2.6 million to finish in fifth.CHIPSarrived in sixth place, right aboveJordan Peele’sGet Out, and it’s unlikely to move from that position before the weekend ends. ThoughPower Rangershas a much bigger, much younger built-in fanbase thanCHIPS, the paradigm should serve as a didactic tale in how to properly refashion a franchise that could have been another forgettable waste of time and resources.
