POWER RANGERS MYSTIC FORCE

 

POWER RANGERS MYSTIC FORCE
(Toon Disney, February 20-November 13, 2006)
 
BVS Entertainment, Renaissance Atlantic Entertainment, Toei Company Ltd., Ranger Productions Ltd.

 

MAIN CAST:
Firass Dirani – Red Mystic Ranger/Bowen/Nicolas “Nick” Russell
Angie Diaz – Pink Mystic Ranger/Vida “V” Rocca
Richard Brancatisano – Green Mystic Ranger/Xander Bly
Melanie Vallejo – Blue Mystic Ranger/Madison “Maddie” Rocca
Nic Sampson – Yellow Mystic Ranger/Charlie “Chip” Thorn
Peta Rutter – White Mystic Ranger/Udonna
Antonia Prebble – Clare Langtree, Niella
Barnie Duncan – Toby Slambrook, Piggy
Kelson Henderson – Phineas

  

Power Rangers Mystic Force is the 13^th incarnation of the Power Rangers franchise, the 4^th of the Disney-era, and the 14^th season overall. It utilized footage from Toei Company, Ltd.’s 29^th Super Sentai series, Maho Sentai Magiranger. This was the first time a Sentai filmed in New Zealand along with Power Rangers.

Leanbow and the wizards prepare to repel evil.

20 years ago, the Forces of Darkness came into power in a magic-filled dimension and began a war called The Great Battle between good and evil. The army of monsters were opposed by five wizards led by the most powerful of all, Leanbow (Chris Graham). He cast a spell to seal the dark forces off from the other realms and went to the other side himself to ensure it stayed closed. In the present, a massive earthquake struck the city of Briarwood and broke the seal, allowing evil to resume its invasion of Earth under the leadership of Octomus the Master (John Leigh), Supreme Master of the Underworld. Sorceress Udonna (Peta Rutter) gathered the warriors of legend to fight against them: Nick Russell (Firass Dirani), Xander Bly (Richard Brancatisano), Chip Thorn (Nic Sampson), and sisters Vida (Angie Diaz) and Maddie Rocca (Melanie Vallejo). Leanbow also returned as the evil Koragg until the power of good restored his original personality, turning him into the Wolf Warrior and ally of the Power Rangers. They were also aided by Daggeron (John Tui), who wielded the power of the sun as the Solaris Knight, and his feline genie, Jenji (Oliver Driver).

The Mystic Force Rangers with the Wolf Warrior and the Solaris Knight.

Power Rangers Mystic Force debuted on February 20, 2006 on Toon Disney’s Jetix block, with reruns later airing on ABC as part of the ABC Kids programming block. Jackie Marchand was finally made story-editor by producer Bruce Kalish; a position she’d hold until RPM. Ron Wasserman pitched both a rap and a rock theme for the series, but they were ultimately rejected and Disney went with Chaka Blackmon as its composer. Because S.P.D.’s finale cost so much, the production was under strict orders to use as much Sentai footage as possible with a slashed budget for new material; which meant no annual team-up episode was produced. That also had the unfortunate consequence of giving an excessive amount of focus to the Red Ranger over the others, which fans took issue with. Antonia Prebble, who previously played the Nova Ranger in S.P.D. and Krista in Dino Thunder, played the dual role of Clare, Udonna’s niece and apprentice, and her mother, Niella. Tui had also played Anubis Cruger in S.P.D., and Machiko Soga, best known as Rita Repulsa, was the Mystic Mother through posthumous use of footage from Magiranger.