If you haven’t watched Power Rangers in a while, the improvement in the special effects is one of the first things to stand out. The fight sequences can be pretty darn good and the flashy sword glow effects are pretty cool looking. Because this is the Power Rangers Samurai, there are also little hints of classic Samurai action might be familiar if you’ve watched any of those old black and white Japanese films or seen a lot of Anime. So for some special moves, a grassy field or some other typical Japanese setting will be superimposed onto the scene, making it look like they’ve been transported to an ancient battlefield.
I can’t speak from a fan’s perspective, but I can say that this season of Power Rangers is fairly easy to watch. The poorly lip-synced villains are still there, and the acting is still on the corny side, but overall it’s pretty watchable. One episode that stood out to me was "Shell Game." While the first half of the episode was a little cringe-worthy and cheesy, with silly scenes of people trapped in objects, the Rangers’ plan to defeat Switchbeast, the enemy of the episode, was actually pretty ingenious. I can’t say I like the costumes for this season (the kanji faces just seem awkward), or the zords (there’s a crawfish one, I can’t decide if I love or hate that), but there are some entertaining moments like these spread throughout.
Power Rangers Super Samurai: Volume 1 - The Super Powered Black Box is perhaps indicative of a trend amongst children's shows on DVD. With only 4 episodes per DVD, it’s going to take 5 separate DVD purchases to get the full season. In theory that means each DVD is cheaper, and less of a risk if you’re not sure if the kids are going to like it. But really it just feels like a bit of a money grab. There isn’t much for special features either. There’s a character gallery which lists facts about each Ranger and a music video that features a couple of the Rangers singing. It’s a typical song about friends and being there and some other sweet, happy stuff, if you’re into that. There are several languages, and this DVD is in widescreen format, so at least that is a bonus over the first season’s offering on DVD. As long as you’re cool with 4 episodes, this is not a bad DVD set to pick up.
