'Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel' DVD & VOD: 'Saved By the Bell: The Superhero Years'

The strongest endorsement of the Lionsgate February 5, 2019 DVD & VOD releases of the 2018 season of "Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel" is that these 22 episodes will delight current fans and bring all other viewers into the fold. Two of thees outings being the Halloween and Christmas specials is a bonus. The non-parental warning is that you will feel compelled to shout the catch phrases "Its morphin' time!" and “Ninja Rangers fear no danger!”

Depending on your perspective, "Super" either is a spin-off of the (reviewed) reboot "Power Rangers Ninja Steel" or the second episode of that series. This continuation of the titular superheroes battling monsters from outer space has our team facing a franchise quarter-life crisis that revolves around preventing villain du season Madam Odious from obtaining their power-granting stars that are made from the titular substance.

The above heavy praise for "Super" relates to this series expanding beyond the "Ninja' concept of a new big bad being sent to earth ultimately to have the rangers hand his or her butt to him. An adventure that one ranger aptly describes as "epic" has the nicest kids in town join forces with their predecessors from other "Rangers" incarnations. This group essentially must battle itself (and then some) to prevent worlds literally colliding. 

All this fun begins with this somewhat diverse group of shiny happy teens learning what seems to be an increased number of "Saved By the Bell" morals. Additionally, these life lessons seem to be more fully integrated in the nemesis of the week.

A prime example is borderline farmboy Calvin (Yellow Ranger) lying to girlfriend Hayley (White Ranger) about not forgetting their anniversary helping fuel the power of the latest creature bent on the destruction of the team. This experience convinces Calvin that honesty is the best policy. He later learns the wisdom of "be cool, stay in school." 

A similar episode has a monster getting the rangers and their fellow Summer Cove High students addicted to a video game that fuels his mojo. We also get the amusing cliche of the group being zapped onto the home turf of this evil entity. 

The change-of-pace episodes include the rangers teaming up with a literal space ranger. The mission that they choose to accept is to capture an alien fugitive, An "I fought the law, and the law won" joke is one of the most cool references in "Super." 

Some of the above-expressed enthusiasm relates to the escapist joy of "Super" during a period in which it seems that Odious controls the weather. A massive snow/sleet storm immediately followed by a flash freeze, a winter hurricane, several days of heavy winds, a polar vortex, and blinding snow squalls just does not seem right.