So, uh, this is kinda awesome....

So I had read about this Power/Rangers fan video but hadn't had a chance to watch it yet.  Well, I watched it today....and it was kinda awesome.

First and foremost, there's the quality.  I mean, it looks like more money went into this 15 minute video than the entire Power Rangers series.  The costumes were pretty cool too, with some technology built into the helmets and some armor built into the tights.  And then on top of that, they actually got name actors and actresses, and the story was pretty damn intriguing too.

Basically, they make you think of the consequences of things that were dealt with in a rather lighthearted way on the series.  What are the consequences of being social outcasts?  What do bullies grow up to be after high school?  And what are the psychological and physical repercussions of giving teenagers the responsibility of protecting the world in an interstellar war?  Some people become "ghosts."  Others become thrill seekers.  Others do whatever they can to survive, even if that means turning against the people they fought alongside.

But above all else, you just had to enjoy the overarching commentary about how we feel the need to make stories grittier and darker each time we reboot them.  I mean, sure, it makes sense for Batman....but we've gotten to the point that even Superman -- the beacon of hope and the greater good -- is a mopey brooder who has to allow his father to die so that he could hide his powers and was forced to kill a man with his bare hands in the climax.  Even something as colorful and playful as the Power Rangers could be reimagined as something deeply disturbing.

Haven't seen it yet?  Check it out: