Credit: Saban Entertainment / 20th Century Studios
When it comes to movies, New Year’s Eve viewing often falls into two categories: films that explicitly revolve around the holiday, or familiar, feel-good titles that land on the right emotional note as the clock strikes midnight.
Not every movie needs champagne countdowns or calendar flips to work on December 31. Sometimes all it takes is the right final image and the right piece of music.
The Perfect New Year’s Eve Movie
One unlikely but highly effective choice is Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, which was released in 1995 at the height of the franchise’s original popularity.
While the film has nothing to do with New Year’s Eve, its closing moments line up perfectly with the spirit of the night — provided you hit play at exactly the right time.
Directed by Bryan Spicer, the film sees the return of several cast members from the ’90s television series: Jason David Frank (Tommy Oliver, the White Ranger), Amy Jo Johnson (Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger), David Yost (Billy Cranston, the Blue Ranger), Steve Cardenas (Rocky DeSantos, the Red Ranger), Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam Park, the Black Ranger), and Karan Ashley (Aisha Campbell, the Yellow Ranger).
The film also stars Gabrielle Fitzpatrick (Dulcea), Peta-Maree Rixon (Alpha 5), Nicholas Bell (Zordon), Julia Cortez (Rita Repulsa), Kerry Casey (Goldar), and Mark Ginther (Lord Zedd).
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Paul Freeman plays the villain Ivan Ooze, an ancient ruler who’s accidentally unleashed by Angel Grove construction workers after thousands of years in a hyper-locked chamber. The purple, slime-soaked warlock causes the Power Rangers to lose their powers, and so they must journey to the distant planet of Phaedos to restore them in a race-against-time quest.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is a bigger, better version of the hugely popular TV series. It has a higher production value, upgraded suits, CGI, and bigger action sequences, while its soundtrack reflects the mid-90s, with artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Devo, and Van Halen.
Why Power Rangers: The Movie Is a Perfect New Year’s Eve Watch
It’s the final track from Van Halen that helps make the film a strong New Year’s Eve contender. After the Power Rangers defeat Ivan Ooze and save the world, the city of Angel Grove holds a massive fireworks display in their honor.
As beautiful explosions fill the sky, Van Halen’s incredibly uplifting track “Dreams” plays over the closing moments. The sequence serves as a public thank-you to the color-coded, armor-clad heroes.
Getting the Timing Right
So, with precise timing, the fireworks and final beats can line up with midnight itself.
To make it work, you’ll need to hit play just before the 20th Century Fox logo fills the screen, at approximately 10:33 P M on December 31, and let the film, which clocks in at 1 hour 35 minutes, run uninterrupted until the credits roll at 12:00 A M.
Once you reach the 1:27:40 mark, you should start to hear fireworks and Van Halen (it’s worth noting that playback speed may vary slightly between services and viewing mediums).
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie isn’t a New Year’s Eve movie by design, but its ending delivers exactly what the night calls for: a victory, a celebration, and a song about believing things can be better when the calendar turns.
The Future of Power Rangers
Who knows — maybe one day you’ll be able to enjoy Power Rangers with fireworks in one of the Disney Parks. Recently, it was confirmed that the franchise, which is currently owned by multinational toy company and entertainment giant Hasbro, is being rebooted by Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz for Disney+.
During a recent premiere event for Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, Movieweb asked Steinberg about the rumors, to which he replied: “The rumor [about the Power Rangers reboot] is true. I can not tell you, but I am very, very excited for that story.”
Whether or not the series will relaunch the franchise remains to be seen, but if it does, we could also be looking at a potential revival at Disney World. During the early 2000s, while the IP was under Disney, the Power Rangers made regular appearances at Disney-MGM Studios (now known as Disney’s Hollywood Studios). If they do return, here’s hoping they also make an appearance at one of the parks’ night-time illumination events so that we can recapture the end of the 1995 film in real time!
Are you a fan of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie? Let us know in the comments down below!