A Fun Ride for Power Rangers Fans
Summary
If you’re a fan of Power Rangers then you should have a fun time with Legend of the White Dragon; despite dragging at times it has some impressive fights and Mark Dacascos makes everything better. Jason David Frank shines in one of his final roles and there is a nice tribute to him at the end, so make sure you watch all the credits.
Plot: After three years of forced hiding as a fugitive, Erik Reed—a former superhero known as the White Dragon—returns to the city he swore to protect. His goal: to clear his name and reunite with the family he keeps secret. Only one thing stands in his way: the mysterious Dragon Prime, who will stop at nothing to enact his revenge on the White Dragon.
Review: Legend of the White Dragon reunites Power Rangers actors Jason David Frank, Jason Faunt, Cerina Vincent and Ciara Hanna; it would end up being Jason David Frank’s last role as well as his co-star Michael Madsen.
Its has suffered several delays and started back in 2021 but finally got released this year. It’s described as a more mature Power Rangers but set in a different universe. Power Rangers was after my time and wasn’t something I ever got into (although I watched some of it), so I went into Legend of the White Dragon knowing very little.
This definitely has that Power Rangers vibe with the same kind of cheap looking visual effects, but it still has enough fight scenes to keep things moving and the addition of Mark Dacascos is also an added bonus. I did find the film a bit overly talky and the pacing lagged at times; there could have been a few more fights to keep things moving too, but I don’t think I’m the target audience for this picture.
I liked how Aaron Schoenke’s character Jai Katua/Dragon Prime has a tragic backstory having lost his wife and daughter after a battle between The White Dragon and the villain Ashtagor which leaves the city in ruins. Everyone (including Jai) blames Erik Reed AKA White Dragon for over 1000 deaths and he has been a recluse ever since. Jai’s resentment grows and we get where he is coming from as he isn’t a bad man, but someone who wants revenge for his family’s death.
Jason David Frank makes Erik sympathetic as he has a good heart but has made mistakes which he blames himself for.
Like I said, the visuals aren’t amazing due to the limited budget but if you enjoyed Power Rangers then you’ll eat this right up.
Overall, Legend of the White Dragon is a nice tribute to Jason David Frank and Michael Madsen and it has enough fight scenes to keep things moving. It does occasionally drag and the visual effects look more like something from the early 2000’s, but it’s still a harmless and entertaining time.