Sometimes the past has to resurface to remind us why we loved it in the first place." Power Rangers DinoThunder (2004) captures that essence, merging the nostalgic legacy of earlier seasons with a fresh narrative for a new generation. What makes this installment stand out is its ability to balance continuity with innovation-particularly by reintroducing Tommy Oliver, now in a mentor role, bridging past Rangers with the DinoThunder team.

From a storytelling perspective, the season is more character-driven than many of its predecessors. Each Ranger is given meaningful arcs: Conner's transformation from a self-centered athlete to a dependable leader, Ethan's growth as a tech-savvy problem solver, and Kira's balance of individuality and teamwork. These arcs, while sometimes formulaic, provide a depth that resonates with older fans as much as younger viewers. The villain, Mesogog, is a surprisingly layered antagonist, offering higher stakes and a darker tone compared to the often campier threats of the franchise.

Visually, the dinosaur-themed Zords bring excitement with inventive designs, and the battles are enhanced by strong choreography and practical effects, even if some CGI feels dated. Where DinoThunder succeeds most is in its thematic continuity: the season emphasizes responsibility, teamwork, and maturity, echoing the long-standing DNA of the franchise while revitalizing it.

Overall, Power Rangers DinoThunder strikes a compelling balance between action, character development, and nostalgic callbacks. It doesn't reinvent the formula entirely, but it strengthens it in ways that made the series memorable once again.

Rating: 7/10 - A satisfying revival that honors the past while carving its own path.

Pretty bad to admit this, but my daughter and I used to watch the original Power Rangers together. We quit watching Power Rangers after Zeo Rangers because none of the other actors or story lines really captured our interest. Recently, when I had free time early in the morning, I happened to be going through the channels for something to do and saw an episode of DinoThunder with Jason Frank in it. Well, of course I told my daughter(16), and she wanted to see it and asked me to tape it. Now we tape it every morning to watch together at night. We like DinoThunder, but the original Power Rangers was the best. Actually, I don't know if I should be happy or sad for J.D.F. It's great he's back as a Power Ranger, but in something like 10 years in acting he's -still- a Power Ranger! Poor guy, isn't there something meatier for him!

I was a huge fan of the original MIGHTY MORPHIN' POWER RANGERS and all of its follow-ups when I was younger, but I stopped watching the show after POWER RANGERS IN SPACE. One day this year, I was watching TV and a commercial came on for a new POWER RANGERS show. I have to admit it looked pretty cool, but what really caught my attention was seeing Jason David Frank, aged 7 years since he was last in a POWER RANGERS series, making a return to television to play Dr. Thomas Oliver. "Tommy," as I will always remember him, was a fan-favorite and the leader of the older POWER RANGERS teams. I was curious about this show, so I watched the premiere, and it was a great show. The next episode was a clip show comemmorating the Power Rangers 500th episode! Anyway, I started to watch the show, and it turned out to be a very well-done show. It also made me feel very "nostalgic" after watching myself wake up early on a Saturday morning to catch the newest episode of POWER RANGERS. POWER RANGERS DINO THUNDER is a great show, but not as good as the original MIGHTY MORPHIN' POWER RANGERS.

I stopped watching Power Rangers when I was 11 or 12, and it became Zeo Power Rangers. The return of Tommy and the dinosaurs zords, I have new found love of it. I admit I'm somewhat embarrassed by my newly rediscovery of my love of Power Rangers at the age of 19. However, I love getting to relive my childhood.

I (like most other people my own age) grew up with the original Power Rangers series and lost interest soon after Zeo, when Tommy and the rest of them left. I came back into it a few times over the years, when my younger brothers got into it as all kids do, but overall, it faded into my childhood and I always dismissed it as something that couldn't truly be enjoyed by someone older than 5 years old.

I found out recently that Jason David Frank (the legendary green, white and red Ranger from the first five seasons) returned as the 'mentor' character in Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. I decided to check out an episode, purely for the entertainment value of getting to see my old favourite get back into action. Funnily enough, I found myself enjoying it more than I thought I would and between downloads and DVDs, I ended up acquiring nearly a third of the whole series.

My thoughts? Well, it's still pretty silly. All of the exaggerated motions, the over-acting and the campiness one would expect from a Power Rangers show is all present, but for some reason it's toned down immensely. The main villain Mesogog, is dead-serious and so is his henchman Zeltrax. Neither of these characters are ever viewed as comic relief. Also, the Rangers are more three-dimensional than ever before. Instead of being a group of pure, wholesome best friends that constantly get straight As, the three main Rangers are a group of misfits: the jock, the alternative singer and the neurotic geek. The show actually shows them develop into true friends and better people over the course of thirty or so episodes, something that would be unheard of in the one-dimensionality of earlier series'.

The return of Tommy Oliver to the Power Rangers universe is just the icing on the cake. If this show wasn't as good as it was, it wouldn't have worked as well, but luckily, this was the perfect show to have Tommy come back to guide a new team. Tommy's character is slightly darker than the wholesome, gushy character we saw years ago. Tommy is well-versed in the kind of trials and tribulations that Power Rangers face, so he acts as a teacher to the younger, newer Rangers. Then of course, to please the fans, Tommy gets his own morpher and Powers early on in the series and becomes the Black Ranger (as cool as he's ever been).

The acting is somewhat above-par from what you'd usually expect from a Power Rangers show, but that's not to say that it's in any way decent. Frank plays the part he played for years well enough, Emma Lahana is fine as the spunky chick and Kevin Duhaney makes a decent nerd. Unfortunately, James Napier isn't exactly stellar as Connor McKnight and the Australian actor's American accent is horrible. It's as if he watched a western once, years ago, and based his accent off that. Throughout the series, evidence of his true heritage pops out blatantly in mid-speech, to the point where one wonders why he even bothers trying with the accent.

Overall, this series is a lot of fun and isn't nearly as garish and offensive as other Power Ranger incarnations. Definitely one for all the family to watch.