It’s the weekend again, and that means Film Focus. Here’s Mike Laidman with what’s new in local theaters.





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Anyone in the mood for a throwback? I hope you are, because TV staple Power Rangers is getting the full Hollywood treatment for the first time.

Next on the movie menu is Colossal, a sci-fi comedy featuring Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis.

But which to chose? One, or two? As usual, viewers, the choice is up to you.

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Mike Laidman

Welcome to another edition of Film Focus. I’m Mike Laidman.

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Power Rangers (2017, Dean Israelite)
Infused with superpowers, high school students save the world.

If you ever saw the campy show from the 90s, then you should have a pretty good idea of what’s in store for you should you buy a ticket with the words Power Rangers on it. But while your idea may be correct, it might not actually be what you end up with.

When a group of high school outcasts stumbles upon an old alien ship, they acquire superpowers and become the Power Rangers. Learning that an old enemy from a previous generation has returned to exact vengeance, the group must harness their powers and use them to work together to save the world.

Unfortunately, this 2017 edition of the Power Rangers loses the cheese that made the 90s show so palatable, and at the same time doesn’t stack up to the seriousness and grandeur of many of its superhero counterparts. It is fun, though, and those looking for a bit of nostalgia could do a lot worse than see it.


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Colossal (2017, Nacho Vigalondo)
A woman finds that events are linked to her mental breakdown.

Colossal is a movie that does a much better job of self-identifying with its weirdness, perfectly aware of what it is and what it’s trying to do. Even if it does take a bit of time to get there.

Gloria is an out-of-work party girl who, after getting kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend, is forced to leave her life in New York and move back to her hometown. When news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this far-off phenomenon. As events begin to spin out of control, Gloria must determine why her seemingly insignificant existence has such a colossal effect on the fate of the world.

It’s a brilliant concept, Hathaway’s performance is great, and we get to see a monster stomping around Seoul instead of Tokyo. Enough said.