The Movie

This is the third installment of the Power Rangers Ninja Storm series. In my review of the second disc in the series, Looming Thunder, I mention that our two new Thunder Rangers Blake and Hunter were pretty darn gullible. Well, apparently they didn't learn their lesson last time around because they're just as dumb as ever in Ninja Storm: Lightning Strikers.

This disc picks up right where disc two dropped off. Sensei Guinea Pig is safe again at Ninja headquarters but Blake and Hunter are nowhere to be found. We soon realize that the Thunder Rangers have met up with Lothor's right hand man Choobo to discuss a sudden change of heart. Apparently Choobo is fed up with the constant name calling up in their evil ship, and has decided to switch sides. Far be it for our naïve bike riders to actually sense a scam. Instead, they wholeheartedly believe him and soon get captured after being easily lured onto the ship.

Just when you thought all the Thunder Rangers vs. Wind Rangers nonsense was done with, Lothan brainwashes Blake and Hunter into thinking the Wind Rangers are bad. We're then forced to endure more ranger-on-ranger fighting. Lines like, "We don't want to fight you, but you give us no choice," become very tiring. I have a hard time believing the writers couldn't come up with a better twist in the plot other than repeating what has already happened in past episodes.

To make matters worse, the Thunder Rangers finally break the spell, but then they get brainwashed yet again, only this time they turn on each other. Yes, it's lame. Eventually everyone becomes friends again and our rangers have to join forces to make a huge mega Zord to save Earth from falling in Lothor's evil hands.

This was my least favorite disc out of the three. If you have already purchased the prior two discs in this series, you'll probably want to pick this one up as well, but be forewarned that the plot does not get more sophisticated, in fact, quite the opposite.

Episodes:
Return of Thunder Pt. 1
Return of Thunder Pt. 2
Return of Thunder Pt. 3
Return of Thunder Pt. 4


The DVD

Video:
(Same as Ninja Storm: Prelude to a Storm)
Ninja Storm is presented in 1.33:1 full screen. The picture seemed a tad bit better than The Ultimate Rangers DVD. There were no obvious edge enhancement halo effects to be seen, and colors looked great. The only real gripe I had was the moderate amount of grain found in most scenes on the disc. Some scenes looked worse than others, and as a whole it's not very distracting. Some pixelation was visible as well, but was not noticeable enough to distract from the show. This is a pretty decent looking DVD.

Audio:
(Same as Ninja Storm: Prelude to a Storm)
For a Dolby Digital 2.0 track, this DVD sounded pretty good. The dialogue was very clear, most likely due to the many overdubs used throughout the show. The special effects also sounded great. Add to that the fun rock music, and you have a pretty momentum building experience. I still feel a show like this could be well served with a 5.1 audio track, but I doubt we'll see this anytime soon because this show is a kid's show after all.

Extras:
No extras are offered.

Final Thoughts:
Prelude to a Storm was good, Looming Thunder was kind of lame, and Lightning Strikers was no better than its predecessor. If you're a fan of the Power Rangers and you collect these shows then you'll want to purchase all three, but be warned that the series does not really get better after the first three episodes. Rent It