"Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue" (2000) TV series 2000-2001

Director:

William Butler

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

12 February 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Five extraordinary teens carry on the legacy as the Lightspeed Power Rangers, the newest and most powerful team of champions ever...

Plot Keywords:

Surrealism | Family Relationships

Cast

Michael Chaturantabut	...	Blue Lightspeed Ranger / ... (40 episodes, 2000)
Sean Cw Johnson	...	Carter Grayson / ... (40 episodes, 2000)
Alison MacInnis	...	Dana Mitchell / ... (40 episodes, 2000)
Keith Robinson	...	Green Lightspeed Ranger / ... (40 episodes, 2000)
Sasha Craig	...	Kelsey Winslow / ... (40 episodes, 2000)
Monica Louwerens	...	Ms. Angela Fairweather (40 episodes, 2000)
Ron Roggé	...	Captain William Mitchell (40 episodes, 2000)
Kim Strauss	...	Jinxer / ... (40 episodes, 2000)
Minka Kelly	...	Giovanna Russell / ... (31 episodes, 2000)
T.J. Rotolo	...	Olympius / ... (24 episodes, 2000)
Michael Forest	...	Olympius (23 episodes, 2000)
Diane Salinger	...	Queen Bansheera (20 episodes, 2000)
Michael R Bowman	...	Base Tech Adams (19 episodes, 2000)

Also Known As:

Operation Lightspeed (USA) (first episodes title)

Runtime:

30 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA | France | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:MG6 | Australia:G (heavily cut) | Australia:PG

Company:

MMPR Productions Inc.

Trivia:

This is the first season of Power Rangers to feature two siblings as fellow Rangers.

Quotes:

Joel Rawlings: Great work, Carter.
Carter: No, great work to all of us.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Power Rangers S.P.D.: Stakeout (#1.10)" (2005)

A hidden gem among the spandex

Some people would consider Lightspeed Rescue to be the weaker of the Power Rangers series. It's pretty understandable since it does many things differently from other PR shows, but after having re-watched most of the episodes recently, I found this to be one of the stronger series.

A new team of Power Rangers is commissioned by a Earth-based military organization to protect the city of Mariner Bay from a group of ancient demons looking to reclaim their home. This team of Ranger is comprised not of teenagers, but of young adults with past professions and public identities. It's a different dynamic and an interesting look at how a government-sanctioned Ranger team would function.

Everything about Lightspeed seems to fit. The characters are given ample amount of development and the acting is crisp enough that I actually care about what happens to these characters. The set pieces for the Lightspeed Aquabase are fairly good, even though they're too much like the previous series. The plot flows nicely and every episode seems to contribute something to the overall story... even the insignificant fillers.

Fans of PR shouldn't be disappointed with Lightspeed. It's almost on par with In Space, another PR series that is considered classic - however, Lightspeed can be viewed as a standalone and doesn't require the viewer to watch the older series. If you can catch the show on air, go ahead and give it a go.