Power Rangers Jungle Fury is the sixteenth season of the American television series Power Rangers, and is an adaptation of Juken Sentai Gekiranger, the thirty-first Japanese Super Sentai series.
The season premiered on February 18, 2008 as part of Jetix on Toon Disney; it would be the last season to air on both entities before the launch of Disney XD in February 2009.
Production[]
Power Rangers Jungle Fury was the brainchild of producer Sally Campbell in many ways and was conceived to adapt many of the Asian elements from Gekiranger like the dojos and especially the Pai Zhuq Academy setting. Pai Zhuq itself is a completel fictional martial art invented by Campbell combining meditation techniques taught by many martial arts, kung fu, karate and borrowed heavily from White Tiger Kung Fu (much like Gekiranger) due to that being the practice teaching animal spirits in the real world. Jungle Karma Pizza had a rather complicated production history; RJ was conceived to be a unique mentor in the franchise since he was less a wise and sagely mentor like Zordon and written as a very strange if wise sensei. Co-executive producer Bruce Kalish was reportedly the one who came up with the idea for him to operate out of a pizzeria to contrast the usual mposing and abnormal bases seen in Power Rangers (eg the original Command Center or the Animarium). The weird designs (such as the big skylight, jungle planting and armchair) were designed to visually communicate to the audience how eccentrically strange RJ is. In real life, the entire set for the Jungle Karma Pizzeria was all on the same floor so the production crew set up a fake staircase to give the impression of two floors.
Casting for this series was complicated and detailed. Jason Smith was hired to be Casey Roades after appearing on the Australian drama Home and Away and was excited as he was a longtime fan of the show. Anna Hutchison once appeared in the movie Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior as Lisa where she met Koichi Sakamoto (the film's choreographer turned co-executive producer in the Disney Era of Power Rangers) and she got the role of Lily Chillman after a personal recommendation to New Zealand casting director Terri Death. Hutchison had a lot of experience in mixed martial arts as well as kickboxing and regular boxing and the cast were given a giant warehouse to practice thier skills before filming began for each episode. Ajin Abella was a very veteran actor as he had been working for a decade in acting by this point and was a longtime fan of Power Rangers. David de Lautour was known to Terri Death already due to having previously auditioned for the role of Tyzonn a year earlier and was bought back on to play RJ. Melbourne born Nikolai Nikolaeff became Jungle Fury Rhino Ranger Dominic Hargan and did many of his own stunts as he is a very good fighter and extremely agile. For the villains, Bede Skinner (who played Jarrod) was fresh out of college with a pharmaceutical degree and this was his first acting role ever though now he has a successful TV career. Holly Shanahan had previously worked in the franchise as Leelee Pimvare in Power Rangers Mystic Force so was bought back and cast as Camille.
The 2007-08 Writers Guild strike happened during production, upending some plans and forcing Bruce Kalish, Jackie Marchand, and John Tellegen to rush a few episodes to get them done. Jungle Fury was then written by strikebreaking/non-union writers until the strike finished, forcing the original writers to work out how to pick up where the interim had left off.
Synopsis[]
For over 10,000 years, a spirit of pure evil known as Dai Shi has been locked away and safely guarded by the Pai Zhua - The Order of the Claw - a secretive Kung Fu clan. The Pai Zhua select their three top members, Jarrod, Theo Martin, and Lily Chilman, to become the new guardians of Dai Shi. Jarrod's arrogant and bullying nature led to him being excluded. Instead, a rookie named Casey Rhodes is chosen.
During the initiation ceremony, Jarrod returns and attacks Master Mao, inadvertently breaking the vessel containing Dai Shi's essence as he does so. The freed Dai Shi destroy the Master Mao and takes over Jarrod's body. The new guardians travel to the city of Ocean Bluff to seek their new master and find him to be a man named Robert "RJ" James - chef and owner of Jungle Karma Pizza. After testing guardians, RJ grants them the powers and abilities of Jungle Fury Power Rangers. Making the Earth's only hope to stop Dai Shi - who along with his Lieutenant Camille, other henchmen, and the army of undead Rinshi warriors is attempting to take over the world and allow animals to rule over humans.
Initially, RJ acts only as Sensei and trainer to the Power Rangers, but as the series progresses he joins their ranks as the Jungle Fury Purple Wolf Ranger. During this time, they are also joined by Dominic Hargan who studied with RJ, and Fran - originally a customer then an employee of Jungle Karma Pizza. Dominic joins as the White Rhino Power Ranger, and Fran is enlisted to watch the monitors and advise of Rinshi attacks while RJ is with the other Power Rangers. Eventually, Camille is targeted by henchmen Scorch and Snapper who are jealous of her popularity with Dai Shi - although, in reality, it is Jarrod's own human spirit fighting against Dai Shi she is attracted to. As a result, she turns against both them and Dai Shi, enabling Jarrod to throw off its spirit control, and the two join the Power Rangers who use their animal spirits finally to defeat Dai Shi and its forces.
In the epilogue, a more mature and responsible Jarrod goes back to the Pai Zhua to begin his training again, followed by Camille, who later returns as a Power Ranger in her own right. Lily, Theo, and RJ remain at Jungle Karma Pizza. Dominic and Fran backpack around the world and Casey becomes a teacher at the Pai Zhua - with Jarrod and Camille among his students.
Casts[]
Jungle Fury Rangers[]
- Jason Smith as Casey Rhodes, the Jungle Fury Red Ranger
- Anna Hutchison as Lily Chilman, the Jungle Fury Yellow Ranger.
- Aljin Abella as Theo Martin, the Jungle Fury Blue Ranger.
- David de Lautour as Robert "RJ" James, the Jungle Fury Wolf Ranger.
- Nikolai Nikolaeff as Dominic "Dom" Hargan, the Jungle Fury Rhino Ranger.
Jungle Fury Spirit Rangers[]
- Bruce Allpress as Master Phant, the Green Elephant Spirit Ranger.
- Oliver Driver as Master Swoop, the Black Bat Spirit Ranger.
- Paul Gittins as Master Finn, the Aqua Shark Spirit Ranger.
Supporting characters[]
- Sarah Thomson as Fran
- Kelson Henderson as the voice of Flit
- Nathaniel Lees as Master Mao
- Michelle Langstone As Master Guin
- Stig Eldred as Master Rilla
- Andrew Laing as Master Lope
Villains[]
- Bede Skinner as Jarrod/Dai Shi
- Holly Shanahan as Camille
- Geoff Dolan as the voice of Dai Shi
- Cameron Rhodes as the voice of Carnisoar
- Elisabeth Easther as the voice of Jellica
- Derek Judge as the voice of Grizzaka
- Mark Wright as the voice of Scorch
- Richard Simpson as the voice of Snapper
- Jared Turner as the voice of Whiger (in episode 29)
Trivia[]
- The Spirit Rangers came about during a meeting about toys. Marchand pitched the idea of making the three masters into Rangers, rather than do more motorcycle toys.
- This is the first series to feature Rangers using their Zords to battle grunts/foot soldiers.
- This is the first series where the foot soldiers retain their Japanese name from the Sentai counterpart.
- This is the first season where the core team does not have belts. Dominic is the only Ranger on this team with a belt as part of his suit's martial arts theme.
- There are eight mentors in this season, the most mentors in every season of the Power Rangers.
- This is the final series that aired on Jetix and Toon Disney due to Toon Disney and Jetix changing to Disney XD.
- This was the only series to feature Rangers who have no interaction with both their direct predecessors and their direct successors in any form. The first and only appearance of a Jungle Fury Ranger alongside another team was when the Power Rangers Super Megaforce episode Spirit of the Tiger featured Casey.
- This season continues the pattern established by its executive producer, Bruce Kalish by having four-word titles for the episodes. S.P.D had one-word episode titles, Mystic Force (excluding The Snow Prince) had two-word episode titles, and Operation Overdrive had three-word episode titles.
- The first season to use a morpher that is not held in or on the hands of the Rangers.
- This is the first season where all the actors credited in the intro is either from Australia or New Zealand.
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