By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 minute ago

Even though adult me realized that the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were a gestalt of many existing pop culture ideas (most especially Voltron), they seemed like a revelation of innovation to my childhood self. After all, what could be cooler than a bunch of high school superheroes who got to kick butt and take names in their own iconic mechs before merging into a super-robot and putting the villain in his place? As it turns out, the only thing cooler than our original crop of heroes was the Green Ranger, and you can now stream Green With Evil (which collects the five-episode miniseries that introduced this mysterious character) for free on Tubi. 

The premise of Green With Evil is that when a cool new kid (Tommy Oliver) with mad martial arts skills shows up, Rita Repulsa does the unthinkable: she transforms him into the Green Ranger, making him her ultimate emissary of evil. He quickly proves himself more than equal to the task of defeating the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, utilizing both the Sword of Darkness and his own iconic Dragonzord. Still, the other rangers sense the good in him, and the story soon turns into a race against the clock to save the Green Ranger’s soul before he destroys everything and everyone the Rangers hold dear.

When Evil Goes Green

While there’s a lot to love here for anyone hoping for a serious dose of ‘90s nostalgia, Green With Evil will resonate particularly well for longtime fans of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. For example, this is the first and only multi-episode story in the entire series, which helps to give it a kind of epic grandeur not found anywhere else in the show. This is also the first story to introduce the notion of new Rangers joining the team in the middle of a season, something that would later become a staple of the original Power Rangers and its many fan-favorite spinoffs.

Speaking of fan-favorites, the most notable thing about Green With Evil is that it introduced Jason David Frank, the Green Ranger, to the Power Rangers canon. He quickly established himself as the bad boy of these otherwise squeaky-clean heroes, giving him the cachet needed to headline multiple different spinoffs. In this way, he became a kind of franchise spokesman, and he continued in this capacity until his tragic death in 2022.

Have Zord, Will Travel

For me, returning to these classic Mighty Morphin Power Rangers episodes (in a convenient movie format, no less) unlocked a nostalgia that had been lying dormant nearly as long as Rita Repulsa herself. The show really is the opposite of modern superhero media in almost every way: it’s bright instead of murky, it’s heartfelt instead of ironic, and it’s gloriously self-contained instead of shoehorning itself into a cinematic universe. Streaming Green With Evil made me feel like a kid again, and before the credits rolled, I found myself trawling through eBay, hoping to buy the Dragonzord toy I coveted as a youngster. 

Of course, the simplicity of the Power Rangers is a double-edged sword: the story is nice and straightforward, but that also means it offers no real layers for fans hoping for anything deeper. You’re either all-in on the show’s campy glory (which includes goofy rubber-suited baddies and laughable special effects) or you’re not, and if you don’t love the endless “masks vs. monsters” fights, you may quickly run out of patience. Conversely, if these kinds of goofy action/comedy shenanigans are your jam, you’ll likely find Green With Evil to be a veritable feast of early ‘90s awesomeness.

Looking Your Childhood Hero In The Eyes

Back in the day, I aged out of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fandom fairly quickly, so I never really checked out the spinoffs, many of which were headlined by the late, great Jason David Frank (one of my childhood heroes). But this first show was a huge part of my childhood, and I remember entire classrooms full of sugar-laden children who couldn’t wait to re-enact their favorite episodes on the playground. Rewatching Green With Evil, it’s easy to see why everyone was so hyped: with its blend of monsters, mechs, and martial arts, the Power Rangers had everything anyone could want from a superhero show.

Will you agree that Green With Evil is a perfect tribute to Jason David Frank and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, or would you rather fight an army of Putties than watch the whole thing? The only way to find out is by grabbing your remote and streaming it for free on Tubi. Just be prepared for the nostalgia overdose, and do your best not to wake the family when (not if) you end up shouting, “It’s Morphin time!”

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 13 seconds ago

The Wrecking Crew teams Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista in a brotherly buddy movie whose trailer promises lots of explosions and great one-liners, kind of like the action heroes of 80s and 90s classics. It’s a rare streaming entry that actually delivers on that promise.

Momoa and Bautista play half-brothers James and Johnny, who share a father and a complicated past. Their father is killed in a hit-and-run accident, bringing the prodigal Johnny back to the family fold in Oahu, Hawaii, to at least investigate why the Yakuza visited his Oklahoma home. The brothers don’t see eye to eye, and James isn’t quite convinced their father was murdered, while Johnny is sure the Yakuza were involved.

Johnny is a cop, and James trains Navy SEALs, so both men know how to handle themselves as they begin to uncover a plot that threatens their Hawaiian home. A maze of Hawaiian gangsters, Yakuza hitmen, and elite security stands between them and the truth. As the brothers get closer to finding out about their father’s death and sorting out their own tangled relationship, they leave behind them an ever-increasing trail of destruction that will rock Oahu.

Classic Action Stars In The Modern Era

James and Johnny are classic action stars who recall the mayhem of classics like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, or Commando. Almost every scene moves things along by leaving more questions than answers and inviting fights, explosions, car chases, and intrigue. As they try to solve the mystery, the brothers struggle to deal with each other, the memory of a dismissive father, and the threat to their families from the events they’ve been drawn into.

These two men are not the passive heroes of modern movies. They are manly men, dripping masculinity in every scene. They deal with their emotions as men (despite James’s wife being a child psychologist), and they solve their problems like action heroes: by beating the crap out of them, including each other.

The Wrecking Crew exhibits its leads as men, dressed in clothing that shows off the muscles of both actors, particularly Momoa. The Hawaiian setting gives them plenty of opportunity to wear things like Hawaiian shirts and tank tops, and no opportunity is wasted to show off the two actors to their best advantage.

However, as macho a movie as it is, the women are not weeping violets. They know who their men are, but they also do their part to help uncover the plot through their own ingenuity and agency. Morena Baccarin co-stars as Johnny’s love interest, whose scene in the movie’s trailer during one of the car chases does not do justice to her actual performance in the full sequence.

Every Trope Of The Genre In One Explosive Car Chase Scene

The Wrecking Crew’s action swings between well-choreographed melee and gun fights and frenetic car chases that raise the stakes every time, highlighted by cinematography that brings us along for the ride. Two skirmishes take place in a windowed hallway that reminded me of the “House of Blue Leaves” fight in Kill Bill Vol. 1. One car chase invokes every single trope of the genre, then amplifies them into an explosive crescendo. Don’t look away, because there are tons of visual cues that connect each scene to the next.

Part of the amazing visuals is the fact that Hawaii itself is made a character through the use of camera angles and imagery. Oahu, where the story takes place, is always present, from scenic drone shots to dramatic beach scenes and major action sequences. In specifically strategic shot, a prominent mountain peak is framed between the two leads, reminding viewers that Hawaii is always over their shoulders.

Maia Kealoha Redeems Herself In A Movie That’s Actually About Ohana

The Wrecking Crew also features True Blood’s Stephen Root and Frankie Adams of The Expanse, as well as Jacob Batalon, known for the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies and pretty much cast to type. Young Maia Kealoha, who played Lilo in Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, steals the show in almost every scene she’s in and hints at a promising career as an actress; at any rate, it’s nice to see Lilo get to be in a movie that is actually about ohana, or families sticking together, after the disappointment of her other major film.

If there is anything wrong with The Wrecking Crew, it’s a short period of investigation in the middle of the film that seems to drag on, especially compared to the intense pace of the rest of the movie. This part only lasts about 15-20 minutes, though, and then we’re thrust right back into adventure and excitement.

An Unapologetically Masculine Film

The Wrecking Crew is unapologetically masculine while exhibiting an emotional depth that doesn’t reduce its leads into weeping sissies. These men of action deal with things in very male ways without shame while never slipping into today’s tropes about “toxic masculinity.” They suffer and are not invulnerable, either physically or emotionally, but ultimately, they are men of honor doing what men do to protect their families.

The Wrecking Crew has found a way to give audiences what they’ve been missing: a compelling story, a cast of characters we can all aspire to be, and an old-fashioned battle between good and evil. Once you’re on this wild ride, you’re not getting off until the credits roll.

The Wrecking Crew is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

What started as the drone company is now so much more. In addition to DJI drones, it appears as if every content creator is using the DJI Mic Mini (and rightfully so), and the brand’s lineup of handheld cameras, like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, sure earn their spot as some of the best options on the market. But in recent years, DJI has added another major category to the product lineup that’s also essential for creators — portable power. 

The world of portable power stations is expanding the day, proving themselves awesome during power outages, camping, job sites, and content creation adventures. The market is dominated by big-name players like Bluetti, Jackery, Anker, and EcoFlow.

But DJI is quietly in the background, pumping out some of the best options that cater specifically to content creators. The brand has the beefy DJI Power 2000 and the mini DJI Power 500. But the DJI Power 1000 falls nicely in the middle of these two, offering 1,024Wh of power, and the brand just revamped the portable power station to give us the DJI Power 1000 V2. It’s an upgraded model compared to the first generation and comes with some solid improvements. 

Power up speakers, projectors, lights, and camping gear.
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

After testing the upgraded DJI Power 1000 V2, I’m convinced this is a great model for content creators, those who prioritize a super-quiet power station, or anyone looking for exceptional value in portable power. 

What I love about the DJI Power 1000 V2

Straight out of the box, the DJI Power 1000 V2 has a sleek and refined design. It’s also fairly compact for a power station in the 1,000Wh category. It weighs about 31 pounds and has ergonomic handles on both sides. While I wouldn’t want to haul this around all day, I felt comfortable unboxing it, carrying it around the house, taking it into the yard, and it was no issue to lift it into my car. The weight of a portable power station is incredibly relevant since you might be carrying it up a set of stairs during a power outage, moving it around the campsite, or pulling it around during a content creation session.

Another major benefit that I love is the near-silent operation of the DJI Power 1000 V2, which DJI says is as quiet as 26 decibels. That’s going to be important for content creators who are filming near the power station and don’t want a loud fan sound in the background. In non-creator scenarios, going with an ultra-quiet portable power station means it’ll be easier to have on while sleeping should you be charging your phone overnight, operating a CPAP, or using it in the kids’ bedroom during a power outage.

It also shines when it comes time to recharge. It takes just 56 minutes to go from dead to 100 percent battery power when recharging with standard wall power. A 37-minute recharge will get the power station back to 80 percent capacity.

Here’s a full rundown of highlight specs on the DJI Power 1000 V2:

Specs

• Capacity: 1,024Wh

• Continuous output: 2600W

• Weight: approx. 31 pounds

• Dimensions: 17.6 in. L × 8.9 in. W × 9 in. H

• Power options: 4 AC, 2 USB-C (140W), 2 USB-A, 1 SDC, 1 SDC Lite

• Recharging options: Grid power, solar, car

• Battery type: LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate)

• Life cycles: 80 percent capacity after 4,000 cycles

• Operating and storage temperature: 14 degrees to 113 degrees Fahrenheit

• Recharging temperature: 32 degrees to 113 degrees Fahrenheit

How does the DJI Power 1000 V2 compare to the original DJI Power 1000?

Since this is the second generation of the DJI Power 1000, it’s worth comparing the new V2 to the original. DJI added some small but significant upgrades to the new V2 model that make it a lot more appealing compared to the original. After testing and comparing the specs, I can’t see a reason why anyone would prefer the original Power 1000 to the new V2, unless the original was way cheaper. Here are the improvements DJI made with this second version and why I’d go with the Power 1000 V2.

More ports

One of the most obvious upgrades from the original to the Power 1000 V2 is the addition of two AC ports for a total of four. That’s much more in line with the industry standard for a 1,000Wh portable power station. Two feels very skimpy while four feels acceptable. But it’s worth noting that other brands offer more ports. For example, one of my favorite portable power stations, the Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2, has five AC ports. 

The dual USB-C and dual USB-A ports on the DJI Power 1000 V2 are identical to those found on the original Power 1000, as are the two SDC ports.

Blending up a smoothie with the DJI Power 1000 V2. A major asset of having a power station during a power outage is you don’t have to skip the daily smoothie.
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

Higher altitude

Specific to content creators, overlanders, or adventurous campers, the DJI Power 1000 V2 works at higher altitudes. The original topped out at 3,000 meters, but the new V2 can still operate at heights of up to 5,000 meters. That elevation is damn impressive when we consider the Matterhorn tops out at 4,478 meters.

Better stable output

DJI amped up the continuous output with the Power 1000 V2. The original topped out at 2,200W, but the new V2 packs in 2,600W. DJI’s example of this in real life includes powering up a 2,300W electric heater while also powering a 200W projector and giving 27W to recharge a phone. In total, the DJI Power 1000 V2 has an 18 percent higher continuous output.

Quicker recharging

Another major, but less obvious, upgrade is much quicker recharging on the Power 10000 V2. The older original Power 1000 took about 70 minutes to fully recharge with standard wall power. The new Power 1000 V2 takes just 56 minutes to fully recharge. That’s 20 percent faster, shaving nearly 15 minutes off recharging time. For those in the middle of a content creation session, that could be a major difference.

Major expansion possibility and great accessories

The thoughtfulness of the design on the DJI Power 1000 V2 shines through for both expansion ability and accessories. The Power 1000 V2 can connect to up to five DJI Expansion Battery 2000, each adding 2,048Wh. Take the initial 1,024Wh on the Power 1000 V2 and add five Expansion Battery 2000 to the mix, and you’re in line for a total of 11,264 Wh. Each DJI Expansion Battery 2000 sells for $899.

What I love about portable power stations that have the ability to link up with extra batteries is that you don’t have to commit to a specific power need. Grab the DJI Power 1000 V2 and then see how it goes. Maybe the 1,024Wh is sufficient for you. But if it’s not, it’s super easy to grab an extra battery. This approach can also be beneficial if you’re looking to get portable power but don’t want to dish out the big money for a larger power station right now. 

You’re probably wondering how you’d possibly haul around a portable power station with five batteries stacked above it, and that’s where the thoughtful DJI accessories come into play. The DJI Power Expansion Battery 2000 Hand Truck Combo offers a stable way to cart around major amounts of portable power. 

Full access to all ports while still in the carrying bag.
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

DJI even added proper ventilation to the carrying bag.
Credit: Lauren Allain

I feel silly saying this, but I adore the DJI Power 1000 Protective Storage Bag. It makes carrying the power station a breeze, and its design allows for full access to all ports without taking it out of the bag. There’s also a zippered area for storing cables.

The benefits of the DJI Power 1000 V2 for DJI drone owners

The two SDC ports on the DJI Power 1000 V2 are unique to DJI portable power stations, and you won’t find them included on power stations from other brands. This is relevant to those with DJI drones because it gives access to super quick recharging of drone batteries. 

The award for the fastest DJI drone battery recharge goes to the Inspire 3 TB51 Intelligent Flight Battery, which charges from 10 percent to 95 percent in 28 minutes with the DJI Power 1000 V2. The Air Series 3 Intelligent Flight Battery goes to 95 percent in 30 minutes. The slight hitch here is that you’ll need to purchase the fast-charge cable to get this drone-recharging benefit. However, the good news is that the cable costs about $20.

What I don’t love about the DJI Power 1000 V2

While the SDC ports are great for fast-charging DJI drones, they prove troublesome in other aspects. My main gripe is that, true to other DJI portable power stations, the Power 1000 V2 does not have built-in ports that connect to solar panels. If you want to recharge with solar, you’ll have to purchase the DJI Power Solar Panel Adapter Module, which sells for $59. This is a bit of a letdown considering that every other portable power station I’ve tested has built-in ports that connect to solar panels. If you don’t plan on recharging with solar panels, you can ignore this con.

You’ll need to grab this Power Solar Panel Adapter Module if you plan to harness recharging with the sun.
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

My other disappointment with the DJI Power 1000 V2 is that it doesn’t have an onboard external light. The display is perfect for getting all the stats you need about the station, but I love a power station that has a built-in flashlight. It’s so much nicer to climb stairs while carrying a power station with a light on the station itself. It’s also awesome to use during power outages. This lack of light is not unique to this particular portable power station. Most brands seem to be moving away from including a built-in light, and while I’m sad about it, it’s not like we don’t have other light sources.

Is the DJI Power 1000 V2 worth buying?

At full price, DJI is selling the Power 1000 V2 for $699. That falls into a fairly standard price range for a portable power station in the 1,000Wh category. But given its special attributes for content creators, I think this is a worthy model for creators. Because of its ultra-quiet operation, I also like it for those who don’t want a loud fan or who will be sleeping in the same room as the power station. Aside from those two points, everyone else could benefit from this model since it lands in a nice price range. It’ll be great for camping, road trips, or power outages. I wouldn’t hesitate to choose the DJI Power 1000 V2 if the price is more attractive compared to other models that offer similar stats.

$349
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$699
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