Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Food Fight Review

“We are all experts in our own little niches” – Alex Trebek

Okay, I’m back! Sorry for the lack of a review last week, but I was busy reviewing some games for my other job and avoiding my family during Election Week. But now I’m here, Uncanny Fox, and I’m ready to kick off the oft-forgotten holiday of Thanksgiving… remember that? The holiday after Halloween but before the Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa/Boxing Day season? The one where people get together (maybe not so much this year because of the pandemic, but you get my point), eat large amounts of food, watch John O’Hurley narrate cute dogs, scan their newspapers for a sweet PS5 deal the next day and try not to think about what happened the first time people tried this? That one. Admittedly, there aren’t really any nerdy Thanksgiving specials, so I’m doing the next best thing… Power Rangers episodes about food!

And what better food-themed PR episode is there to kick this off with than one of the very first, Mighty Morphin’s “Food Fight.” This was the sixth episode of the series, but it apparently was the second to air, hitting TV screens on September 4, 1993. Fans remember this one because it brought us Pudgy Pig, one of the more eclectic and iconic of the Season 1 monsters. For real, fans love Pudgy, and he actually made a return appearance later in the season – it was a completely different monster, but still. Not only that, but he was featured in early promotional material for the show alongside King Sphinx (anybody note how funny it was that he kept showing up in promo art like he was a recurring villain even though he only appeared once?) and even got his own Pop decades later. And while Hasbro hasn’t announced anything yet, a Lighting Collection figure is inevitable.   

But for me, this episode is significant because I actually had a tape of it as a child, one that featured a special interview with Billy. Yeah, they always associated this episode with him when it came to home media releases back in the day, even though he wasn’t really the focus of it (David Yost has said this is one of his favorite episodes, however). In fact, nobody was, even though the Zyuranger episode this was adapted from (Ep. 8: Terror! Eaten In An Instant) had the Yellow Ranger be the central character (Trini does figure out the monster’s weakness though). But back on track: I ended up watching this episode a lot, especially in the years before the series was released on DVD in the US. I also had the book version, which had screenshots from the show and a little backstory of how Zordon and Rita battled in a war that ended in a magic coin flip. Not sure how much of that is canon anymore…

After the intro (inject that straight into my veins), the episode opens at the Angel Grove Youth Center, where the Rangers and their classmates are in the middle of one of their many community service endeavors. Seriously, John Cena doesn’t do as much charity work as the Power Rangers, and that’s on top of their schoolwork and superhero duties. This time they’re putting together a food festival, selling cuisine from all around the world to raise money for playground equipment for the preschool and daycare kids of Angel Grove. So that’s nice.

Ernie (the head of the Center’s Juice Bar and resident Cool Old Guy. Fun Fact: originally, he was supposed to be Zordon watching over the Rangers in a human disguise, but this was scrapped) walks in with two trays of cream pies and is greeted by a pair of hula girls. He calls out to Bulk and Skull for a helping hand, and they think it’s for the girls. Annoyed, Ernie tells them to carry the pies over to their designated table.

Meanwhile, Principle Caplan (who bears a striking resemblance to Grandpa Joe from Willy Wonka, only with less hair and a stronger work ethic) comes across Trini and Kimberly as they get some desserts ready and share exposition about what this is all about. The other Rangers join them as Caplan tries to treat himself to a sandwich. Kim reminds him that this is all for charity and he has to pay $20 like everyone else, prompting him to grumble that he wasn’t hungry anyway and walk off. Ernie then comes in to tell everyone to get back to work, since the place is set to open in 10 minutes.

Once he’s gone, Zack comments that the festival is going to be awesome, and Jason hopes that Rita isn’t up to something on this most important of days. And he might be in luck, as the Queen of Evil is feeling too under the weather to cause any trouble at the moment. Apparently she has some kind of tummy ache, although Zyuranger had her on a crash diet. Either way, she’s not feeling the whole “send a rubber-suited Kaiju monster down to poison the lake with exploding Jack-O-Lanterns” thing today.

Instead, Squatt and Baboo (the resident goofy minions who do little more than screw up half the time) are spying at the festival from up in the baddies’ castle on the Moon as Rita grumbles about how bad she feels. Unfortunately for Baboo, she’s not too sick to screech at him when he tries kissing up to her, and she soon shoves Squatt aside when he points out that the Rangers are doing something down on the planet. The sight of food does little to settle Rita’s stomach, and she yells at her cronies to “get rid of it!”

After the commercial break, the festival kicks off at the Youth Center to great success, as people gather to eat and watch the hula girls perform. Trini and Billy hand out vegetables and stir-fried rice at the Asian food table, Zack mans the South American stand, and Kim and Jason represent the good ol’ US of A by selling some cheeseburgers fresh off the grill. Caplan steps up and complements everyone for their “good, healthy community spirit.”

Meanwhile, Bulk, Skull, and two other bullies who were only around for a few episodes while the show was still trying to figure itself out plot to ruin everything be throwing pies. At least, as soon as Bulk explains to Skull that they aren’t going to eat them. They spread out and prepare for battle…

Their first target comes as Caplan tries some stir-fried veggies at Trini and Billy’s table. Bulk tells his unnamed female friend that he’s going to hit the Principle and lets one go. His pie whizzes past Caplan’s head, knocking off his toupee in the process, and hits Skull… who then declares “Food Fight!” There’s just something creepy about the look on his face when he says this.

Like a Pavlovian response, all hell breaks loose as all of the non-Ranger students begin tossing food at eat other. That escalated quickly. As the pies and vegetables fly and Caplan retrieves his wig from the punch bowel, the Rangers take cover and form up to try and get everything under control.

Up on the moon, Rita watches all of this and gets inspired to “give them a fight for their food.” She storms into Finster’s workshop and demands that he make her a “special” monster to eat all of the food on Earth: a Pudgy Pig. As it turns out, Finster has just such a creature on hand, but he warns that it’s “not his best work.” Rita doesn’t care, and soon the overworked-and-underappreciated monster maker is firing up his trusty Monster-Matic to literally blast the little clay sculpture to life. Just seeing the monster machine whirring and pumping brings a chill. After the smoke clears, a piglike monster wielding a giant fork and knife (that he actually never uses in either version of this episode) emerges and proclaims “I’m hungry.”

He’s got such a great and simple design, like a lot of the Season 1/Zyuranger monsters. The Roman helmet is a nice random touch, and his face is appropriately grotesque. The only real problem I see is that the suit actor’s human hands are visible in some shots, namely the ones where he’s holding that knife and fork. Another side note: I used to think that Mordant from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie was supposed to be him, given how that particular baddie is also a pig, and I don’t think they ever actually called him by name in the film.

Once he’s brought to life, Rita has just the place for him to grab a bite or several: Angel Grove. Finster is less than thrilled, facepalming as the Pig teleports down to Earth in a fireball and gets to work binging on some trash in a parking lot. When he says he’s going to eat everything, he also means the stuff that people have already eaten.

Back at the Youth Center, the Rangers set out to stop the titular Food Fight before the festival is ruined. As Bulk and his buddy continue creaming classmates with pies, Jason grabs some sausage links (he doesn’t carry actual nunchucks with him, so he gets a pass on Combat Cold Cuts) and approaches the bully slowly. Bulk readies a pie to take him out, but Jason counters by swinging the links around in a continuous motion until the mesmerized doofus drops it on himself. Point: Jason. I’m a shameless Tommy mark but that was pretty cool.

Elsewhere, Skull is clowning around atop the stage with a bowl of fruit as Kimberly demands that he put it down. He falsely assures her that he will… by dumping it on her… only to hit Bulk instead. Bulk retaliates by throwing another pie in his face. And this one actually got in his eyes.

Meanwhile, a group of teenagers is having a picnic in the park when Pudgy arrives and scares them off, running at them in a first-person view. He dives at their food as they run for their lives, rolling around as he scarfs it all town. He’s an evil pig monster bent on destroying the world. I don’t think table manners are quite the priority for him.

Back at the festival, Billy manages to wrestle a plate of burgers away from a punk as another one of Bulk’s buddies (a black kid with long dreadlocks and shades) runs at him and Trini with a pair of pies. Luckily, they duck out of the way, prompting him to trip over the nearby table and land face-first into a bucket of soup. Don’t worry, it wasn’t hot or anything, but he does look silly being covered in the stuff. Billy charges him $20 as a catchy dance beat plays in the background.

While that’s going on, Bulk is squirting whipped cream at everyone when Zack approaches him. He tries to convince Bulk to chill out, then undoes his apron and waves it at him like a bullfighter (complete with cries of “Toro! Toro!”) Bulk meets his challenge, charging at him as he pulls aside and lets him trip on the table behind him. Bulk slides across, knocking over all of the food there until he reaches the punch bowel…

Which flips over and splashes Mr. Caplan, who then calls out for everyone to stop. This shuts them all up, and he goes off on a tangent about how the place is a mess and the food festival is ruined. He especially lays blame at the Rangers, despite them trying to stop all of this, and laments that they might not be able to pay for that playground equipment.

Jason tries to explain that he and his friends didn’t start the food fight, but Caplan’s not hearing it. He tosses Jason a broom and tells him that the Rangers are in charge of cleaning the place up before storming off. Just as everyone scurries about to get to work, Jason’s communicator goes off, prompting the Rangers to hurry off to a nearby hallway to answer Zordon’s call. The wizard tells them to head to the Command Center on the double, and they teleport away.

Over at the Command Center, the Rangers watch another one of Pudgy’s rampages on the Viewing Globe (a mix of original footage and Zyuranger) as Zordon explains that the monster lives only to eat all of the world’s food supply. He says that at the rate Pudgy’s going, he’ll accomplish his goal in 48 hours, which is no mean feat considering that includes all of the plants and livestock that people eat as well. Kim’s naturally grossed out by the ravenous pig stuffing his face nonstop, but the Rangers have a job to do all the same.

Alpha then walks in with some cooking supplies, saying that he wants to help with the festival. He does have experience making Christmas cookies after all. And eating them. Still not letting that go. That will have to wait though, as Zordon wishes his Rangers luck and Jason declares that it’s Morphin’ Time! And for the full effect:

Mastodon!

Pterodactyl!

Triceratops!

Saber-Tooth Tiger!

Tyrannosaurus!

Admit it, you read that in their voices, didn’t you?

The Rangers morph and teleport downtown, where Pudgy is waiting on a rooftop to face them. After a brief shot of Rita calling on her monster to attack, the Rangers call on Pudgy to “come down and fight like a pig” and Pudgy soon obliges them. He jumps down and runs at the Rangers, shrugging off attacks from their special weapons and swatting them away like flies.

He then starts sucking in Trini and Kimberly’s weapons with some kind of vacuum breath and eating them, his little piggy tail wagging as the bow and daggers get pulled down his gullet. He kicks the girls aside as Trini calls at Billy to attack while the pig is chowing down. Billy tries an aerial attack with his Power Lance, but it too gets sucked into Pudgy’s hungry mouth. Zack then tries with his Power Axe, but… you guessed it, down the hatchet. No pun intended.

Up on the moon, Rita laughs at what she’s seeing and gloats the Power Rangers’ weapons are going down the hatch. Beside her, Finster gloats to himself that Pudgy Pig is the best monster he ever made, and that it might actually defeat the Rangers for good. Sure changed his tune quick, didn’t he?

Back on Earth, Pudgy scarfs down Jason’s Power Sword, then knocks the Red Ranger aside after a brief tussle. The Rangers all regroup, just in time for Pudgy to teleport them all away with some kind of swirling rainbow-colored vortex attack. Because he can suddenly do that now too. It’s worth noting that in the Zyuranger episode, the Rangers were rescued by a friend of their mentor named Gnome, who would come back during the Burai/Dragonranger arc. Where he tries to murder a little kid with a forklift… then with a full military ordinance. Japan, you are an odd duck…

After the commercial break, the Rangers teleport to the park and demorph, noting how weird that all was. More so than usual for them. Jason’s communicator goes off, and Zordon calls in to tell them that while they were caught in Pudgy’s vortex, the pig made his way over to the Youth Center to cause even more trouble for the Food Festival.

Jump cut to a woman screaming at the camera as Pudgy tears through the festival, scarfing down what’s left of the inventory as everyone runs for their lives and Ernie asks where the Power Rangers are when you need them. Pudgy sniffs around at the vegetable table (and even sniffs the camera for a bit like he’s Bear In The Big Blue House), then bumps into Bulk and Skull, who try to prove they’re tough by snarling at him. Pudgy snarls right back, sending the bullies scampering away as he continues his feast. He snatches up the pasta, yet oddly turns away a spicy salad. This will become relevant in a minute or two…

Once he has his fill, he teleports away to wreck someone else’s day as the Rangers finally arrive. Noting that the place is in even worse shape than before, Zack laments that Caplan is going to “flip his wig… again.” Jason says that they have to stop Pudgy yesterday, but Kimberly notes that the pig ate their weapons the last time they tried it. Something about the way she says that seems off, she comes off a bit too snobbish. I get that she’s the Valley Girl of the group, but she’s usually not that stuck up…

Trini then notices that Pudgy left the spicy food table untouched, which is off-brand for a guy who scarfed down a freaking sword blade and all. Kim notes that the monster doesn’t like spicy food, leading Billy to formulate a clever plan to take him down for good: bait him with some food, then stick a spicy radish inside. Which in turn will make him puke out their weapons. It’s just crazy enough to work…

Up on the Moon, Rita is ecstatic over the fact that Pudgy is eating up everything in sight. She calls out to Finster, but the monster maker is nowhere to be found. No, he’s hiding in his room waiting to make a dramatic and triumphant entrance like Nevada during the election. This is his big moment to finally get some respect after all, and he did it with one of his reject monsters to boot! Still, Rita gets ticked that he isn’t coming at her call, and orders Squatt and Baboo to go get him. Even on a good day she’s angry. 

Down on Earth, Pudgy arrives at the M.G.R. Food Packing Plant, which has a slightly nicer sign than the Newtech City Observatory. Meanwhile, the Rangers phone in to Zordon to tell him that they figured out a way to defeat the pig, and Zordon explains that he’s terrorizing the food-packing plant. With that, the Rangers morph once more…

And head over to the plant to do a pose-off. It’s a pretty cool one too, with their coins appearing in the background and everything. I think it’s the one used in the intro. Anywho, Pudgy sees them from down on the street and scurries over to them when they see what they brought him: a whole smorgasbord of free food.

They take turns tossing their plates over to him, until they reach Trini. She’s the one set to deliver the secret weapon: a sandwich spiked with a radish. Side note: in Zyuranger, this was some kind of rare herb that the Rangers won in an eating contest with the aforementioned Gnome. Pudgy happily scarfs it down… then begins projectile vomiting pretty much everything he ate before – including the Rangers’ weapons, which our heroes promptly reclaim.

Now completely empty, Pudgy thins out like an empty tube of toothpaste as the Rangers waste no time launching a counter attack. They each take turns striking Pudgy with their weapons in pairs, then bring them all together to finish the porker with the trusty Power Blaster. They each take turns adding their own weapons to the ensemble, then fire the whole thing off as the theme song plays triumphantly in the background. Once struck, Pudgy falls to the ground and explodes (no Megazord battle this time – in Zyuranger it was because Bandora was too famished from her crash diet to make the monster grow) as the Rangers celebrate and Trini tells Rita that she’ll “have to do better than that if you wanna beat us!”

Up on the Moon, Rita doesn’t take this newest loss well, screeching at Finster about how his monster failed. Finster reiterates that Pudgy wasn’t his best work, then begs her not to “yell at him or turn him into a toad or something.” Squatt and Baboo argue over who’s fault this is, even though neither one of them did anything all episode… as usual, and Rita yells at everyone to shut up and laments that she can’t conquer the world “with these nit-wits!” I noticed that Goldar doesn’t appear once in this episode. I imagine that he walked downstairs, saw the Space Dumpster fire going on and went “yeah, I think I’ll just train a bit in the Dark Dimension today…”

Fresh off their latest win, the Rangers head back over to the Youth Center to get to work on that clean-up detail. They have their work cut out for them too, as the place is still completely wrecked. Zordon then beeps in to congratulate them for beating Pudgy, just as Alpha walks in to proclaim that he’s found the pig’s weakness. Jason and Zack assure him that they took care of it… even though he still ruined their festival. Alpha decides to teleport them the food he had prepared to help out, so at least they have something to sell.

In walks Caplan, who’s had some time to cool down about the whole food fight thing. He assures the Rangers that he knows they had nothing to do with what happened, and that they thankfully have almost enough money for that playground equipment despite the two disasters. Trini points out that him buying one of their sandwiches could make up for the rest, and Caplan caves, saying that he missed lunch in all of the craziness going on. Unfortunately, the one he picks is spicy, and as he takes a bite he starts to feel the burn. Kim hands him a pitcher of water to guzzle down, and he accidentally washes off his wig. Once he’s cooled himself, he notes that the sandwich was “a little hot… but not bad,” leading everyone to have a laugh as the episode ends.

“Food Fight” is a solid early episode of the Mighty Morphin era, containing a straightforward plot and some fun action. Pudgy Pig is an amusingly novel MOTW, with a neat design and some entertainingly out-there motives. As silly as he might be, I can see how he became so fondly remembered even decades later. Plus, we get to see the Rangers use some clever trickery instead of just karate-ing their way through the monster battle, which I’ve always had a preference toward in my superhero fiction. The lack of a Megazord battle might be disappointing for some, but that was never really a hard-and-fast absolute in the show. Overall, it’s a fun little piece of comfort food to get fans through the day… kinda of like Mighty Morphin in general.

Next week, we’ll continue this Power Rangers Thanksgiving feast… with some pizza. ‘Till then, I’ve been The Uncanny Fox. Live long, stay gold, and I just started thinking about Pudgy wanting to eat everything… what happens when he runs out of food? When you really get down to it, people are made of meat just like the animals we eat… and then there’s the fact that he was able to eat the Rangers’ weapons with no adverse effect… would he just keep eating everything?

Oh my god… Pudgy Pig might just be one of the most terrifying monsters in all of Power Rangers… the dude is basically what would happen if Kirby went to the Dark Side…

Sleep tight, kids.