Saban’s Power Rangers movie is now out on home video – on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD.
And one of the film’s most highlighted decisions was the inclusion of Krispy Kreme – product placement laid on so thick it became a central plot point according to critics.
Krispy Kreme was used as the present-day site for where the ancient Zeo Crystal was buried, a powerful artifact coveted by the movie’s primary antagonist, Rita Repulsa.
Many fans found the Zeo Crystal’s placement underneath an Angel Grove Krispy Kreme to be comical and clever, while others revered that it was a cringe-worthy money grab to promote the film’s line of donuts.
In the home video’s Audio Commentary featuring Director Dean Israelite and Writer John Gatkins, the duo explains that the inclusion of Krispy Kreme was neither product placement, nor a money grab – but rather intentional to place the Zeo Crystal under a ridiculous, unexpected landmark like a fast food chain.
“We were walking around the streets of Vancouver, and we hadn’t figured out where the Zeo Crystal was going to be buried. And we had all these ideas of under some sculpture that would be very weird. And [Gatkins] just said one day as we were on the way to dinner ‘I wish it was just under the Golden Arches (McDonald’s)’. And I didn’t know if [Gatkins] was joking, but I thought it was so clever, that it needed to be under something completely contemporary and if the world has evolved over 65 million years, it probably would be under something very ubiquitous.” – Director Dean Israelite
Israelite then went on to explain some of the other options the filmmakers considered before eventually landing on Krispy Kreme.
“We threw around all these ideas – Starbucks, Subway, 7/11, and we landed on something that we thought was really absurd in the right way for this movie, which was a Krispy Kreme.” – Director Dean Israelite
The decision would eventually lead to both Lionsgate teaming up with Krispy Kreme for an exclusive line of Power Rangers donuts, as well as some amusing scenes and brand spots throughout the movie.
Yet even with the enjoyable scenes, such as Elizabeth Bank’s Rita Repulsa chomping down on a donut while Goldar attacked the city, Israelite knew the decision to place the Zeo Crystal under a Krispy Kreme would earn its share of criticism.
“For the record, we were always going to get criticized for the product placement a little. But we did it, not for the product placement. So for all the haters out there, go to Krispy Kreme and enjoy a donut, and know that this wasn’t some kind of money grab or conspiracy.” – Director Dean Israelite
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I would’ve thought it was originally going to be buried underneath Ernie’s juice bar which was turned into Krispy Kreme after the chain paid for placement.
It was under Ernie’s in the script.
critics are prejudiced morons, they gave the awful reboots of Godzilla and Ghostbusters good reviews! I prefer a more concrete product placement rather than many left and right as in Man of Steel, really a Sears in rural Smallville? They didn’t find as many flaws as they expected so they had to create some to justify the bad and mixed reviews they wanted to give the film before they even saw it. There has been doubt cast upon them due to giving just about every disney film absolute acclaim they have to remind people they are not paid shills.
Loser citics gave Alien: Covenant good reviews………audience says its total garbage. i agree. Critics suck, they prob only give good reviews if paid or something..
Product placement in movies can be distracting and annoying. I thought the use of Krispy Kreme in this movie was so over-the-top that it became comical and enjoyable.
I like all this, but I was also kind of hoping that Krispy Kreme paid a large portion of the movie’s budget, so that Lionsgate wouldn’t expect as much of a return as we would expect from $100 million.
For me, the whole KK thing was a very original way of bringing “cheese” to this movie, in the best way possible. Power Rangers is knows for its cheese, but you can’t just bring back the old 90s cheese for a serious take, so they came up with this brilliant way of weaving it into the actual plot in such a comical way that actually works perfectly BECAUSE it is Power Rangers. I don’t think it would’ve worked in anything other than a Power Rangers movie lol. But I guess a lot of people don’t have that cheesy background for context. I mean, the source of all life is at Krispy Kreme, and for anyone who has actually tried their amazing hot glazed donuts, that’s the greatest and most clever joke ever. When Rita said that I was floored and thought to myself “this only works because its Power Rangers” lol, and then a moment later she kills Billy, what a great unexpected pivot.
I haven’t yet seen the in its entirety, but from what I have seen, the movie doesn’t explain that particular plot point, and, by that I mean, how in the first place does Billy know that the Zeo Crystal is buried under the Krispy Kreme? What if he was wrong about its location? After all, in the original series, it is suppose to be buried on the Moon, coincidentally beneath Zedd and Rita’s palace. I also disagree with it being the source of all life on Earth, as that was NOT the case in the original series.
I feel Krispy Kreme will be forever immortalized within this movie and/or franchise. I applaud the product placement to such a degree, that I’d almost recommend it for a Pillsbury Award.