Grade (B-)
Clearly aimed to introduce the TMNT to a new generation of kids, this blockbuster boasts a decent story to carry the great action-sequences and excellent special-effects with a result that is honestly, entertaining.
Synopsis
When a powerful villain begins to unleash his plan of devastation on the city, the only hope will be four unique ninja’s. They will risk exposing their identity to the public by coming up to the city from their home in the New York sewers to stop this evil force before it is too late.
My Thoughts
There was no hiding from the masses of negative criticism this one received on social media as the production of the film progressed. My plan was to go in with open expectations, my memories of the TMNT growing up as a kid, and a mind clear of any reviews on the movie since its release. Whether or not this helped, after seeing it I can honestly say I was very entertained by it. There is no question the dialogue is for a much younger audience than myself, but it was what I remembered from my youth and boasted the dumb (but funny) humor that appealed to my childhood personality back in the 90’s.
The story-line was decent enough (for an older audience) and seemingly perfect for kids. It keeps a rather generic but workable path and doses the action in routinely to keep your attention throughout. There is no doubt kids of a new generations will be drawn to this film, the new look of the characters. There was enough effort taken in to the quality of the script to make it enjoyable enough to entertain for the older audience who grew up with the TMNT. Sure a more intricate and well-structured plot could have been written but it would come at the risk of losing the younger market it was aiming for, and thus possible hindrance in product sales that could result.
For a film that had a wide range of demographics to entertain, it did an excellent job. The special-effects were great and while many may not like the new look of the turtles I found it appealing and it definitely brought out the inner geek inside me. They were fun to look at and as one who can remember the past films of the early 90’s, it was an amazing upgrade from the bulky costumes and singular appearance.
Each of the turtles in their appearance were given personalities to match and I can see where this will start up a whole new generation of kids having their own favorite characters. The varying personalities also allowed for some range in the angels of comedic delivery between the group. For the most part none were (extremely) cheesy and there were more than a few chuckles delivered throughout. Megan Fox was okay as April O’Neil, but at times I felt the story-line was too focused on her, and not the hero’s in a half shell. Fox didn’t really hinder the film but she came across flat as the normally charming O’Neil I remembered.
While there was a lull in the late half of the second-act it still was a fun film from start-to-finish. The action-sequences were well orchestrated and visually stunning to say the least. It was even better with some 3D layering added to bring the true depth and scale of the high-adrenaline moments.
The fight choreography was fun as well and also seemed very similar to what I remembered as a kid. Each had a personality to their fighting skill-set which enabled for some fun moments amid the fast paced action. There was a clear ambition taken in creating the fight-sequences between the turtles and Shredder. The shots were well framed and showed a good amount of the action with wider camera angles. The scenes were successful in building strong climactic moments at the right times to keep the flow moving.
Overall this was a fun rendition of the TMNT and I can clearly see why a sequel has already been announced. This film managed to refresh my memory of the characters I loved as a kid and managed to add some updates that only made the final result more enjoyable. Many will bash this film and Michael Bay’s attachment to it, but when it comes down to it, this one was just purely enjoyable, and without a doubt an adventure the kids will love.