By Brenton Thom TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES is the 2014 summer flick directed by Jonathan Liebesman and produced by Michael Bay. Right off the bat, some people have a negative attitude with this flick just because it’s produced by Michael Bay. Well, I recently stepped out of the theater from seeing this movie and let me just say I was not disappointed. In fact, I enjoyed myself quite a lot. To prepare for this new summer movie, I had to refresh myself. Well, actually, I had to introduce myself. I never saw the Ninja Turtle movies growing up, so I spent the night before watching all 4 original movies (yes, there is a fourth one - the animated movie from 2007 known simply as TMNT). I will say this... after watching them all back-to-back, I’m surprised there is so much hype and nostalgia around these “classic” films. In fact, the whole creation of the characters started out as a joke. The original TMNT comics were developed as a spoof against all the clichés in other superhero comics, but it became such a hit, they expanded it into an ongoing series, animated TV show, and movie franchise. The first live action movie was in 1990, and I’ll admit, it looks pretty good, visually. However, as the movies progress, they get weaker and weaker... and by weaker, I mean campier and cornier. The costumes start to look bad, even cheap, and the stories get less and less interesting. I’m getting sidetracked, we are here to talk about this new movie. Digression aside, a bit about the story: this movie is hardly an origin story. Similar to the 1990 movie (and the '89 Tim Burton BATMAN), it does a quick recap of how the turtles and Master Splinter (their Sensei rat master) came to be. The origin here is not the same as the other movies or TV series, as this one involves more of the story of hungry young journalist April O’Neil (Megan Fox). The story of this movie is about the young turtles wanting to go above the surface and fight the evil-doers running amok in the city of New York. At the same time, April O’Neil is a young reporter trying to find her story in the mayhem. There is a rich man, Eric Sacks (William Fichtner), who worked with April O’Neil’s father in developing research in genetics. Long story short, Sacks is evil and is working with Shredder to take control of everything. The weakest part of the story is Sack’s motives for doing the things he’s doing - it wasn’t out of desire for revenge, or to make a difference, it was all just about greed. Some might argue about the use of CGI vs costumes to bring the turtles to life in this movie. Personally, I think costumes look more realistic, but I think the digital effects work just fine in this film. The characters move quickly and have such larger-than-life aspects it would have been difficult to replicate with costumes. I also think the new look of the turtles is a good one. It makes them individuals with their little quirks, gear, and trinkets they carry around with them. Not just bare bones shell and mask. If they collect stuff in the sewers why wouldn’t they collect stuff on their persons? One of the strong elements in the story is the focus around the turtles and their relationships. There are moments in the movie that show they have that brotherly connection. Plenty of funny moments and each character feels unique. The relationship between Leonardo and Raphael is spot on, and Michelangelo steals the show when it comes to humor. One thing I also really enjoyed was watching Master Splinter (voiced by Tony Shalhoub) hold his own in battle. He’s not just some old rat that taught the turtles, he’s also a ninja master and can fight, which was nice to see. Director Jonathan Liebesman, who’s probably best known for BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (2011) and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING (2006), brings the goods for this movie. He balances humor, action, and emotion at a nice pace. The most fun scene is definitely right after the turtles escape a fortress and end up skiing down a mountain. The scene has more going on than just that, but it is definitely a lot of fun. It’s hard to tell where Michael Bay’s influence comes in for this movie. The movie has a mix of colorful elements, fantastic lighting, and lots of action, which are all elements of Bay, but it doesn't feel as much like one of his flicks as some people might think. There are a lot of people are bitter about this movie and it’s hard to figure out why. Some people complain about the turtles being CGI. Okay, but that’s not affecting the story and characters. And if that’s not it, they’ll complain about the story. But let’s take a second here - review the past movies. In fact, I just did! If you watch those movies, those plots are very thin and, I might add, very hokey! Again, the origin of the TNMT was supposed to be corny. We’re not expecting SCHINDLER'S LIST, here. We are watching Mutant Turtles fight evil forces in NYC. This movie does just that, AND it’s a lot of fun. I’m not saying Megan Fox’s performance is stellar (because it's not), but they make up for that with her camera operator (played by Will Arnett) and the turtles' individual performances. Overall, I’m very happy with the movie and enjoyed my time watching it. The movie does have some really funny moments and there's plenty of action and exciting set pieces that make you worry for the characters. I think this movie is definitely a step up from the older movies, and I don’t mean that the old ones were bad. I just found myself growing bored with each new movie (with exception of the animated one, because of its different style). This movie was fun and not overlong, as some blockbusters can be. For people looking to have a fun time and (definitely) for kids.
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