Movie Reviews: TMNT (2014)

Title: TMNT (2014)

Cast:

Johnny Noxville as Leonardo
Alan Ritchson as Raphael
Noel Fisher as Michelangelo
Jeremy Howard as Donatello
Tony Shalhoub as Splinter
Touru Masamune as Oroku Saki/Shredder
Minae Noji as Karai
Megan Fox as April O'Niel
Will Arnett as Vernon Fenwick
William Fichtner as Eric Sacks
Whoopi Goldberg as Bernadette Thompson
K. Todd Freeman as Dr. Baxter Stockman
Paul Fitzgerald as Dr. O'Neil

Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman and Michael Bay

Country: United States

Genre: Action/Adventure/Science Fiction/Fantasy/Comic Book Adaptation

Year of Release: 2014

Synopsis: Based on the long running Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise by comic book writer Kevin Eastman, this is the first film given to the franchise in only seven years since the CGI animated film, which I reviewed earlier this summer. Set in present day, the story initially focuses on April O'Neil, who is a news reporter working for Channel 6 News in New York City (similar to the 1987 TV series). She has been researching a criminal organization known as the “Foot Clan”, which has been terrorizing the city. She questions a dock worker about shipments of chemicals that may be linked to the clan. April eventually learns that something is being brought in by the docks. Later that night, she returns to the site and spots the Foot Clan unloading the cargo. She tries to capture footage with her cel-phone, but is spotted, and ambushed by the clan. Just then, a shadowy figure appears out of nowhere, and easily takes out the clan single handedly. Shocked and amazed at what she just saw, April tells her coworkers and her boss Mr. Thompson about what happened that night. But nobody believes her story. April soon discovers that there is not one, but four mysterious figures who are fighting crime, and hiding in secrecy. And much to her shock, the figures turn out being tall anthropomorphic turtles who are masters of the art of Ninjutsu. And not only that, but she also meets their sensei; a rat named Splinter. And through them, she regains long lost memories of the time when the animals were her pets. And after seeing a recording that was taken several years ago in her childhood, April remembers that her pets were test subjects that were exposed to a mutagen created by her father Dr. O’Neil. The turtles' main concern, is the Shredder, the cyborg leader of the Foot Clan. Ruthless and diabolical, Shredder plans to spread a deadly virus throughout New York, causing an epidemic, in order to seize control by offering the mutagen as a cure. Shredder needs the turtles to extract the mutagen from their blood. But when Shredder beats Splinter nearly to death, and abducts three of the turtles, Raph and April must then embark on a quest to save his brothers. And so the chase is on.

Personal Comments: Before I begin, I want to start by saying that since this movie only recently came out, I'm going to do the best I can to review this movie without giving too much away for people who have not yet seen this film. Now, for those of you who remember reading my review of the 2007 CGI film, you may remember that I uncovered quite a bit of the franchise's history. And because I talked about the franchise's history, I guess there's no need for me to go over that again. So I'm just going to cut the bullshit and get straight to the point. As I said before, this movie is simply titled TMNT, which is the acronym for the full title; “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, a popular and highly successful media franchise that has existed for 30 years, and still continues to grow strong to this day even after many years later. I've been a fan of the franchise since the beginning when the original cartoon first aired back in 1987. And in 1990 when the first live action film was released, I grew an even deeper fondness and respect for the franchise. The second movie was okay, but not quite what I was expecting. The second film relied too heavily on slap stick humor, and the action was toned down a bit. Not to mention the final scene where Shredder became Super Shredder was so short-lived, and there was no epic battle between him and the main stars of the film. Which made the final scene in that film pretty disappointing. As for the third film, well... I don't think I need to tell you how that turned out. Because as I said in my review of the 2007 film, the third movie was a major disappointment. And many fans feel the same way I do about that film. And it wasn't until 14 years later when the Ninja Turtles made a comeback to the big screen with the release of the CGI film. But I'm getting off track here. Let's talk about the 2014 film.

So anyway, as I said before, this movie is the first film given to the franchise in a short number of years since 2007. The film was announced shortly before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Peter Laird sold the rights to the franchise to Nickelodeon in 2009. It was produced by Nickelodeon Movies and Michael Bay's production company Platinum Dunes, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was released on August 8, 2014. Now, admittedly, when I first saw the trailers for this film, I was both amazed, but also skeptical. Since this film was directed by Michael Bay, I honestly didn't know what to expect at first. But after seeing how the fourth Transformers film was handled, I began to change my perspective a little. It's also worth mentioning that Michael Bay *has* given us some good films in the past. Some of the few which I can think of being The Rock (1996) and Armageddon (1998). And even though I admit that I have mixed feelings for the first three Transformers films, I also admitted that the fourth movie was pretty good. Indicating that Bay had learned from his previous efforts. And even though I was rather skeptical of the new TMNT film, I figured that I'd go see the film in theaters just to satisfy my curiosity. And well, now that I've actually seen the movie with my own two eyes, I can now give my honest and just opinion of it. In all honesty, this movie really isn't so bad. In fact, this movie is actually pretty good for the first TMNT film we've had in a few years since 2007. Granted, it's not the best I've ever seen, and it does have some problems here and there. But in all honesty, I think this movie was actually pretty good. For one, it's pretty action packed, and despite some of the obvious changes they made to the story, it remains pretty much true to the source material that it's based on.

From what I've heard, some fans were very pessimistic about this movie, which is understandable given how the first three Transformers films that Michael Bay produced received mixed to negative reviews from critics and fans despite the high ratings. And not only that, but it's common knowledge that some movies based on media franchises tend to fall short of audiences' expectations depending on how they're handled. And the funny thing I remember, there has been rumors saying that Michael Bay wanted to make the turtles aliens from another world, rather than having them from Earth, and given their anthropomorphic forms through the mutagen. Fans strongly objected to this idea, as it is not true to the source material. However, much to our surprise, that change was never applied. In fact, this film actually stays true to the source material its based on, but it it does have some differences here and there. One thing this movie stays true to is that the turtles and their master Splinter started off as ordinary animals. But, unlike how it was in the comics or any of the TV shows, Splinter wasn't owned by a Japanese man, and the turtles were not owned by a young boy who kept them in a fish bowl. But rather, they all used to be pets owned by April O’Neil when she was a young girl. It is revealed that she used to feed them, and she even gave them their names. Now I know I went over this before in my earlier review. But I always found it interesting on how the turtles are named after famous Renaissance artists. But of course I didn't know that until 1995 when I was in my history class in 5th grade. But anyway, contrary to the comics and the cartoon shows, this movie features a rather unique twist regarding Splinter and the turtle's backstory. They do get exposed to the mutagen that gives them their humanoid forms and their human-like intelligence, but rather than having it dumped into the sewers like in the comics and TV shows, they were all test subjects that were being experimented on by April's father Dr. O'Neil. However, the mutagen didn't work right away; it took some time for it to fully mutate Splinter and the turtles into their humanoid forms. One day, as the laboratory was going up in flames, the young April rescued Splinter and the turtles, and placed them in the sewers where they'd be safe. Honestly, she should have just kept them with her so she could keep an eye on them. But oh well, whatever works for this movie. And so, as the years pass by, Splinter and the turtles gradually mutated until their transformation was complete. Splinter then studied martial arts, and passed his teachings onto the turtles. And that's how they became the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I have to admit this movie has a very unique and interesting twist with the backstory. I mean yes, it's quite different from what we're used to. But in this case, I can accept that. Because if you ask me, this seems like a more practical explanation on how the turtles came to be. I think it was a clever idea to have them be lab experiments rather than just them being exposed to the mutagen by chance. I don't know. It just seemed to make more sense to me. And I thought it was a unique twist of having them as April's pets from when she was a little girl. So according to this movie, April knew the turtles and their mentor since her childhood. That's very interesting.

What I found very surprising was the casting of Megan Fox as April O’Neil. As I remember, she was the same actress who played as Sam WitWicky's girlfriend Mikaela Banes from the first two live action Transformers films. And well, it was quite a surprise for me to see her return to acting again after several years later. Except only this time for the TMNT franchise. Admittedly, I think Fox played her role pretty well for the most part. She pretty much captured the core of the character, and I think she excecuted it quite well. Though, I kind of miss Judith Hoag, the actress who played as April in the first live action film from 1990. Mainly because she closely resembled April as she appeared in the 1987 cartoon with her brownish hair and whatnot. But I'm forgetting; that was years ago. This isn't the 90s anymore. It's a different time now. But still, I think Megan Fox did a pretty good job as April O'Neil. And she executed her role pretty well considering. This movie features completely different designs for the turtles. Which is to be expected since this movie came many years after the original films. Remember how the original film had well-designed costumes for each of the actors who played as the turtles? Because I remember that so well even though its been more than 20 years now. And this was back when CGI wasn't as common as it is today. And well, looking back at the old movies, I think the costumes still look awesome today. They were well designed and they looked spot on to how the characters appeared in the comics and the 1987 cartoon. Now, in the 2014 film, the turtles were given a major make over. In fact, they look totally different from their previous movie counterparts. Rather than using costumes, the turtles were all computer generated. But I have to admit they look as realistic and believable as the designers could possibly get them to look. And well... I think they did a pretty good job redesigning the characters in their own style. It's not what I'm used to, but hey, you know the old saying; sometimes change is good. Though, I do find it funny how they added extra accessories to the turtle's designs. For example, Leonardo now has samurai-like armor plating on his shoulders, chest, and around his waste, Michelangelo wears different kinds of accessories, Raphael now wears a red hood-like garment that covers half his face and a pair of sunglasses, and Donatello now wears a bunch of technology on his body including a pair of goggles. While I do find the extra accessories to be unnecessary, it does help with differentiating the turtles from one another, and for the most part, it fits well with their rank and status in the team. Leonardo's the serious leader, Raphael is the hot-tempered one, Donatello is the technological wizard, and Michelangelo is the free-spirited one, and an embodiment of childhood. Because in most of their other appearances, the turtles all look the same, except they just have differently colored masks. So yeah, even though this is not really what I'm used to seeing, the accessories along with the size of each turtle makes for some good distinction so that way it's easy to tell them apart from one another. Raphael appears to be the tallest of the turtles, while Michelangelo seems to be the smallest. This is true in the 2012 TV series as well. One thing I found kind of cool is that the turtles' shells are bullet proof. And not only that, but they also have great strength and endurance. Which along with their skills in the art of Ninjutsu, makes them a force to reckon.

There's also their sensei, Master Splinter, who is pretty much the same as most of his other incarnations. However, like with the turtles, there are some notable differences. In the cartoons, Splinter is usually depicted as being serious, focused, wise, fatherly, and at times a bit strict. As the turtles' sensei, he usually keeps their behavior in check, and makes sure that their bond remains stable. In fact, Splinter does a much better job of keeping the team together than Professor Shepherd does in keeping the Road Rovers stable. But anyway, in this movie, Splinter is pretty much the same, only he is very unforgiving towards the turtles when they make a mistake. In fact, in this movie, he comes off as somewhat sadistic in terms of what kind of punishment he subjects them to. Not only is Splinter a great fighter in weapons and hand to hand combat, but can even extend his tail to a great length, and he can use it to whip enemies with, or to grab hold and slam them to the ground. I have to admit that was kind of cool. Because Splinter couldn't do that in any of the past cartoons or movies. True to his past cartoon and movie incarnations, Splinter speaks with a Japanese accent, which is to be expected if you familiarized yourself with the source material. Because Splinter is one of the few actual Japanese characters in the series right next to Shredder.

And lastly, there's Shredder, the main antagonist of not only this film, but the franchise in general. Like his previous incarnations, Shredder is evil, ruthless, and ambitious. Most people who are familiar with the 1987 cartoon and the live action films from the 90s might remember that Shredder was human. But he is always depicted wearing armor plating including a samurai-like helmet with a face plate, similar to Optimus Prime or Darth Vader. But Shredder has had many make overs over the years. In the 2003 TV series, Shredder was totally different from his 1987 cartoon incarnation. In fact, 2003 Shredder was far more evil and menacing than 1987 Shredder. Heck, he even proves that in the 2007 direct to DVD special Turtles Forever. But I'll get into that another time. So anyway, in the 2014 film, Shredder was played by Japanese actor Tohru Masamune, who in my opinion fit the role perfectly. He was just as good as James Saito, the actor who played as Shredder in the first two live action movies. Unlike the previous actor who played as Shredder in the original films, Masamune spoke in Japanese for most of his dialogue, which fit well with Shredder's nationality. After all, Shredder is Japanese. And not only that, but he really made Shredder seem ruthless and menacing, which is to be expected from an amoral villain. What I found interesting about this incarnation of Shredder is that he appears to be cybernetic, and has all kinds of gadgets built into his armor such as swords, throwing knives, etc. When I first saw this in the trailers, I thought this was a pretty exaggerated concept. Because I didn't think Shredder needed so much armor and weapons to be badass. But after seeing how strong the turtles are, I figured its only fair that they make Shredder a tough SOB just to even things out. Otherwise Shredder would have been a joke like Captain Storm from Road Rovers.

The last thing I want to talk about are some of the references this movie makes to the 1987 cartoon. Some people probably wouldn't expect this, but I was able to spot a few lines here and there that sounds strangely familiar. Particularly when Shredder says in the subtitles “Tonight I dine on turtle soup”, which he said in one episode of the original cartoon show. And then there's one part where Raphael exclaims “Cowabunga!” which was the catch phrase that the turtles shout in the original cartoon. Yeah, when I was a kid, I used to find that saying provocative and addicting. But nowadays, I can see why it was discarded in later shows and TV series. Because well... It has aged a bit. But nevertheless, it was nice to hear that phrase uttered again after so many years later. Now again, I won't spoil what happens in the movie for those of you who haven't seen it yet. So I'll just end my review here.

The film was met with generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 20% based on 100 reviews with an average score of 4.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Neither entertaining enough to recommend nor remarkably awful, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may bear the distinction of being the dullest movie ever made about talking bipedal reptiles." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 34 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a B grade on a scale of A to F. And yet, this movie did pretty well at the box office. In all honesty though, this movie really isn't so bad. In fact, compared to some of Michael Bay's previous efforts, the 2014 TMNT film is actually pretty good. And for the most part, it was definitely worth the watch in theaters. Not surprisingly, a sequel is scheduled to be released on June 3rd, 2016, which is not too far away from today.

Overall: As the first TMNT film given to the franchise in seven years, I have to admit this is actually a pretty good film. Granted, it's not the best I've ever seen, but again, I thought this was one of Michael Bay's better attempts at making a film based on an old 80s media franchise. And for the most part, I think he did a pretty good job of it. It's pretty action packed, it has a nice balance on its focus, and most importantly, they gave proper attention to the main stars of the show. And trust me, that is saying a lot. And it is those characteristics alone that makes the 2014 TMNT film a pretty solid action flick based on a franchise that's now 30 years old. It may not have received many positive reviews from critics, but for me, this is one of the best films of the year. Since this movie only recently came out, you should have no trouble finding it in your local video store. However, for those of you who are expecting this film to follow the source material accurately, you may be disappointed. But if you enjoy films for their intense action scenes, then by all means, this is a movie for you. I'll give this film 4 stars.

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