-What the hell?!
(Screams) -Bring water, cold washcloth‚ pillow.
-Figures.
I fall asleep during Christmas, and now all my childhood toys have come to life and been
rebooted by Michael Bay!
-Hi!
-If you will please just sit down and calm yourself.
-That's easy for you to say, you didn't wake up next to a talking-rat!
-Ugh...
-Okay, then what's this about, where did you come from?
-I will tell you where we came from.
-No time for that now Mickey Mouse... this is Movie Night!
Hello and welcome to Movie Night, in-depth reviews in five minutes or less, I'm your
host - Jonathan Paula.
Let me be among the last to wish you a "Merry Christmas", and among the first to wish you
a "Happy New Year".
The massive "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" franchise has included comics, animated kids
shows, action figures, Halloween costumes, and of course five feature films.
Tonight we'll be reviewing three of them, one from each phase of the series...
beginning with the original, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles".
The first of five features based on the ridiculously successful comic book and cartoon franchise
of the same name, this live-action adventure film was produced on a budget of $13-million,
and released on March 30, 1990.
As weird as it all is, the well-paced movie managed to gross over $200 million, making
it the second-highest-grossing independent film of all time.
The 93-minute story focus on the titular crime-fighters, a quarter of mutated humanoid turtles named
after classic Renaissance artists who clash with a gang of nefarious ninjas... all while
being mentored by a giant talking rat.
Relegating the bizarre and unbelievable origin story for the occasional flashback, we're
never really introduced to the "heroes in a half-shell" in any adequate capacity.
The cartoon show I grew up watching as a kid - and absolutely adored - smartly includes
quick lines of exposition in its theme song, giving each turtle their own personality.
Sadly, this PG-rated picture shares none of that: leaving the uninitiated forced to follow
these characters as a group entity, rather than separate individuals with their different
characteristics.
Thankfully though, there probably wasn't a little boy on the planet that wasn't familiar
with this fearsome foursome, who are voiced by Josh Pais, Brian Tochi, Robbie Rist, and
Corey Feldman with plenty of attitude.
I did find Raph's really thick New York accent to be a bit distracting though.
When an invading enemy breaks through their window, Rist's playfully quips, "Boy, and
I thought insurance salesmen were pushy!"
The pizza-loving reptiles, portrayed by regular sized men in unsightly rubber suits are often
more obnoxious than they are amusing.
A scene where the group sits around eating pizza and dishes out impressions of old movies
is pretty fun however.
Meanwhile, Judith Hoag is redeemable as the go-getting journalist, Elias Koteas is a hockey-obsessed
ally, a young Sam Rockwell is featured as a gang-leader, and James Saito portrays the
uncompromising, but poorly motivated villain.
Director Steve Barron doesn't really impress with his traditional techniques, but at least
the shots last long enough to tell who's kicking who in the martial arts sequences.
The score from John Du Prez is a subtle and somber
effort, occasionally stepping aside for more boisterous hip-hop inspired tunes.
Besides the aforementioned costumes, the set-design and visuals here actually work rather well,
most of the action taking place in New York's dark underworld.
Although the sequels would go in a much lighter direction, this initial entry is a reasonably
faithful adaptation of the source material, and a pretty good time for fans of the series.
For everyone else, it's honestly nothing special, and something only worth re-watching for nostalgia's
sake.
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" may be a curious experience, but it's still amusing...
I thought it was ALRIGHT.
Praising its nostalgic, fan-service quality, you thought this was a COOL film.
Had you asked me my thoughts on this movie 20 years ago, I would have told you a different
story: but today, it honestly doesn't hold-up... and is far too serious for the concept, I
thought it was just alright.
For tonight's poll question: who is your favorite Ninja Turtle?
Easy one for me: I've always liked Michelangelo myself.
But please leave your own response as a comment below.
Next up, the 2007 version simply titled, "TMNT".
Released in March of 2007, this computer-animated action fantasy film was the first "Turtles"
feature released in 14-years, and the fourth in the franchise overall.
The $34 million dollar production all but tripled budget under the direction of writer
and director Kevin Munroe.
Seemingly functioning as a spiritual successor to the event of the previous trilogy, this
87-minute narrative reintroduces us to the turtles, who have since grown apart, and taken
up various day-jobs.
When a mysterious ancient evil threatens New York, they must put aside their differences
to defeat it.
It's this contentious interplay between the them, especially Leo and Raphael that makes
this particular story more compelling that previous outings - which includes a centerpiece
battle where they violently face off against each other.
As for the rest of the story, it certainly could have been simplified.
"TMNT" opens with a drawn-out expositional flashback that has a very "but wait, there's
more!"
quality to it... as narrator Laurence Fishburne continuously expands on the involved backstory.
Once the picture settles in though, it's supported by tremendous voice-acting: which includes
the talents of Nolan North, James Arnold Taylor, Mikey Kelley, Mitchell Whitfield, Sarah Michelle
Gellar, Chris Evans, Patrick Stewart, and Japanese actor Mako - appearing in his final
film.
The characters smartly retain a good deal of their humor as well, with Donnie reminding
his brother after a poorly timed joke, "Mikey, remember our talk."
Evans and North share some of the films stronger emotional moments - which help keep the film
from becoming too goofy or cartoony.
But involving the April O'Neil character in the fighting sequences is a curious and unnecessary
decision.
I wasn't sure how I'd react to an all computerized version of this classic franchise; but it
was the animated show that rocketed them to popularity, and so, this updated version of
that iconic look is a welcome change of pace from the uncomfortable-looking live action
features of the early 90s.
Indeed, the visual-style here is clean and sharp; making excellent use of conventional
camera techniques in a colorful and vibrant universe.
Muroe's treatment of harsh shadows, slow dolly moves, and back-lighting is particularly appealing.
Klaus Badelt's score fits the PG-rated film well; in that it never distracts... but it
doesn't exactly stand out either.
For fans of the series, this is an amusing, and well-paced adventure that preaches the
importance of brotherhood, and is worth watching at least once.
Despite it's quieter reputation, I'd argue this picture is the strongest of all five
"Turtle" films - which maintains a fun blend of action and humor consistent with the mythos
of these characters.
But that's just my opinion...
here are some of yours from the YouTube comments.
Everyone who voted strongly felt that this was an average film - with no one rating it
lower than a 3, or higher than an 8... your scores averaged to an ALRIGHT.
Perhaps because it felt closer to what I grew up watching as a kid, I enjoyed this one enough
to score it a GOOD.
Last up, another film titled, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles".
A reboot of the "Turtles" franchise, this $125-million dollar action sci-fi comedy film
was unsurprisingly, a huge hit at the box office, taking home nearly half-a-billion
in ticket sales following its August 8, 2014 release.
Although the credits list Jonathan Liebsman as the director - producer Michael Bay's fingerprints
are all over this film; the scope, actors, set design, cinematography, and music all
feel identical to his "Transformers" series - for better or worse.
The fast-paced 101-minute story follows Megan Fox as an eager, low-level New York TV reporter
who uncovers the existence of the titular heroes, as they embark on a mission to save
the city from an evil kingpin.
As many of the in-movie characters are quick to point out, Fox makes for great eye-candy,
but she's commendably much stronger as the lead than her forgettable performances in
the aforementioned "Transformers" series.
Plus, having a relatable and ambitious protagonist helps anchor some of the absurdities on screen.
Speaking of which, the eight-foot-tall 'heroes in a half-shell' are portrayed by some convincing
motion-capture work, and voiced by Alan Ritchson, Noel Fisher, Johnny Knoxville, and Jeremy
Howard.
Although their updated design is a distance departure than their iconic look, far grittier
and cluttered than necessary.
Thankfully though, their personalities still shine through: with Donny even given a pair
of glasses to really drive home his "intelligent" demeanor.
It's a lazy writing trick, but it does work.
Tony Shalhoub provides the voice of their sensei master, who reminds his pupils in a
colorful opening montage that they're "bound for greatness".
In supporting roles, Will Arnett is wonderful as a horny news colleague who provides some
decent comic relief, William Fichtner is fantastic as an unscrupulous bad guy, while Whoopi Goldberg
is the hard-nosed news producer.
Although the story takes some interesting liberties regarding the source-material's
origin stories...
they actually make for a more involved and effective dynamic between our characters.
The turtles are no longer the result of a random accident, but Fox's old pets, whom
she deliberately saved following an act of corporate sabotage.
Despite initial rumors that the turtles would actually be aliens - Liebsman smartly keeps
their bizarre story firmly planted in its mutagen home.
Regardless of their updated appearance and backstory: they feel like the Ninja Turtles
we all know and love.
When they speed off in their supped up Turtle-van, Michelangelo can't resist blasting "So Happy
Together"... the upbeat pop song from the 60s by... who else, "The Turtles".
A later scene perfectly illustrates the charm and playfulness of the group when Mikey busts
out an impromptu beat-boxing session in an elevator, moments before returning to battle.
Although the sequences rarely following any real-world logic or physics, the action here
is well-executed and particularly fun.
Especially an extended slide down an icy mountainside - that sees all the turtles working in unison
to save an 18-wheeler before it careens off a cliff.
While the visual effects effortlessly blend the mo-cap stuff with the real environments,
it's the dynamic and free-floating camera moves that provide some of the coolest imagery.
Woven throughout is a great score from Brian Tyler that lends an epic-scale to an otherwise
one-dimensional narrative.
Being obsessed with these characters and concepts as a kid, I honestly did not expect to enjoy
this newest incarnation.
But the PG-13 rated picture does a fine job of capturing the spirit and humor of the "Turtles",
in a modern and exciting action adventure.
It has plenty of flaws, especially with its clunky script... but a follow-up picture in
2016 no longer seems like an awful idea.
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is fast and exciting fun, even if these aren't the turtles
we grew up with.
Here's what you had to say about it.
Mixed, but mostly negative opinions here: with many criticizing the character development,
and story - you scored it a FOUR.
"Impressed" is definitely too strong a word, but I enjoyed this one more than I thought
I would - it doesn't always feel like a proper "Turtles" experience, but when it does - it
works well.
I thought it was GOOD.
Finally tonight, let's see what you're saying about films currently playing in theaters
with some of your Tweet Critiques.
If you see a new movie in theaters, Tweet your review with the #JPMN hashtag.
Next week, I'll be counting down my top-10 picks for best movies of 2014, so please stay
tuned for that special episode.
In the meantime, please click the links on the right if you'd like to watch more Movie
Night reviews, or click SUBSCRIBE to be notified of future uploads.
Also be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, or Letterboxd for updates
between episodes.
Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula, thank you for watching and listening.
Until next time, have a happy New Year good Movie Night!