Michael Bay's Ninja Turtles: RIP TMNT 1985-2014

[Drtooth]

Since the 1982 film TRON got a sequel in 2010, the 1990's TMNT trilogy should have had a 2014 fourth film - set in 1994. Or if it must be set in the current time, then make it about the turtles dealing with old age - and still kicking butt. Either way it would be more original than yet another "restart". That's getting old.

It had a fourth film. 2007's TMNT which works as a loose connection to the last film and yet a surprisingly close connection to the 2k3 series.

This one is completely disconnected.

Now I'll tell you what they should have done. They shoulda pulled a Jimmy Neutron/Barnyard and released a pilot film theatrically first then continue the series from there. The production values would have been much better with better CGI animation.

Instead, we got a Bay produced thing written by the person who wrote that dumb Snow White movie from 2 years back. At least they're not aliens in this one.

 

[Slackbot]

Sigh. There's nothing in this trailer to appeal to me. The whole thing reeks of testosterone poisoning. Gonna go back and read my original Eastman & Laird GNs now.

 

[Drtooth]

Sigh. There's nothing in this trailer to appeal to me. The whole thing reeks of testosterone poisoning. Gonna go back and read my original Eastman & Laird GNs now.

Is exactly my problem with it, actually. Not dark, not gritty... just boilerplate action movie. They don't even give the turtles any time to shine in the trailer. Considering Bay's track record with Transformers, something tells me this will all focus on April O'Neil and the Turtles will barely be there.

 

[Drtooth]

Kevin Eastman still thinks we're all going to love it.

Exact quote:

It's been a four, almost five-year journey to bring the next "Turtles" movie to life since the time we pitched it. I know everybody is like, "Oh, Michael Bay, Michael Bay, Michael Bay, he's gonna ruin it! He's gonna destroy it!" But everyone I have encountered has been nothing more than incredibly sincere to try and bring the Turtles back in a way that's new, fresh and exciting, but with total respect to everything that's come before. I've read the script. I have a cameo in the move. It's awesome -- really fun.
What they've done with the film is going to make fans incredibly happy, including myself. The vision is awesome, the effects are incredible and the story will be something everybody can relate to and like. I'll leave it out there for the fans to let us know what they like in the end, but I'm very proud to be part of it. A lot of people are going to be surprised.

At least one of the creators likes it... I guess that's good?

I do hope to be pleasantly surprised to the extent that I have very low expectations of this movie to the tune of "I'm only here for Vernon." But so far, it just looks like everything else, but not even of the same quality. Sure, the Marvel films had a lot of crap blowing up, but they also had a brain to them.

 

[beaker]

I just saw (the incredibly lame) Spiderman 2, and with it the 3d second trailer for the new ninja turtles film. Really not feeling it. I not only hate the creepy weird tmnt faces, but the color palette, cinematography and actor choices all rub me the wrong way.

 

[Drtooth]

The film seems to be borrowing the wrong aspects of super hero films. Especially that filmed in blue thingy that everyone has to do. Something tells me the actual director's actually even less talented than Bay.

But Shredder being a white guy rubbed me the wrong way far more than what I've seen in the trailer. Seems they're just tossing aside the constants in the TMNT franchise past and present for some barely creative decision. And still not as bad as when they do that with old cartoon shows, but not favorable. Other than that, I hope to NOT see a repeat of what happened 2007 with the toy line. I really love the new series, it gets better and better and even manages to out dark the last series. I'd hate to see the merchandise turn sharply in favor of the movie. Especially the actually selling toy line.

I'll give this film a shot (again, Will Arnett... they've at least cast one guy right) if I have money after seeing the REAL film I'm excited for, Guardians of the Galaxy.

 

[beaker]

I still cannot get into the cgi TMNT show, between the quick edit vibe and the look of the cg itself. But I will say a lot of the toys look great. Once again April O'neil looks like she's out of the late 90s/early 2000s(they gave April Oneil beige bellbottoms in 2003...ugh) but the villain toys look amazing.

It's funny, doesnt anyone a part of the 2014 TMNT movie not realize that virtually everyone online HATES the look of the turtle faces? I'll take a white Shredder and boring looking April O'neil if it means TMNT looking Turtles. But nope, they had to go creepy Shrek meets quasi uncanny valley human look. So terrible. But yeah the color palette, editing, cinematography, lighting...so much is rubbing me the wrong way.

 

[Drtooth]

It's funny, doesnt anyone a part of the 2014 TMNT movie not realize that virtually everyone online HATES the look of the turtle faces?

By the time they were revealed, it was far too late to go back into post and fix them. The toy line was already made. Nothing could have been done unless they released these designs 2 years ago.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

Besides the fact that they butchered the turtles, this movie looks plain awful. Hollywood has to understand that no one runs to movies to see building smashing special effects anymore, and that's all Michael Bay can accomplish. They have cool action sequences, but after two hours of seeing the same building collapsing to the ground people get bored.​

 

[Drtooth]

Bay's just the producer, but I'm sure that he has something to do with that sort of thing. That sort of thing doesn't really work for the Turtles. The writer of this film seems to forget that the turtles are Ninjas, and Ninjas have to require a certain amount of stealth. Sure, there were some minor action sequences with some destruction in some of the TV shows and comics, but what made the first movie work was the low budget to give it a real gritty feel. Less is more when it comes to these characters.

But that's right. It's just boilerplate stuff. I can't even be offended by it because it's so routine. And those kinds of emulation lessen the good stuff. I still don't see why they couldn't have just let this movie go the first round of delays and put it in the hands of someone who knows the Turtles inside and out.

And Kevin Eastman still thinks we're all going to love it for some reason. If Laird said it, I wouldn't be baffled.... but Eastman? He probably got some special treatment. he does have a cameo in the film after all.