The Creature Shop's work on the original TMNT movies was amazing

[Scooch]

Me, then ...

 

[Nasubionna]

Me, then ...

OMG, awesome! Are you working a turtle face??? I would LOVE to hear more about this photo, as well as anything else you're willing to share about the experience! And also, a personal thank you from my 9 year old all the way up to my current 33 year old self for your contributions to this film. I can't even describe how meaningful and magical it is to me!

 

[Beakerfan]

The Creature Shop turtles were amazing. It was such a wonderful display of the art that I wish more films would utilize.
As a kid, I felt like they were real - like I could really go out there and touch them and be friends with them - because they *were* real. Nowadays you don't get that in films because everything is so obviously CGI.
As for the recent TMNT, I thought it was absolutely terrible.

 

[Drtooth]

The new one at least bothered with guys in motion capture suits. I have to praise them for that. All these other CGI hybrid films have ugly characters pasted on with the actors reacting to nothing and something being off. Then there's the Star Wars prequels where the bright and cartoony CGI characters dancing around only made the bad direction the actors were getting more obvious. I'd say there was at least care into TMNT's appearance, just not in the writing.

What I really liked was Where the Wild Things Are blending the two mediums as one. You need something to react to. I don't care how good an actor is, reacting to tennis balls isn't the same as at least a guy in a suit to edit something on top of later. But yeah, animatronic/puppeteered suits are a lost artform. Glad to hear that Star Wars 7 is going for practical effects.

 

[mr3urious]

I'd say there was at least care into TMNT's appearance, just not in the writing.

Even down to mo-capping the actors' faces a la L.A. Noire, which gives them a much more detailed and fluid movement.

What I really liked was Where the Wild Things Are blending the two mediums as one. You need something to react to. I don't care how good an actor is, reacting to tennis balls isn't the same as at least a guy in a suit to edit something on top of later. But yeah, animatronic/puppeteered suits are a lost artform. Glad to hear that Star Wars 7 is going for practical effects.

But there's still going to be some CGI characters, though as Serkis Folk (with the real Andy Serkis playing at least one of them).

 

[Drtooth]

It sounds like they're going to do both right.

The prequels might as well have been completely animated. At least it would have made the humans more lively. I'd say those films have the opposite problem with most movies. It seems like the humans are pasted on and the CGI have nothing to react to.

 

[uncle deadly333]

The movies were just fantastic because of the storys and most importantly the look of the turtles.

 

[Drtooth]

Well... the first one, anyway. The second film went into "wants to be the cartoon series, but not using the cartoon characters" territory. At least the third one had a nice "Tales of the TMNT" style plot they kinda messed up.

Seriously, the second film was disappointing when you look at it from an adult comics fan attitude. The first movie followed the comic, not exactly to the letter, but with reasonable enough substitutions based on how they'd fit in a movie. Some characters get switched around, but it's essentially a story arc from the original comics. Some small influences from the cartoon were added out of necessity. Nothing more than April being a reporter, the turtles having colored masks, and "Cowabunga" being their catchphrase at the end (when it's only Mikey's, and has ONLY ever been Mikey's and only in that iteration). The second one devolved into wacky cartoon kiddy time. I blame New Line Cinema for kowtowing to the angry parental groups. Casey Jones tossed aside for being inappropriate to be replaced with a generic karateman that didn't offer anything. That... Vanilla Ice thing that's not even So bad it's good bad. And of course, Shredder turning into a Disney Villain/1980's-90's video game end boss (the kind that you have to fight twice, and the second time it's inexplicably bigger). Not to mention replacing April with a more cartoon looking version of her (the first movie managed to have the comic book version's frizzy 1980's Cher hair) and cutting an awesome nod to the Utroms because kids would confuse him with Krang. Yeah. No... Raphael being constantly angry instead of being one of Rob Paulsen's signature jerk characters and Mikey being a goofball instead of a laid back surfer... no... that wasn't confusing at all.

Tokka and Rahzar are the only good thing about the second film. And maybe that weird cameo by the Bart Simpson cup and the "A little too Raph" line.

 

[backpackmina]

Why did the JHC pull out of the last 2 original movies? I heard it was because Jim disapproved of violence but if that's so, then why did he work on the first one?

 

[mr3urious]

Why did the JHC pull out of the last 2 original movies? I heard it was because Jim disapproved of violence but if that's so, then why did he work on the first one?

I guess budget reasons was the reason they went with a different company.