The mutant heroes in half shells have undergone many a revamping. Whether it be live action/CGI or animation. Whatever the format fans love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You cannot take the fans for granted. Things have to be well done to maintain their loyalty. I don’t know how many Turtle fans feel loyal after watching this mess.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was never supposed to be taken too seriously. I mean, it revolves around four turtles who can talk, are ninjas, love pizza, and love skateboarding. Giant turtles fighting crime is not something that can work without humour and every incarnation of the Turtles has had signature style of laughs. A couple of laughs are not enough to save Jonathan Liebesman’s (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Wrath of the Titans) handling of the Turtles.
New York has become a very dangerous city to live in. Shredder (Tohoru Masamune – Inception Memoirs of a Geisha) and the Foot Clan have taken over the entire city and rule over it through violence and intimidation. The city’s only hope are four teenage turtles who are mutants that are highly trained ninjas.
Brothers Raphael (Alan Ritchson – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Fired Up!), Donatello (Jeremy Howard – How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Men in Black II), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher – Final Destination 2, Battle Los Angeles), and Leonardo (Pete Ploszek – appeared in episodes of Parks and Recreation and Shameless) have been trained by their sensei, Splinter (Danny Woodburn – Mirror Mirror, Employee of the Month) in their underground lair in the sewers of New York City.
When things in New York become critical the four turtles end up working with reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox – Transformers, Jennifer’s Body) and her cameraman, Vernon (Will Arnett – from television’s The Millers). They have to go up against the Foot Clan and Shredder who have been backed by millionaire Eric Sacks (William Fichtner – The Dark Knight, Black Hawk Down) and his devious plan to become even more powerful and rich by killing millions.
Every time a film franchise like this is brought back to life there are changes made. The people at the helm of this version of the Turtles are no different. They have made changes. Done things differently. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. It is, however, when you take the essence of the story away; you take away all that is good. In this version Splinter and Shredder have no connection. Splinter, the all-knowing sensei, has learned to be a ninja master from reading a book. Then a whole new backstory linking April and her father in with the origins of the Turtles has been created. I mean, come on! That is too much of a stretch even for this type of film.
Another weakness is the villains. The Foot Clan are really just a side note. Just a bunch of guys in weird costumes running around getting their asses kicked by the Turtles. Shredder doesn’t get much screen time either and when he is there isn’t much of an impact made. The metal suit he is given is cool, but that is not enough to make him a worthy opponent. Finally, Eric Sacks is supposed to be motivated by money and they guy is already filthy rich. Really weak.
What is done well is the Turtles. Thank God. They look good and all are different with each of their distinctive personalities being maintained. Unfortunately not much time is spent on the brothers’ relationships or having fun watching them interact.
Things are bungled up by the director not really being true to the spirit of Turtles films. It almost as if once he got going he did not know what to do with it. Action sequences are seemingly jammed into the film not because they are needed rather are just there to fill time. Despite the fact that the special effects are well done after a while senseless action sequences become dull.
Special Features:
-Digital Reality
-In Your Face! The Turtles in 3D
-It Ain’t Easy Being Green
-Evolutionary Mash-Up
-Turtle Rock
-Extended Ending
-“Shell Shocked” Music Video
-Making of “Shell Shocked”
-Digital Copy