Photo/TMNT
The hotly anticipated, often maligned, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot has arrived, and it’s not all bad. (In fact, some rumors can be debunked now: the Turtles aren’t aliens and William Fichtner is not Shredder.)
The story actually focuses on April O’Neil (Megan Fox), a struggling reporter on the trail of crime syndicate the Foot Clan, and the vigilantes striking back against them. When she finds out it’s the Turtles she discovers their connection to her past and Eric Sacks (Fichtner), a corporate titan who secretly serves Master Shredder.
April is the center of attention for once, and Megan Fox is passable and adequately likable as her. Fichtner is essentially a cartoon villain, but he plays it straight.
Fox has a few funny moments, but mostly when a veteran comic actor like Whoopi Goldberg or Will Arnett is playing off her. The bulk of the witty and charming moments belong to the Turtles – rightfully so, with the rapport and chemistry they have. After all, they are who audiences will ultimately come to see.
Special effects that brought them to life grow on you the more complexity and vulnerability the characters show, similar to Groot and Rocket in Guardians. Likewise, their individual designs may be a stretch for diehard fans, but they help to bring out each Turtle’s uniqueness (Donatello wears glasses and carries a lot of gear; Michelangelo sports a rocket-powered skateboard).
The same can’t be said for other CGI-rendered characters. Splinter looks so odd – barely a rat, more like a goat with a fu manchu – he might scare some children. Shredder starts out an imposing shadowy figure in a dojo, but once he steps into his armor he feels like a refugee from a Marvel film.
Senseis’ respective looks aside, the plot is rife with borrowed elements. Batman Begins appears to be a heavy influence, from men with guns to fights on the docks among shipping containers. Sacks and Shredder’s master plan is even to infect New York with a plague dispersed by a bomb (Ras al-Ghul was too busy being dead to do it himself again).
Michael Bay produced, giving up the director’s seat to Jonathan Liebesman, but all the signature Bay-isms are accounted for – including swooping and shaky cameras, explosions, and falling buildings. Everything builds to the much-hyped high-octane snow chase (complete with slow motion).
TMNT is as commercial and family-friendly a relaunch as you will find this season. Your kids, nieces, and nephews will love it, and probably drag you to it. If so, go to relive any childhood memories, or satisfy your curiosity. (Then be sure to show the little ones the new Turtles cartoon, because it is better, no matter what you think of the movie.)
