Leonardo. Raphael. Michelangelo. Donatello. If all that immediately comes to mind with those words are the names of their respective Renaissance-era artists, then director Jonathan Liebesman’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot might not be the best choice for a fun night at the movies. However, for moviegoers whose minds are flooded with memories of those pizza-loving martial arts-fighting heroes on a half shell who first rose to popularity during the late 1980s/early 1990s, the film certainly has plenty to offer.
From a business standpoint, reviving the TMNT brand makes perfect sense, especially given the incredible success of Michael Bay’s Transformers films and the fact that superheroes have been dominating the box office for years. Even though it’s been over 20 years since the last live-action incarnation, this franchise encompasses both of these markets, and the current Nickelodeon animated series ensures that today’s kids will be just as familiar with the characters as their parents. It’s no surprise too to find that Bay is a producer on the new film, which chronicles a new version of the turtles’ origin, their meeting with ambitious journalist April O’Neil and their confrontation with the evil Shredder.
The story at hand is pretty generic on all fronts, but it does hit all the touchstones that TMNT fans will be expecting. While the turtles’ origin is indeed different from the original animated series and the earlier films, it thankfully does not imply in any way that the turtles are extraterrestrials. In fact, the film even includes a moment (featured in the trailers) wherein one character raises that question, only to have it dismissed as a “stupid” idea. Couldn’t agree more.
Furthermore, the turtles’ character design (as well as that of their master Splinter) is less jarring than it may seem in the promotional material. In truth, the motion-capture technology lends them a slicker, more tangible look that puts the old rubber suits of the 1990s to shame. Even better is the fact that the turtles’ fight scenes are far less clunky than their earlier on-screen counterparts and able to employ actual fight choreography in place of gimmicky throw-downs and jokey fisticuffs. Less fortunate, however, is the new design of the Shredder, who is given virtually no depth and minimal backstory. Instead of his simpler dark cape and metal mouth and head pieces, he is re-imagined as a man-sized Transformer (figures, right?) and has far more in common with the Silver Samurai featured in The Wolverine than the Shredder fans know and love.
Of course, Transformers star Megan Fox plays April this time around, and while her acting ability is still pretty minimal, she at least attempts to embody the character’s pluckiness and genuine affection for her green-skinned allies. Naturally, the film can’t help but make a few not-so-subtle references to her sexpot nature (notably, a lingering shot of her butt and one character’s reference to her as “candy”), but as the film goes on, Fox is able to settle into a more reactive role that better suits her limited on-camera skill set. This is a wise move, to be sure, as the jokes she has handed in the first act all fall really flat. One can’t help but imagine that another (e.g. better) actress would have been able to elevate or at least carry the silly material, just as Will Arnett and William Fichtner are able to provide fun – albeit cliche-ridden – supporting performances.
No TMNT film is without its flaws, and with the level of nostalgia fans have tied to this series, it’s easy to point fingers at the film for bastardizing a beloved part of one’s childhood. However, even with all the film’s weaknesses (a vaguely developed plot, a weak lead actress, etc.), it manages to capture the individual personalities and character dynamic of its title heroes. Michelangelo is still the jokester, Raphael the anger-prone loner, Leonardo the natural-born leader and Donatello the technology-obsessed geek. They still love their pizza, live in a sewer and frustrate master Splinter by generally acting like out-of-control teenagers. In short, they are the very same characters fans remember, and while the movie around them isn’t as good as it could be (hopefully, sequels can build on what’s presented here), it’s still a solid feat that Liebesman and his team have brought these heroes back to the big screen.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stars Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, and the voices of Johnny Knoxville and Tony Shalhoub. It is directed by Jonathan Liebesman and is now in theaters.