TMNT Returns! Go see this one with the whole family.
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I have been a fan of the Ninja Turtles for a long time, since I saw the cartoon series from the 1980’s. Looking back it was kind of silly, but it had a certain charm that you don’t see in a lot of cartoons these days. It was also original, with the way the four turtles and their rat master, Splinter, lived by a simple code of Ninjitsu and made sure to do what was right for New York City and never expecting anything in return. I would watch this cartoon every morning, and loved to sing the theme song with my best friend and had a lot of the toys. Towards the end of the series, I did lose interest but the two movies that came out helped my fandom grow by leaps and bounds.
The chance to see the Turtles, The Foot, and Shredder, in real life was amazing. Both of these films were very well done and made sure to have stories that the fans would love and be sure to go see again and again. When Teenage Mutant Turtles 2 : The Secret of the Ooze, came out, it was a film that was better than the first one in many ways. The fans got introduced to some new characters and villains, and Shredder was crueler than ever before. There was also a third Ninja Turtles movie released but it lacked in plot, characters and especially villains, sadly not a film worth checking out. In the late 1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation came out with a few new characters, the turtles being older and the introduction of a female turtle named Venus De Milo, but sadly this show was a disappointment to fans and only lasted one season.
In 2003, a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon was aired that was darker, somewhat more adult oriented and featured a new look for Shredder and his foot clan. This was one of my favorite series, it was gritty but extremely original and clever at the same time. There were episodes that were banned, and at one time the whole fifth season was banned from American television because it was deemed too dark for children. This changed when it became a season everyone was eager to see. After this season the show had a few spin offs, with two season of Fast Forward that took place in 2105 that were pretty good and one season of Back to the Sewers that followed right after this series but it was missing the dark and edgy tones I looked forward to from this show. There was also a computer animated TMNT movie that came out in 2007, which I have not had a chance to see yet. I have heard it is not bad, and it does feature a new villain and has some interesting things going for it.
In 2012 Nickelodeon acquired the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and released a new cartoon series that is computer animated and is a mix of the 1980’s and 2003 cartoon series. I like it because of this, and it looks at many of these characters in a different way and has a lot of original story lines in it. It is in its second season and any fan should take a look at it.
This new film is not that original really, with Shredder being the main villain, and April O’ Neill still works at channel 6 as a reporter. The Ninja Turtles do look quite different. Donatello is taller and thinner, Raphael is bigger and stronger, and they all have noses, which has been missing from many of their previous forms in films and TV. Michelangelo is still a clown, Leonardo is still their leader, and of course Splinter is still their wise master. They all live in the sewers, and stay away from the human world at all costs. Shredder is a bit different, he is big and menacing and a man who as usual has an evil plan up his sleeve. Karai is by his side, and so are the foot clan who look a bit different this time around. There is also a surprise villain that you won’t see coming. This film has some great plot twists and surprises. How did the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles come into existence? Can they stop Shredder before he is able to enact his terrible plans on New York City? And how does April O’ Neil fit into all of this?
Megan Fox does a great job as April O’ Neil. Her character is caring, ambitious, and is someone who just wants to tell a great story to the public. She never acts pretentious or egotistical, and is a character with a lot of heart and compassion for other people. Will Arnett is great as, Vernon Fenwick, April’s cameraman. He is a man who is very opposite from April but he does want to do his best to help her reach her goals. Tony Shalhoub is wonderful as the voice of Splinter, he really brings this character to life. His portrayal is full of wisdom and determination, but he also cares dearly for his sons. He will do anything to protect them. Tohoru Masamune is the perfect person to play Shredder. He not only brings a coldness and anger to this character, but he fits the character well. He is tall, strong, and his voice fits this character in many ways. He will do anything to reach his goals, and he has no care for the cost; a man very easy to hate.
The new movie did so well that a sequel has already been announced for June 3, 2016. I liked this film better than I thought I would. It not only had a great plot, but the scenes of action were so much fun to watch. The special effects are amazing, and I really like how each turtle looked a bit different, it was a nice change. The characters all worked so well together, and yet there were a few things I didn’t care for in this film. There is an elevator scene where the Four Turtles play their weapons like instruments which was not needed. There was also a scene with all of the turtles getting stuck in a pipe entrance and Mikey farts, it was kind of silly but it is a movie made for kids, so I guess I can let that one slide. If you are a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you should go out and see this movie. If you are looking for a film to see with the family, this is worth checking out. It is a film with some good laughs and some nice life lessons, and that alone makes the price of a ticket worth it.