TMNT: User Review Thread.

[scifiwolf]

In terms of the turtles being the turtles, I loved the sneaking back into the sewer after meeting April and their reactions to the adrenaline. Of course, the elevator is awesome.

The more I think about it, if there's anything to be absolutely praised, it's the writing, direction, and acting of the four turtles.

 

[Quasimod0]

I enjoyed the movie. The Turtles were spot-on. Megan Fox as April was a LOT better than I expected. And Splinter was also fantastic.
Shredder definitely could've been better. I think he needed some more buildup.
Anyway I'm excited for the sequel. Bring on some more Turtles!
8/10

 

[terry78]

There were tons of kids dressed as the Turtles at my viewing...some adults too.

After the movie a whole bunch of those same kids were playing Ninja Turtles outside of the theater.

And to be honest, as grown men that should make you feel pretty damn good.

 

[Quasimod0]

I went with a huge group. A few of my friends and I dressed up. It was a lot of fun. There were a few little boys dressed up too. The kids were really enjoying it. That makes me happy. I'm glad there's a new generation of turtle fans. We have to remember that the franchise is not for adult men. Most of us fell in love with the turtles as children.

 

[BCPrimal]

Saw the movie with my wife and son. We all loved it! I grew up with the Turtles and really enjoyed this new movie. Bring on the sequel!

 

[Loki882]

Mikey's crush on April in the movie is no more stupid than Donnie's in the cartoon.

The part about the Shredder being wrote in due to fan complaints...I can buy that

And Splinter teaching himself is no more lame or stupid than a rat learning it by watching some guy do it....

No, I'm pretty sure that the Donnie crush doesn't include creepy/stupid ***** jokes. It's cute, this was not.

And Splinter learning by watching his master, a world-class Ninjutsu master, for YEARS is goofy in a fun way. Him learning by reading one book is just lazy and really REALLY boring. Besides, that's not how it works. You cannot just read one thing and somehow be an expert. One is stupid in a goofy way that fits the ridiculous premise that is TMNT, the other is stupid in a flat-out stupid way, and really lazy to boot.

 

[Blade X]

Honestly splinter learning marital arts from a book is more logical than a rat watch someone else do it. Both explanations are silly to be honest and I don't really mind that aspect of the reboot. Fanboys are are saying it's an abomination really need to realize what this movie is and what it's about. It's talking ninja turtles raised by a rat to fight an evil ninja organization. Not knocking it at all as I too like this franchise and grew up with it. But I am not gonna sit here and act like the mythos isn't some silly stuff.

IIRC, in the original comic book origin Splinter learned Ninjitsu by watching his owner, but the Turtles themselves leartned Ninjitsu from both Splinter and from a Ninjitsu instruction book that they found. IIRC, Splinter said that the Turtles became "true Ninjas" by learning from that book. Personally, I prefer either the reincarnation story or the current CGI animated series origin, which did a much better and more mature take on the 80's animated series origin (which I hated because it was watered down and was obviously done in order to be more "kid friendly").

 

[Shikamaru]

Rats actually have a very good memory. It makes far more sense for a rat to learn ninjutsu through accessing its memory when it gains sentient-like consciousness than it does for it to learn it out of a book. Neither are exactly 100% realistic, but the latter is stupid even by suspension-of-disbelief standards.

He also apparently decides to dress up as a stereotype for no reason.

 

[Loki882]

Yeah, something along the lines of the current Nick show would be my preferred Turtles movie as well. It blends all of the various elements together REALLY well and has a great balance of comedy/goofiness and darkness/pathos.

 

[Loki882]

Rats actually have a very good memory. It makes far more sense for a rat to learn ninjutsu through accessing its memory when it gains sentient-like consciousness than it does for it to learn it out of a book. Neither are exactly 100% realistic, but the latter is stupid even by suspension-of-disbelief standards.

He also apparently decides to dress up as a stereotype for no reason.

Oh there is a reason. Michael Bay was involved, and he seemingly cannot make a movie without at least one offensive/stupid ethnic, racial, or cultural stereotype.

 

[Blade X]

I agree with you NinjaTurtleFan. Why are those core elements considered silly but not all the other weird and whacky stuff they included?

Perhaps they could have wrote in that Yoshi taught ninjutsu on the side, and Saki was secretly affiliated with the Foot. When Yoshi finds out about Saki's evil plans (whatever they may be), Saki kills Yoshi's wife after Yoshi frees the turtles. Then he flees and Yoshi, badly injured, is dying when the rat scurries to him as he calls for him. He covers him up and takes off to the sewers as he is dying. The lab explodes in a gulf of fire and we black out.

Yoshi awakens in the sewers and is already starting to change into a rat (long nails and whiskers). He finds the turtles and the rest is history.

I would even have it that Baxter Stockman was an intern at the lab and after the battle between Yoshi and Saki, stockman runs off with Saki and Saki uses him to try recreating the mutagen ever since (to no avail).

Bam. Already better and more fleshed out than what we got. I don't understand why that is too hard for them. These people are getting paid so much money and I just came up with a far better backstory for free in a matter of minutes.

I love your idea. Of course the idiots in Hollywood wouldn't use your idea because (a) it makes way too much sense and (b) the filmmakers egos are so huge that they think that their crappy/stupid ideas are better then the source material that they are adapting and/or any ideas that stick close to the source material.

 

[Shikamaru]

Oh there is a reason. Michael Bay was involved, and he seemingly cannot make a movie without at least one offensive/stupid ethnic, racial, or cultural stereotype.

But bruh, Bay didn't direct it .

Which is an absurd point for several reasons. Bay's got his fingerprints all over this and it's not surprising. Anything his house makes often has the same problems , plus Liebesman as a director isn't too far off of films that suffer from the same problems.

Furthermore, to quote the production crew itself, "We are doing Turtles but Michael Bay style". I heard Will Arnett say that in a theatre preview. On the big screen. Three times. So I call B.S. on anyone who dares to try to use that excuse.

 

[bullets]

I went with a huge group. A few of my friends and I dressed up. It was a lot of fun. There were a few little boys dressed up too. The kids were really enjoying it. That makes me happy. I'm glad there's a new generation of turtle fans. We have to remember that the franchise is not for adult men. Most of us fell in love with the turtles as children.

It brings me great joy to see a big part of my childhood being enjoyed by younger generations. Turtle power!

 

[Marvin]

Rats actually have a very good memory. It makes far more sense for a rat to learn ninjutsu through accessing its memory when it gains sentient-like consciousness than it does for it to learn it out of a book. Neither are exactly 100% realistic, but the latter is stupid even by suspension-of-disbelief standards.

He also apparently decides to dress up as a stereotype for no reason.

Dressing in a kimono/gi is a stereotype? Someone better tell all the many non asians that do it when mastering martial arts. As for the reason, it looks like the source material, fans should rejoice, for months there have been arguments made hinging on nothing more than purism, logic be damned.

Also, you have to be joking about that first part. Joking or maybe kidding.

 

[Marvin]

No, I'm pretty sure that the Donnie crush doesn't include creepy/stupid ***** jokes. It's cute, this was not.

What other inappropriate/creepy jokes does mike make that go above and beyond the animated Donny? I've only seen the trailers.

Him learning by reading one book is just lazy and really REALLY boring. Besides, that's not how it works. You cannot just read one thing and somehow be an expert. One is stupid in a goofy way that fits the ridiculous premise that is TMNT, the other is stupid in a flat-out stupid way, and really lazy to boot.

The only thing 'lazy' here is your imagination. For starters just how much of an expert can someone become by reading a Java scripting book? An entire AP chemistry hardcover? I'd argue plenty, but it would no doubt depend on how intuitive a learner the reader; Newton for for example(at what ever age).
Secondly, is it actually stated that he has become everything he is based on one singular reading. Like, there is no where else for him to supplement, hone or evolve his learning. People tend to train themselves at some point, meditation helps, as do mountain retreats(though I doubt the latter happened). Point being, a little imagination goes along way.

Next someone will be saying that there is no way someone can learn and latter master sorcery by reading some Grimorum. In some fantasy story no less.

 

[Blade X]

But bruh, Bay didn't direct it .

Which is an absurd point for several reasons. Bay's got his fingerprints all over this and it's not surprising. Anything his house makes often has the same problems , plus Liebesman as a director isn't too far off of films that suffer from the same problems.

Furthermore, to quote the production crew itself, "We are doing Turtles but Michael Bay style". I heard Will Arnett say that in a theatre preview. On the big screen. Three times. So I call B.S. on anyone who dares to try to use that excuse.

Quoted for the truth. Hell, just like in the Bayformers movies, it's the human that delivers the final defeating blow to the villain. In this case, April kicking the Shredder off of a building. How lame is that?

 

[Whiskey Tango]

I knew this was going to be an ass-sandwich and said so many, many times. And it turns out I was right. Imagine that.

 

[Poetic Chaos]

Not good, not bad.

 

[Quasimod0]

It brings me great joy to see a big part of my childhood being enjoyed by younger generations. Turtle power!

Definitely. I loved seeing the kids get into it. When Raph kicked Shredder I saw one boy up front throw both of his fists into the air. t:

 

[LostSon88]

And to be honest, as grown men that should make you feel pretty damn good.

Oh totally! As me and my friends were walking to the car seeing the kids dressed up playing Ninja Turtles playing out the movie I acrually turned to my friend and said, "Those were the days man, lol."

I think it's great that this new generation has embraced Turtles the way I did. t:

 

[Nathan]

Ok, let's start with the positive things.

The Good:

- Turtles were fun to watch when interacting together.

The Bad:

- Pretty much everything else

This Movie was a wreak. There's no way around it. Of course my opinion will be disregarded, because I've been vocal against the direction and choices from the start. And me liking most of what came out in the past is irrelevant. I dislike this Bay light Movie, so I'm only a nostalgia fanboy that loves the 90's Movie and it was impossible to please me. You know what would have pleased me? An actual good Movie. A live action adaptation of the current Nick cartoon would have been excellent.

Past comics, cartoons and movies have always changed things around. But each different origin added new interesting elements and enriched the TMNT mythos. This does nothing of the sort. It connects April to the Turtles, but we already had the IDW comics do that, and far superior at that.

This Movie is just badly cut together, and so freakishly fast paced, it made the feel like the Movie's entire plot took place in a couple of hours. And it's also so mind numbingly stupid, it makes you forgive Transformers 2 & 3's stupid plot.

The Turtles are miniature Hulks, in every sense of the word. And I have no idea why they chose to do that. The Turtles were already superior than your run of the mill Foot Soldier, and taking on a dozen of them at a time, was a piece of cake for each individual Turtle. But in the cartoons and past Movies those encounters were fun to watch, because of the actual martial arts that was involved in dispatching them. The one thing I was looking forward to, were the 'The Raid' style fights they were talking about. What we got mostly, were Turtles tossing Foot Soldiers around like pieces of trash. And now they are even bullet proof? I don't mind their shells being able to bounce off the occasional bullet, but to be able to stand in the open, taking hails of bullets to the back and chest, and shrug them off like nothing is just so incredibly stupid. They simply chose to emphasize the wrong part of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They should have focused less on the Mutant part, and more on what makes them Ninjas.

I could continue to write paragraph after paragraph about what I disliked in this Movie, but I'm honestly already getting tired of complaining about it. So I'm just gonna end this, with saying I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all.

 

[Schmadkins]

I penned a preview and a review for the movie over on Nerds on Earth (a new nerd blog startup). Predictions in the preview held true unfortunately...The movie was subpar, and that apart from it being about my beloved turtles.

Preview: http://www.nerdsonearth.com/2014/07/teenager-mutant-ninja-turtles-movie-preview/

Review: http://www.nerdsonearth.com/2014/08/teenager-mutant-ninja-turtles-movie-review-cowa-bummer/

 

[gdw]

Spoiler

Splinter and the Turtles were experimented on in a lab with the ooze which was developed by Aprils dad and Eric Sacks. Young April considered them her "pets" as she hung out in the lab alot videotaping them. When he discovered that Sacks planned to use the ooze for evil, Aprils dad set the lab on fire. He was later shot and killed by Sacks. April rescused the Turtles and Splinter and led them towards the sewer where they grew up. Splinter learned Ninjitsu from a book.

Overall, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would...

Ok, that's not horrible, besides the shoehorning of connections between all the characters crap.

Now how is that supposed to be "alien" in origin?

 

[WoodyROM]

Didn't Sachs say that

Spoiler

the ooze was from another planet

Or did I hear him wrong?

 

[scifiwolf]

Ok, that's not horrible, besides the shoehorning of connections between all the characters crap.

Now how is that supposed to be "alien" in origin?

They mentioned "alien" when talking about the mutagen, or the virus, or something. It was so offhand, and never remotely developed as a thread for future plotlines. I suspect it fell victim to rewrites, reshoots, and a crap editing job.