The lovableTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back saving the world again.
The teen turtles face evil once more when Shredder escapes from custody with the help of mad scientist, Baxter Stockman, who has plans to take over the world. Unbeknownst to him, Krang from Dimension X also emerges with a much more deviant plan. Joining Shredder are the simpleminded jail escapees, Bebop and Rocksteady. Casey Jones, feeling responsible for the escapes of Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady, hatches a plan to catch them which inevitably leads him to meet April O’Neil and the turtles.
The creators seemed to have listened to purist fans after the 2014 movie because this installment looks and plays out somewhat more faithful to the 80s cartoon. Even the turtles get a bit of a physical makeover, in particular Leonardo, who is also voiced by the motion actor (Peter Ploszek) this time around.
There are plenty of laughs and action scenes courtesy of the turtles, however, they don’t get to shine like they deserve to. Instead, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (Stephen Farrelly) seem to get centre stage, which is great for their fans but when the movie is called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you’d expect the wonderful turtles to be in the spotlight a lot more. As a result, the story is lacking in some excitment.
Unlike the brilliantly choreographed snow chase scene in the first film, outstanding scenes that blow your mind are lacking this time around. That’s not to say there are no fun action shots but they come across quite diluted in comparison. I have to assume this was done by the creators to be more family friendly. Additionally, the re-worked original theme song plays during the closing credits but that’s the only attention grabbing thrilling music included throughout its 152 minutes running time.
The CGI is impressive and works well with the 80s and 90s feel the director has gone for in this movie. I can’t fault the look of the turtles or their world, including Bebop and Rocksteady. Shredder (this time being played by Brian Tee) has lost his “Transformers meets Samurai” armour, relying purely on the skills and talent of the actor portraying the character.
While the quality of the CGI is exceptional, a scene involving Krang towards the end is dark and messy looking. Most viewers would find flying metals overtaking the entire screen to be overwhelmingly unpleasent to look at. In all fairness, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is not the only movie that has made this mistake lately.
Joining the lovely Megan Fox and hilarious Will Arnett are Tyler Perry as Baxter Stockman, Stephen Amell as Casey Jones, and Laura Linney as Chief Vincent, all of whom are welcome addition and fantastic pick for their roles.
While the cartoon is suitable for kids, I fail to understand why this movie is being made out to be a kid film by many – it’s not. There are scenes which are scary and violent for young kids, not to mention, most would not be able to comprehend the full story line. It’s very clear that main target audiences are young teen TMNT fans and those of us oldies who have loved the turtles since the 80s.
Whether you choose to watch this in 2D or 3D, I strongly recommend picking a good quality cinema.
With all of its faults, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a fun popcorn movie that is perfect viewing for those who want to switch off and have some silly fun.
I rate it 6 out of 10 stars.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is in cinemas now.
