TMNT (2007)

The Turtles triumphant return to the big screen. This time round its computer generated, which adds substantially to the emotional range of the characters. The art directors hedged their bets by stylizing the human designs rather than the risky attempt to do any ultra-realistic representation. But, the turtles are animated to gorgeous mutant perfection, as you'd expect. This allows for the terrific dynamic between the brothers, especially the expressiveness necessary to convey some of the more charged moments between Leonardo, just returned from South American soul-searching and brother Raphael chafing at the need to follow any orders. The siblings deal with these issues in a way that none of the other incarnations of character have taken on, the series has grown up with it's audience, those of us who were fans of the original books, movies and TV shows. It will still appeal to its new generation of Turtle fans, but it is surely the most clever and best written of any non-comic version. While the film still combines elements of the currently running comic book series with the original film series and the currently running Saturday morning fare. Don't worry, it combines the best elements...really. Throw-backs include some sewer skatin', Splinter joinin' the fray and a "I love bein' a turtle" closer. Not to mention a timely soundtrack, like a particularly effective use of a cover of "Black Betty" during Raphael's scuffle with the Jersey Devil appropriately enough in Kevin Smith's kitchen.

The voice talent is particularly notable in TMNT: Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar is an excellent April, Patrick Stewart is a perfect mult-millenium-aged warrior-king, the venerable Mako (Aku of SAMURAI JACK & that wizard in CONAN) is a natural for Master Splinter, cameos from Kevin Smith a.k.a Silent Bob (as a cook), Laurence Fishburne of the Matrix narrates, also, Ziyi Zhang, Chris Evans (as Casey Jones) and others.

The story is pretty good, if maybe complex: The Turtles have gone their separate ways, Leo off to become a better leader, Raphael embarks on a solo vigilante career in the absence of a team, Mikey does kid's parties as a Turtle-headed Cowabunga Carl, while Donny, of course, is a phone-bound tech-support. No back-story or origin of the turtles is needed nor is it supplied, we are thrown right in with a Lord of the Rings style set-up of a warrior who opens a gateway to immortality, but in doing so, releases 13 monsters upon the world and when our story begins in the present, 3000 years later, the time has come to make things right, with the help of the recently reunited Turtles, the FOOT Clan (lead by Korai, the Shredder's adopted daughter and sole heir, although this isn't referenced in the film) and some living stone warriors from the old days. The team ultimately work out their interpersonal issues and team-up for the epic climax including Casey & April.

Great, gorgeous and clever " I do hope there's more of them..."

Leonardo is in South America learning to be a better leader. Raphael and the others are still in Manhattan, but he is distant from Donatello and Michelangelo. He is spending his nights as the Nightwatcher, a superhero who is protecting the city. Soon, strange things start happening, and April O'Neil, friend of the turtles, tries to get them back together to fight this new menace.

Using the live action movies from the 90's as a vague history, this CGI film jumps right into the story and doesn't let up until the end. This is my first turtles movie, but I have to think that CGI treats them better than the live action movies did. There are no limits to the fight scenes and camera angles as they bound across the city. "TMNT" was surprisingly good and entertaining. Kids and action fans will not be disappointed.

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The Turtles have been around in one incarnation or another for more than a generation now. They started out as a black-and-white comic by Eastman and Laird, who have gone on to other things but have never grown beyond this one HUGE splash they made in comics and kids cartoons.

The original Turtles weren't for kids. The action in the comics was gritty and bloody. They originally didn't sell well. In their first incarnation, they were like a parody of the white-hot X-Men at the time.

Then someone out in television production land looked at the idea and thought the Turtles would be an excellent addition to the kids market that the X-Men cartoons had opened up. And we soon had Turtles everywhere. Cartoons, comics, movies, and action figures soon blossomed everywhere.

Now we have TMNT, which is most likely the relaunch of the movie franchise. Thankfully we're not treated to a rehash of Turtle history and the origin story. Unless you've been living in some far-off shell, you know the story of the four turtles and the rat that were exposed to radioactive slime and became Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, Raphael, and Master Splinter. April O'Neil and Casey Jones are also up to bat in this one (sorry, I couldn't resist).

The plot centers around a billionaire CEO named Max Winters who's been alive for 3000 years thanks to a spell that introduced 13 monsters into the world. The planets only line up in a certain way every 3000 years to provide the energy to open a doorway to another world (you'd think they'd find a better power source!). Winters also had four generals who served him that were turned to stone. They've recently returned to life and are now looking for the 13 monsters to power up the sorcerous spell again. Mix in the Foot Clan who are working for Winters and you've got a return to greatness.

The characterizations for the Turtles, Splinter, April O'Neil (voiced by Sarah Michelle Geller), and Casey Jones are spot-on. April comes across a little to Tomb Raiderish for me, but it works overall.

However, Leonardo has been gone from the group for the last year and doesn't really want to return. When he does, it's just in time and there's a world to save and a family to reclaim.

TMNT is beautifully rendered in computer generated artwork. Although it does admittedly look like a cartoon and you're never really pulled into the this-is-real mindset even the three live-action movies of the 1980s achieved to a somewhat limited dgeree, the world is big and vibrant. The musical score compliments the action and the moods really well. The fight between Raphael and one of the demons to the rollicking licks of "Black Betty" have to be seen to be believed.

My nine-year-old was in heaven. There were plenty of funny bits, actions as well as one-liners, that kept him in stitches. Even though some of the movie is predicatable for the adult mind, I still had a blast and found myself chuckling along with my kid. Even my 17-year-old son and 21-year-old daughter, who I thought would never want to see this movie, had a great time when they decided to join us.

The martial arts moves, the mad dashes across the rooftops, and the larger-than-life creatures in combat on the screen looked terrific. You're not going to get this kind of experience in live-action, and the cartoons simply don't have this kind of budget for CGI.

The movie treks along familiar themes and doesn't really go anywhere new, but it is a fantastic treatment of material that has become part of a generation's heritage. Hopefully there will be more new movies. We'll be looking forward to them.

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This is the turtles for the new generation. They have taken away most of the wry humor of the comics and the 3 live action movies and made things a bit darker. They also don't call them teenagers or mutants either. They are simple ninja turles. The story is fairly simple with the tutles being in disarray and longtime villain Shredder dead. The new bad guy is an immortal trying to gather together 13 monsters. The animation is very good and if you like karate action, then this is for you. Some of the storyline is a tiny bit intense for the really young ones, but there is no blood, swearing, and a kiss at the end is the only thing sexual. It is worth a watch.

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Over a decade since their last outing, everyone's favorite sewer-dwelling, pizza-eating mutant reptiles are back and in top shape this time as sleek, computer generated personas. TMNT's skateboarding reptiles named after art masters, talking master rat, and Michaelangelo's incessant bad jokes will drive home the nostalgia for any fan of the crime-fighting foursome. The nonstop action, wildly inventive character designs, and impressive computer animation will undoubtedly entertain everyone else.

Taking place after the events of the original films, the brotherhood of ninja turtles is thrown into disarray when Leonardo departs for South America to hone his leadership skills at the behest of their sensei, Splinter. Michaelangelo and Donatello attempt to acquire slightly more "normal" jobs during Leo's absence, while Raphael, pining for the days of fighting crime, turns to the vigilante justice of his armored alter ego, the Nightwatcher. Upon Leo's return he is met with animosity by Raphael, and Splinter orders the group not to resume their crime fighting duties until they can once again work as a team. But when the mysterious industrialist, Max Winters (voiced by the instantly discernable Patrick Stewart) hires Karai and her Foot Clan to aid in the acquisition of 12 extremely dangerous ancient beasts, Leonardo is captured by the stone generals of a 3,000 year old army attempting to open a portal to another dimension in order to unleash a demon force capable of destroying the earth (did you honestly expect a more conventional plot from a story concerning talking mutant turtles trained in the ways of a ninja?). Now the remaining turtles, along with the help of their friends Casey Jones and April O'Neil, must band together to defeat the dark forces that threaten civilization.

It's quite an undertaking to revitalize the cult phenomenon of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, especially after a 14-year film hiatus, but the artists at Imagi Studios have done the adventurous reptiles justice. Highly detailed textures adorn the four heroes' streamlined models and the added attention to their shells and weaponry elevates the overall result. Outlandish antagonist designs stand out against the rather expected look of the human characters, especially several of the twelve ancient monsters and the four stone generals, whose appearances range from inspired to near-genius. Add to that the ridiculously detailed backgrounds and locations that inhabit the turtles' New York cityscape and you've got an animated visual feast rarely equaled. Perhaps the only disappointing character design was that of the curious Max Winters, who looked suspiciously like a rejected cast member from The Incredibles.

An impressively diverse voice cast lends their talent in creating the turtles' world with Mitchell Whitfield, James Arnold Taylor, Mikey Kelley, and Nolan North as the teenage heroes while Sarah Michelle Gellar and Chris Evans portray April and Casey. Patrick Stewart is antagonist Max Winters, while everyone from Laurence Fishburne to Zhang Ziyi to Kevin Smith supplies their voices to secondary roles. The late Mako provides Master Splinter with a slightly raspier tone than any of his previous incarnations, which may be harder to accept for die-hard fans, but still adequately fits the wise sensei figure.

While it may appear as if the action never lets up (and it seldom does) an underlying theme of honor, respect, and camaraderie does exist. But enough about that. The action is where TMNT shines and it's properly attended to as the majority of fans would expect from the ninja turtle universe. Top-notch animation brings the ninjas to life in a way live-action never could, with exaggeratedly agile martial arts moves and over-the-top combat. Fantastic fight sequences abound with colossal battles interspersing intense duels, and the radical camera movements and extreme angles highlight every slice of a sword and swing of a sai. A driving rock soundtrack hurries the action along and tight pacing helps keep the truly bizarre bits of the story from drifting too far astray. Incredible particle effects also enhance each fight sequence, most notably in an extraordinary rooftop duel in the rain where one can't help but think "Cowabunga, dude."

Though only a handful of gags will likely induce full-out laughing in adults, the immature quips that dot the screenplay keep the proceedings consistently lighthearted and guarantee fun for audiences of any age. With more than its fair share of spectacular action and adventure, combined with gorgeous visuals and the deft attention to the fundamentals of mutant ninja turtle doctrine, TMNT superbly carries on the legacy of the heroic crime-fighting brotherhood with style and wit to spare.

Joel Massie

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