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There is not a single frame in director Jonathan Liebesman’s reboot that looks to take the Turtles to a more artistic plain nor make them any smarter than they have ever been.
#Teenage mutant ninja turtles 2014 megan fox movie#
Instead of picking the movie apart, can we all just admit that this has always been a stupid property, haunted for far too long by fans overwhelmed with their own nostalgia glasses? TMNT (as it is known by most fans) is an absolutely ridiculous concept that has outlived far cooler properties for no other reason than it generally stuck to what worked: Dumb fun. I would never put her in the ‘good’ category, so let’s just say she is good…for her. If you are still there, wondering: What about the infamous Megan Fox?! She does fine. The voice work was mostly spot on: the leader, Leonardo ( Johnny Knoxville, surprisingly the weakest of the four) the tech-guy, Donatello (the perfunctory Jeremy Howard) tough loner, Raphael ( Alan Ritchson) and the always ready for parties and pizza, Michelangelo (comedic standout Noel Fisher). While Splinter’s CGI was atrocious, the Turtles were rendered with each of their distinct personalities in mind, and it is a testament to that crew as we were easily able to differentiate the characters even without their trademark masks. There is much to pick apart here, but how about what the movie gets right? The actions scenes are vastly entertaining, specifically an enthralling mountain-slide scene that had the kids in our audience in full-on clap mode. Don’t forget the fact that we are watching a movie where turtles and rats have philosophical conversations, eat pizza, and say things like ‘Cowabunga’ with zeal.
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The pretty damn terrible CGI representation of Splinter may actually cause you to check under your seat for an infestation. The absolute nonsense that is the ‘master plan’ of the Foot Clan. There is also a lot to pick apart if you want to: The fact that there may be mountains in New York, but they are not a quick jaunt from Times Square. This is based solely on the cartoon versions of the Turtles, as well as the earlier films in the 90’s (remember the ones with the guys in those horrendous monster suits?). Ok skeptics, let’s get this out of the way: This film is not the beloved original, gritty comic version brought to life. With April’s creepy stalker cameraman ( Will Arnett, a poor man’s Michael Keaton) in tow, the second half of the film is one set-piece after another until the inevitable confrontation on Sack’s New York skyscraper rooftop.
When investigative reporter April O’Neil ( Megan Fox) stumbles across the fearless foursome, she agrees to help them take down crooked business owner Eric Sacks ( William Fichtner, the actor who elevates anything he’s in, even talking turtle flicks), as well as the most heinous of criminals: the disfigured samurai leader of the Foot Clan, Shredder. The sewers are much more informative than I remember. They have also learned skills such as detailed conversation, sarcasm and even IT. The Turtles have learned the art of ninjitsu from their giant-talking-rat/pseudo-dad, Splinter (oddly voiced by Monk’s Tony Shalhoub). This time around, the heroes in a half shell reside in an underground sewer bunker while secretly combatting thugs through Batman-like escapades around New York City, attempting to thwart the nefarious Foot Clan’s plan to destroy the city. It has been 30 years now and those yapping turtles are still proving me wrong. More ridiculous than the Smurfs, more chatty than Scooby Doo, and frankly the most ludicrous cartoon heroes ever to be led by a talking rat. If you would have asked me when I was a kid, ‘What is the one property that will never outlive your childhood?’ – I would have screamed ‘COWABUNGA!’ and pointed squarely to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.