"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2014]" - Review (By Travis S.)

What You're In For:

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back on the big screen, in their first live action film in over 20 years. After a series of crimes attempted by the "Foot Clan" are prevented by an unknown vigilante, reporter April O'Neil follows her intuition, and tracks the assailant. She soon stumble upon a evil kingpin who plans to take over New York, and a group of teenage mutant ninja turtles who are up to the challenge to take him down.


Who's Involved:

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2014]" is a production of Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, and Platinum Dunes, Written by Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, and Evan Daugherty, Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, and Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Noel Fisher, Pete Ploszek, Johnny Knoxville, Jeremy Howad, Tony Shalhoub, and Whoopi Goldberg.

Travis’s Take:

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2014]” isn’t quite the disaster many were expecting, but it certainly doesn’t revive the franchise with much charisma either. We’re treated here to your typical big-budget summer film, filled with large CGI characters, and littered with uneasy comic relief. We even get a special cameo by Whoopi Goldberg, oh joy. Narrative-wise, the movie brings nothing new to the table, drowning beneath the weight of its flashy visuals and loud action scenes. The villains are underdeveloped, the story is bland, and our central human protagonists have no chemistry with their animated reptilian counterparts. With all the negatives mentioned above, there are a few redeeming factors that drive the film. I’m happy to report that personalities of the turtles are relatively intact, and even down right nostalgically so, bringing a little charm to the production. Speaking of the Turtles themselves, the character designs have received quite a bit of ridicule throughout the production, but there’s no denying that the visual execution of them is practically flawless, creating very realistic creatures to draw our focus on. Another saving grace is the climactic action piece of the film, which is quite ludicrous, but surprisingly well structured and even pretty darn fun at times; making up for some of the sour feelings left by terrible exposition and cheesy dialogue throughout the bulk of the movie. It’s hard to call the film a total let-down, as fan expectations weren’t exactly through the roof for the reboot; but there is a general sadness in knowing that this half-attempt is mascaraing around as a fun and enjoyable entry in the series. When you get right down to it, this movie is fashioned for a new generation, which forces the studio to presume we’re all brain-dead audience members who enjoy a butchered re-hash of our favorite heroes in a half-shell.

Filmmaking Report Card:

Directing Score: 5/10

Editing Score: 5/10

Cinematography: 5.5/10

Acting: 5/10

Screenplay: 3.5/10

Over-All Experience: 5/10




The Final Say:

"TMNT [2014]" isn't quite the mess most fans of the franchise were expecting. It's great to see the heroes in the half shell back on the big screen, but sadly they are handled with little care or creativity. This is a harmless summer blockbuster, but a disappointment nonetheless.

Final Score: 5/10