Ninja Turtles 2

Mindless, superhero, brain candy, zoom. Bad jokes, great effects, explosions go boom.

My neck muscles are tighter than piano wires and I've sweated enough this week to fill a swimming pool. At the end of a long week of mad work, sometimes you just want to sit down and switch off your brain.

So, thank you, turtles. I like it when you hit stuff.

Is this a dumb movie? The obvious answer is yes, of course it's dumb, it's more superhero schlock: kiddie-fare enjoyed by 30-somethings.

But I don't know. Any fight scene with martial arts is a bit like a magician's sleight of hand. It's too fast to follow completely, but if done well we can see sophistication in the movement, and a fight is a bit of a story in itself. There's the setup, escalation of conflict, then boom, resolution. The best parts of this movie are not of the turtles talking but when things go all smashy-smash-smash. Smash.

Smash.

Where the film drags is with its human characters, who have way too much screen time. Casey Jones is a 30-something who talks like a 12-year-old ("Someday, I'm going to be a detective!") and Shredder, regrettably, is mostly without his mask and doesn't throw a single pie. Megan Fox is wearing less makeup this time around, but in "acting," less is more. Baxter Stockman is likable, but doesn't turn into a giant fly.

But it's inoffensive, fun to look at, and a nice thing to shut your brain off to while recovering from a long week of sweaty haste.

How is that once the origin story is complete, the proceeding film is a mutating mess of leatherback sea turtle proportions? Character development is thrown out the window, with Bay thinking out loud "do you know what kids love to see? Explosions. Mind-numbing action. See, look at my 'Transformers' franchise. Everybody loves it!". I will say that this is neither better or worse than its predecessor. Take that as you will. After saving New York City, the turtles remain in the sewers taking no credit for their heroic deeds. Shredder escapes and meets an inter-dimensional warlord, resulting in the turtles having to save the day without anyone knowing...again. So, improvements. The action was much grander, with the inclusion of various set pieces, and is filmed decently by Green. The editing was proficient although occasionally succumbs to excessive quick cuts, especially during hand-to-hand combat with Bebop and Rocksteady (who are welcome additions). The cartoonish antics seemingly felt right, particularly from the turtles. Green settles on a mindless tone which makes for several humorous moments that younger audiences will appreciate. Fox wasn't the worst actor either (never said that before...). No, that title is awarded to Amell who was insufferably irritating. "I'm gonna be a detective!". Yeah ok, tell us all of your future plans and life stories within the first minute of screen time. Go ahead! Perry was channelling his inner pantomime. Linney's talents were wasted (why Laura, why!?). And Karai as a character was utterly non-existent. This all stems down to the screenplay, and it was hideous. No wit. No sincere dialogue. Just plain stupidity. There was a moment when the turtles discuss the feeling of acceptance and how they wish to be human. An investing perspective that attempts to endeavour into segregation, but that's quickly diminished by Michelangelo's excessive foolish behaviour. Many eye rolling moments were had. Krang was underdeveloped and Shredder lost all his menace. Story-wise an absolute mess, but much better technically.

It's weird to think that with something like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", you might lower your expectations. If something's really popular, shouldn't you make your expectations higher which is why everyone complains about "The Phantom Menace"? Anyway, this movie was just okay, but I will give it props for being an improvement over the original. This is a movie where they just want to put in all the popular characters for the fans. For the most part, it worked out. We got Baxter Stockman, Bebop and Rocksteady, Krang, and Casey Jones. Even though I haven't seen the newer TMNT shows, I still know who all those guys are.

The effects haven't improved much, which is what really weighed this down. A lot of this is stupid action, but the franchise itself was never meant to be that intelligent. Still, the bad seems to outweigh the good as I found the dialogue predictable and it was pretty annoying to hear that tired cliché of people being scared of something they don't understand. The original Ninja Turtles movies just seemed to capture the spirit more. I'll give this movie for once again, having all these characters. They're mostly in character even though Krang should have had more screen time. It's certainly more servicey than a lot of other TMNT media. Maybe I really should get into the newer shows. **1/2

TMNT 2 is silly and flamboyant enough to work as a live-action cartoon movie. It embraces its crazy plot (the story operates in a world where mutant turtles have been taught martial arts by a mutant rat, 'nuff said). However, the film suffers a lot of what we can call "convenient circumstances" — unaddressed plot holes are deliberately ignored by forgetting events and characters being conveniently placed at locations to advance the plot without explanation whatsoever. Also, it may be nitpicking but there's no attempt to explain how these turtles become experts in crafting CIA-level tech.

The level of humor in this film is clearly catered to a young audience. For adults, you may get a healthy dose of nostalgia if you were once that kid who were really into the cartoons, otherwise you'll find the script stale. The fun interactions between the brothers are still present but what gives them more depth here is when they start to experience teenage anxiety – issues of belonging and identity. I'm keeping it vague so as not to spoil anything, but yes, they actually have a subplot this time! Sadly, things aren't sustained as the film rushes through, ending it in favor of a big climactic action sequence.

Speaking of action sequences, the movie never strays away from the basic Michael Bay blockbuster formula (he's the producer, of course): over-the-top CGI-heavy destruction, one action set piece after another. If the first TMNT movie offers a fun-filled chase down a snowy mountain, the most adrenaline-pumping action sequence here starts with skydiving and ends with a waterfall jump. The film also takes the liberty in ripping-off previous blockbusters – a retrofitted garbage-slash-war truck (Mad Max), a via inter-dimensional sky portal alien invasion (The Avengers) and a police car chase/prisoner escape scene (The Dark Knight and Fast and Furious). And as if to acknowledge the debt, Raphael mutters to himself, "What would Vin Diesel do?"

Remarkably, there is an improvement in the CGI department, more specifically with the look of the ninja turtles – less gritty, more friendly-looking. The voice actors are not to be faulted in giving better distinction to their characters' personalities –the leader (Leo), the muscle (Raph), the brains (Donnie) and the wild one (Mikey). And just to make sure that viewers won't be confused again, they are re-introduced twice in the film (which is odd). Megan Fox, as the main human protagonist, however still fails in-I can't believe I'm about to say this- effectively engaging the audience. She fares better as an anti-hero or villain (Jennifer's Body). Her sex appeal is even pushed to a breaking point during an inexplicable costume change scene to a sexy school-girl outfit to keep the males awake. Will Arnett's character Vern, sidelined as an comic-relief is a good choice for he does little to advance the plot. Stephen Amell obviously got the role of Casey Jones due to his physical work in "Arrow" and the fact that they needed someone equally attractive as Fox. He does his best, especially in action scenes, but him joining forces with the turtles is rushed and poorly done. Shredder, recast with Brian Tee, returns as a human and not some sort of a transformer is still lackluster as a villain. Super-villain Krang who looks hideous and remotely realistic could've better served with a more fleshed-out backstory. Of all the villains, arguably the comical mutant duo, Bebop and Rocksteady, steal the show.

There is no doubt that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is better in nearly every way than its predecessor. It is turtle-focused and it re-wires the franchise to the right direction. I am not all "Cowabunga!" for this sequel (the plot still rots my brains), but if you're looking for two hours of frothy entertainment and 'Bay'-esque action sequences are your guilty pleasure, bring some pizzas because you're in to a one (s)hell of a ride.

Full review: http://goo.gl/xoNRno

2014's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles gave us a new look and feel for the beloved franchise, and it disappointed greatly. Now two years later, a second chance to win over the hearts of die hard Turtle fans has arrived in the form of Out of the Shadows, a sequel while better than the first, still falls short of becoming a special TMNT film.

While the Turtles were far and away the highlight of the first film, their grittier design and lack of proper development was no doubt a downside. Now, I must admit, where in the first film I honestly could not stand the look and feel of the Turtles, I have begun to come around to, not necessarily enjoying, but tolerating their massive Hulk-like looks, and this is because Leo, Raph, Donny and Mikey are all super fun to watch, with more chemistry developed throughout the cast members and a much more classic Ninja Turtle vibe to the Turtles in this film. Eating pizza, cracking jokes, awesome ninja action and just generally acting like teenagers are all major points in the development of these characters, and with Out of the Shadows, there is some more of that old school TMNT feel between the four brothers. Even if there is an alarming lack of literal action scenes involving our favorite mutants, the Turtles are once again the best part of the movie, as they should be.

There are more positives to be excited about, including the additions of villains Bebop and Rocksteady and occasionally, the Turtle's sidekick Casey Jones. Bebop and Rocksteady are fun villains, humorous, energetic and bring more setting-appropriate antagonists into the fold. I had mixed feelings throughout the film about Stephen Amell's portrayal of Casey Jones. He was funny, bad ass, and even if it was brief, sported his iconic hockey mask and stick, much to my delight. However, Amell occasionally is too bland and lacks that cocky personality you'd expect from the character, and never develops a meaningful connection to the Turtles, something that the classic 1990 film was able to do extremely well in comparison.

The movie's plot is much goofier than the first film, which holds many positives, but also brings unwanted ridiculousness. TMNT is supposed to be silly and wacky, a point I complained about in the first movie, and to that aspect, Out of the Shadows does succeed. Anyone expecting an Oscar winning story from TMNT would be kidding themselves, and the more lighthearted story is welcomed to this franchise which often suffers from being far too serious. On the other hand, the dimension- crossing, world ending concept that the film presents is just too much to handle in a movie about turtles that are ninjas, it just doesn't seem to fit. For once in the duration of this franchise, I would love to watch the Turtles fight some crime on the streets, a simpler tale that doesn't have to include the end of days.

What I will never be able to wrap my head around is what goes through the mind of Michael Bay whether he's in the director's chair or producing, but his presence is once again felt greatly in this film, and that is easily its greatest downfall. The pace of the film feels like it's on speed, giving no time to care about or really dive into what's happening on screen, and the major use of Bay's trademark slow motion and explosions don't fit whatsoever in this film. Heck, the logo at the end even assembles exactly like the logo for Bay's Transformers franchise. Director Dave Green is able to make small changes to improve the quirky tone of the film, but Bay is felt right from the start and it doesn't do the film any good.

The cast is decent for the most part, led by Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, and Alan Ritchson as Mikey, Donny, Leo and Raph respectfully, with Fisher stealing pretty much every scene he's in as Mikey. Bepop and Rocksteady are in good hands with Gary Anthony Williams and Stephen Farrelly and even the overlord Krang is done quite well by 3-time Emmy winner Brad Garrett. Tyler Perry is surprisingly great as mad scientist Baxter Stockman, charming to watch in his science quests and his hilarious evil laugh.

On the other side of the coin, we have some poorly cast actors and poorly written characters. Megan Fox, thankfully, is in less of the film this time around, but when she is, she's the worst April O'Niel we could have possibly gotten. Her character is horribly developed, and her portrayal is even worse. Will Arnett isn't much better as Vern, he's largely unfunny and put in action scenes with Fox that should've been used on the Turtles and Casey Jones. It's terribly unfortunate that TMNT mainstays like the big bad Shredder and the Turtle's master Splinter are extremely underused as well.

To say that Out of the Shadows was a total flop wouldn't be fair. Even if by a small margin, Out of the Shadows is an improvement over the first film. There are still some major fixes I wish could be made to help improve this franchise which got off to a very rocky start two years ago and is crawling its way to improvement. I can only hope that the inevitable third installment propels the series upwards into a love I and so many others have for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles name.

6.5/10