Ninja Turtles 2

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

So I just saw the second instalment of TMNT and thought I'd give you a bit of how I felt after the movie. It was very much a Michael Bay movie. And before anyone jumps at me to say David Green directed it not Bay, I know, but he's an executive producer on it and it has Bay written all over it. He's known to recycle his movie styles/ effects and I swear it has the exact same score as in the Transformers!? Anyway, I thought it was a fun movie, much like the first one. Me and my friend both left the cinema saying pretty much the same thing. A fun movie, but a pretty forgettable fun movie. I don't know what Bay's interest in Megan Fox is, but for some reason he keeps using her and she is pretty bad in this, though more tolerable than in the first movie. Imo nothing more than eye candy for the viewers, which is visible from one of the very first scenes of her in a school girl outfit. The story line was very Avengers like, we've seen it a million times already, so like I said before, fun to watch, but almost instantly forgettable. Bebop and Rocksteady looked cool, though I would've maybe liked a bigger fight between them and the Turtles. Krang looked awesome and even sounded cool, it's typical Krang really, so was happy with that. Stephen Amell as Casey Jones I guess did the best he could with what he was given, though I couldn't help thinking he was going to pull out his bow and arrow every time he was on. At one point he says "my only goal is to" and I almost blurt out 'to save this city'!! OK, so now to what I enjoyed the most about the movie, the Turtles themselves. I enjoyed all of their portrayals. They all did a very good job in bringing out their personalities in this movie. From Michelangelo's humour to Raphael's bad- assery to Donatello's smarts and Leonardo's command. They were very identifiable characters and I like seeing their chemistry on screen. Overall I give the movie a 6.5 for keeping me entertained, yet I think it's one for the kids more so than the adults.

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.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles began as comic book characters in 1984, later spinning off to have its own cartoon series, toys, video games, and of course, films. There was a cartoonish film trilogy in the 1990s. Recently, Michael Bay produced a franchise-reboot as a live action-computer-generated motion capture film. I did not particularly like this very dark 2014 film, rating it only a 5/10. When trailers came out for this sequel though, I already saw that it looked like it was going to be a way better movie than the first one.

The turtle heroes, along with old pals April O'Neil and Vern Fenwick, and new friend Casey Jones, spring back into action as Shredder was busted from incarceration. The arch-villain had inter- galactically nefarious plans as he conspired with mad scientist Dr. Baxter Stockman to bring into Earth an evil Dimension X being called Krang and his Technodrome in his wild dream of world domination.

The way the turtles looked in this new film was way better executed. In the first one, they all looked too big, ugly and unwieldy. Their appearance now is more accessible, more in tune with their personalities. Even if the storyline will have their team tested, this was a truly excellent ensemble work among the four actors behind them, imbuing each one with individual charm. They are: Pete Ploszek (as conflicted leader Leonardo), Alan Ritchson (as muscle- bound rebel Raphael), Jeremy Howard (as brainy scientist Donatello) and Noel Fisher (as childlike spirit Michelangelo).

Also similarly excellent were the CG artwork, performance and the on screen chemistry between the two comical evil side characters, warthog Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and the rhino Rocksteady (Stephen Farrelly). They definitely stole their scenes from right under the main bad guy Shredder (Brian Tee), who felt rather lackluster among the other colorful characters of the film. The pinkish brain-like maniacal alien super-villain Krang was portrayed with gruesome glee by Brad Garrett.

The unconvincing and hammy acting of Megan Fox (as April) and Will Arnett (as Vern) were fortunately buoyed up the excellence of the CGI and story around them. Tyler Perry was an over-the-top nerd as Dr. Stockman, uncomfortably funny. Veteran acting nominee Laura Linney was uncharacteristically stiff as police chief Rebecca Vincent. The best live performer of the film was TV's "Arrow" Stephen Amell as Casey Jones. His graceful physicality (with a hockey stick and skates) and smart-alecky sense of humor made him stand out.

The look of this new film is so much better than the first one, literally "out of the shadows" where the first one wallowed. There were brighter colors, a lighter mood, a more fun throwback general feel about it. The previous one was too dark and intense, and took itself too seriously, to its own detriment. With this one, we had our beloved Turtles back to the unpretentious way we knew them in our youth. Serious critics may be hard on this one, but I really enjoyed 112 minutes with it, right up to the classic TV cartoon theme song over the closing credits.

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.