Writer: Casey Chong

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Watch this if you liked: The original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” trilogy and “TMNT”

The Good, the Bad and The Leftover Pizza

After the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie trilogy squandered with the awfully out-of-place "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III" in 1993 and again, with the not-so-encouraging 2007 all-CGI feature of "TMNT", it's actually nice to see producer Michael Bay's and director Jonathan Liebesman's attempt to revamp the old franchise for the new generation. But what we have here instead, is a cliched-ridden reboot that tries too hard to be both gritty and funny at the same time. The story is mediocre and filled with lots of expository scenes that drags the pace, even though the movie only clocks in below two hours. Most of the so-called comedy bits are often misplaced and the jokes feel forceful. Megan Fox may have shown some enthusiasm here as the relentless TV reporter, April O'Neil, but it's hard not to get distracted with her all-too-obvious heavy makeup on her face. Will Arnett, who plays April's cameraman Vern, gets a few sarcastic quips here and there, while William Fichtner fails to leave a lasting impression as the wicked scientist Eric Sachs. The four Turtles - Leonardo (played by Pete Ploszek, but voiced by Johnny Knoxville), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), Raphael (Alan Ritchson) and Michelangelo (Noel Fisher) - are fairly adequate at best, while the motion-capture version of their revamped appearances does take some time to get used to. The biggest blame here is Liebesman's uninspired direction throughout the movie. It's like as if he goes on autopilot without bothering to understand what makes "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" such an iconic franchise in the first place. Fighting scenes are mostly a blur of CGI and fast camera movements, which is especially problematic if you choose to watch this in 3D. If anything, the movie only comes alive during the climactic finale.

Look Out For

The elaborately-choreographed action sequence set in the snowy mountainside (which is heavily promoted in the trailers) involving four sliding Turtles, an out-of-control truck, a few Foot Clan soldiers, some firepower and other vehicles as well.

Trivia

Prior to the eventual casting of Megan Fox, three actresses - Jane Levy ("Evil Dead"), Anna Kendrick ("Up In The Air") and Elizabeth Olsen ("Godzilla") - were tested for the role of April O'Neil.

Best Watched With

Fanboys from the original '80s cartoon series to the Nickelodeon's new CG-animated series are likely to show up anyway; regardless how good or bad this movie is.


Cinema Online, 06 August 2014