TMNT Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)March 20th, 2007
TMNT
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2007 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2
TMNT, written and directed by Kevin Munroe, whose only other credit is as the writer and director of the Freaky Flyers video game, has some great looking computer generated animation. The script, however, also feels like it was computer generated. This very mechanical presentation lacks the wonderfully cheesy charm of the three live action TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES movies from early 1990s.
The confusing story has our old turtle friends back: Mitchell Whitfield, James Arnold Taylor, Mikey Kelley and Nolan North voice Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael, respectively. They are fighting the forces of evil, although others are fighting them too. I had some trouble keeping the various factions straight, but the lame narrative never gave me much motivation to figure it out. Part of the plot includes stone warriors from 3,000 years ago and a portal through time.
The movie's art decoration is heavy on the dark metal colors, and the music is suitably dramatic and also quite bombastic. The movie looks, in fact, like a hot new videogame, which is perhaps one reason that the characters never come alive. I find the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES movies quite funny, but TMNT was pretty leaden, so I found it completely laughless, a feeling that my audience shared most of the time.
Eventually, the video game -- oops, I mean the movie -- was over. Instantly forgettable, it is a film for which we can hope only one thing, that it won't spawn sequels.
TMNT runs a long 1:25. It is rated PG for "animated action violence, some scary cartoon images and mild language" and would be acceptable for all ages.
My son Jeffrey, age 17, and a big fan of the series since he was younger, gave it ***. He especially liked the visual effects and the fighting sequences. He liked the inner turmoil among the turtles but felt that it went too far at times.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, March 23, 2007. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com
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