TMNT Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)March 25th, 2007
"TMNT" -- Heroes on a Half-Shell, Turtle Power!
by Homer Yen
(c) 2007
Before we get into the review, let's break down
what all the letters in the title mean. The "T"
stands for Teenage. That is, the heroes have the
attention span and the annoyance factor of a
teenager. They talk as if they're buzzed from
drinking 3 cans of Vault soda.
"M" stands for Mutant. They aren't humans; and
they aren't amphibians. And I'm not sure why
they have the resilience of Wolverine. It's
never explained in this film.
The "N" stands for Ninja. Each of the four is
versed in a particular weapon, be it the kitana
or the staff or the nunchaku or the sai. There is
even a sensei (voiced with regal tonality by the
late Mako) who guides them through their
impetuous times in their pursuit of wisdom.
And the second "T" stands for Turtles. I don't
know why they are turtles. Maybe the shell
provides some extra protection during their
battles. I guess it sounds better than Teenage
Mutant Ninja Ostriches, eh?
Are you still with me? If none of that makes
sense, then this movie isn't for you, dude.
Either you grew up with this in the 80s or
didn't. But, if you know that Leonardo wears the
blue mask, the sensei is an overgrown rat, and
that this foursome loves a good fight as well as
a good pizza, then TMNT is a welcome addition to
the Turtle's franchise.
It's got a fresh take. It's got nastier
villains. And, it looks artistically superior as
a product of CGI versus the live-action films of
the 90's. The city that is their playground
looks more sinister and edgier. I can see a
little cross-marketing opportunity here with the
people that make Grand Theft Auto. The idea to
use CGI is a good one. Actors donning turtle
outfits would have robbed them of the action
that's here in this film. Cowabunga!
The foursome includes Leonardo, Donatello,
Michaelangelo, and Rafael. Character development
isn't really a priority here. Other than Leonard
trying to mature as a leader and Rafael throwing
tantrums at every opportunity, we have an easier
time telling them apart thanks to the weapons
they use and the colors of their masks. Their
master, Splinter, a giant rodent, teaches his
pupils about unity. In the battle of strange
looking masters with walking canes, I give the
edge to Yoda who has the benefit of a lightsabre.
Still, Splinter can hold his own in a battle.
The plot is a little convoluted. It involves
recurring portals, an ancient warrior looking for
penance, monsters running amuck in NYC, and
immortal bad guys made out of stone. Underneath
it all, though, it is a story about brotherhood
and teamwork. One such lesson: A leader doesn't
have the luxury to make excuses.
One area that I found distracting was that there
were too many extraneous warriors. With so much
to keep track of, we can at best focus on about
50% of what's happening on screen. With so many
people, I was almost expecting GI JOE and Cobra
forces to make a cameo.
TMNT will keep the attention of the under-10 set,
but older viewers will struggle a little to stay
with it. Nonetheless, the animation is
beautiful, the film is efficient, and many will
enjoy the soothing guest voices, including
Patrick Stewart and Zhang ZiYi. All of this
makes this as satisfying an experience as warm
pepperoni pizza.
Grade: C+
S: 0 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 1 out of 3
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