Review:
"Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles:
Out of the Shadows"
Release Date: June 3, 2016
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 112 minutes Michael Bay isn’t the director of the rebooted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film franchise but his presence as a producer can be felt. He’s applied the traits of his Transformers franchise—headache-inducing action sequences, explosions, top-notch special effects, more explosions, broad laughs, PG-13 language, even more explosions, hammy performances by respected actors, Megan Fox dressed in a schoolgirl uniform—to a family-friendly property that extends across several generations of fans. What separates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from Transformers is the sense of camaraderie has carried over from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s source material. Bay’s Transformers are a slog to get through, mostly because Bay is only really interested in inflicting mass destruction on the world. Characters be damned! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are about the turtles. In the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sequel, Out of the Shadows, our heroes must save the world from invading alien tormentor Krang. But Out of the Shadows is more concerned about the dynamic that exists between close but occasionally bickering brothers Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello. Their relationship comes under strain when they discover an alien substance, known as the Purple Ooze, has the potential to make them human. Do they use it so they can join the rest of humanity? Or remain true to themselves? So at the heart of Out of the Shadows is a moral dilemma that director Dave Green and screenwriters Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec allow to unfold in a simple, enjoyable and effective manner. The powers that be behind the DC Extended Universe should pay attention to the way Out of the Shadows, a film made for mass consumption by all ages, handles the issue of identity and acceptance. The turtles are also fun to watch and to be around, which helps neutralize the Transformers-ish bombastic tone of Out of the Shadows. Plus, Gary Anthony Williams’s Bebop and WWE wrestler Stephen Farrelly’s Rocksteady are welcome additions to the franchise. The two possess an amusing rapport and bring much energy to Out of the Shadows as henchman transformed into warthog and rhino human hybrids, respectively, by the turtles’ main adversary, The Shredder (the returning Brian Tee). Green Arrow’s Stephen Amell also makes his mark as Casey Jones, hockey-masked vigilante and potential love interest for Megan Fox’s April O’Neil. Out of the Shadows fails to make good use of Krang, a silly looking brain-like alien that’s stuck in mechanical suit. His motivation for attacking Earth remains unclear, but that doesn’t really matter in the schemes of things. As voiced by Everybody Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett, Krang is about as ruthless and a menacing as a non-mutant baby turtle. Out of the Shadows teases Krang’s return in the next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If there is anotherTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sequel, please let Krang return a thousand times more powerful, as he promises at the end of Out of the Shadows. If not, the turtles will once again dispatch Krang with less effort than it takes to gobble down a slice of pizza. Robert Sims Aired: June 2, 2016 Web site: http://www.teenagemutantninjaturtlesmovie.com |
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