Paramount Pictures
When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were brought back to the big screen in 2014, I rather enjoyed the new take on the “Heroes in a Half-Shell.” It was silly, but action-packed and generally a fun spectacle. And now the Turtles are back, but is the second go-round as much fun?
Paramount Pictures
The story focuses on villain Shredder (Brian Tee) being busted out of prison by Dr. Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry), who has some type of alien device that can create a portal to bring anyone to a specific place. After a crazy pursuit down a highway, Shredder is eventually transported, but to another dimension where he encounters Krang (voice of Brad Garrett), a slimy, tentacled brain housed inside a massive robot. Krang tells Shredder there are two more pieces to the device than when assembled can bring him to earth, and they can both destroy humankind and rule the planet. Shredder agrees, but needs a way to deal with the Turtles. Krang offers him a vial of Ooze which will do the trick.
Paramount Pictures
Back on earth, Shredder and Stockman test the Ooze (and the movie should have been called “The Secret of the Ooze” – again – at this point since it’s such an important part of the plot) on two other escaped convicts, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (Sheamus), and it promptly turns them into a warthog and a rhino, respectively, due to some silly plot contrivance that determines humans have a specific animal DNA that the Ooze activates. They are sent to retrieve the last two pieces of Krang’s device, the Turtles must intervene to save the planet with the help, of course, of April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett) and newcomers Casey Jones (Stephen Amell) and Chief Vincent (Laura Linney).
Paramount Pictures
Unfortunately, convoluted plots and the introduction of way too many new characters makes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows less fun to sit through than its predecessor. The film also seems to have been dumbed down for younger audiences after some of the intensity of the first one. I really felt bad for Laura Linney because of some of the dialog she had to speak. It was like she was addressing third graders. The introduction of Casey Jones into the story also seemed to be shoe-horned in to a plot that didn’t really need him. On the other hand, Tyler Perry actually looks like he’s having fun, and his mad scientist giggle made me chuckle a few times.
Actually, the most complex characters in the movie are the turtle brothers, this time dealing not only with a threat to the planet, but their own personalities that question whether they can continue to work together as a team. It was these real character-building moments that made the film more interesting to me, and the performances of Alan Ritchson (Raphael), Pete Ploszek (Leonardo), Jeremy Howard (Donatello) and Noel Fisher (Michelangelo) really add a lot of weight to the situation.
Aside from the Turtle actors’ performances, the best thing about the movie is the 3D. I don’t know if the film was shot natively in 3D, but if it was a conversion, director Dave Green obviously had carefully planned every shot for the process, giving some nice depth to the wide shots and allowing faces and objects to move forward past the screen. There are times when you are nose to nose with Splinter. It really was one of the most impressive 3D presentations I’ve seen in quite some time (and a lot of that is based on the theater’s presentation as well … 3D quality can vary depending on the theater).
Paramount Pictures
There is certainly more than enough to keep little kids entertained by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, but judging by all the restless chatter around me at the screening, their patience may also be tried by the overly complicated, character-heavy plot. Adults may also find their patience tested for two hours. Your Turtle mileage may vary.
Share this post
