TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

US, 2014, 101 minutes, Colour.
Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Whoopi Goldberg, voices of: Johnny Knoxville, Tony Shalhoub.
Directed by Jonathan Liebesman.


This is one of those films that is beyond review! If you see the title and think “not me”, don’t go. If you see the title and feel a movement of exhilaration, do go.

This version of TMNT delivers exactly what it promises. With the credits and the opening sequences, there is a longish explanation of the origins of the turtles, their mission, good versus evil on the streets of New York City, and the leadership of Splinter. Many of us knew all this already but it is handy to hear it again at the beginning of the film. But, the Turtles themselves are not fully seen until about 20 minutes in.

But that means that while we are waiting to see them, although they have been glimpsed in energetic action, it offers the opportunity to think about the absurdity of the whole thing. Turtles? Mutations? Ninja skills? – And teenage?

During the film we get several explanations of what happened in 1999, Dr O’ Neill and Dr Sacks working together, experiment with turtles, rats and other creatures, and a fluid ingredient that would mutate. Dr O’ Neill is killed but his little daughter, April, saves the turtles, puts them in the sewer where the transformation happens: they become virtually human as does their carer, the kindly rat, Splinter. For those not in the know or who have not followed the almost 30 year history of the turtles on screen, they will scratch their heads and think this is pretty silly, to say the least.

In many ways, the concept of the turtles was something of a jokey response to the action films of the 1980s. But, it took on, comic books, an animated series for almost 10 years, three feature films in the early 1990s, continued series and experiments with keeping the turtles in the headlines.

It must be admitted that the entry on the TMNT in Wikipedia has all this detail – and more, much more.

Back to this film. It has a bigger budget than before, has quite some spectacular special effects and action, plenty of martial arts fights for the fans, vehicle chases, especially through snow-covered countryside of New York State. At one stage, the Turtles are being drained of their vital fluids by the evil doctor but the process is halted and they are recharged with adrenaline. And that is the clue for the audience, so much of the action is adrenaline-charged (and our responses as well!).

The basic plot is an old one. Evil scientist wants to control the world and make money – and, within about 10 seconds of the final climax, it looks as though he might achieve it. He abducts the Turtles as well as the now adult April (Megan Fox). It does not give much away to say that the seeming benevolent patron of the city, Dr Sacks (William Fichtner) turns out to be the arch-villain, trained in Japan, expert in martial arts, with an extraordinary multi-blade robot weapon, Shredder.

This is something of a comeback for Megan Fox who has not received good reviews for the films she has made. However, she enters wholeheartedly into the action, is something of an intrepid reporter, having studied for four years, but relegated to frothy pieces, trying to persuade her camera partner, Will Arnett, that she has seen the Turtles, and trying to persuade her boss, Whoopi Goldberg, to let her investigate further. Instead, she gets the sack.

However, tracking down the Turtles, meeting Splinter, and realising that she was instrumental in the turtles being saved and their growing up to be these teenage warriors, she experiences so many action sequences and moments of peril that Lois Lane could well be envious.

And the turtles are definitely teenagers, the way they speak (although Leonardo is voiced by comedian, Johnny Knoxville), their brash ways of behaving, bickering amongst themselves, their taste in music…

These observations may help the undecided to make a choice, to go or not to go. If you should go and tend to enjoy some absurd and exhilarating action, you might well enjoy it.

1. The popularity of the Turtles? Memories of the past in comics, animation series, movies?

2. The big-budget, location photography, New York City, outside New York, the winter season? Action sequences? Special effects? The musical score, themes from the old television series?

3. The basic plot: science and experiments, rivalries, murders, the lust for power, wealth, domination? The role of the media, the reporter and her investigations? Conflict, dangers, the villain unmasked, the final crisis, split-second timing?

4. The introductions and explanations of the turtles, during the credits, graphic novel visual style? The possibility of this kind of experimentation? Impossibilities? Absurdity of the mutation?

5. The laboratories, the experiments, the mutations, searching for the fluid, Sachs and his killing Dr O’ Neill? The fire? The little girl, April, the turtles as pets, helping them, putting them in the sewers? The mutation, growing, speaking, thinking, Splinter and his wisdom, also mutated? The names for the former Italian Renaissance artists? The Turtles and characters, teenage behaviour, talk, martial arts, sense of mission?

6. Dr Sacks, his speech to the New York crowd, seen as a hero, April admiring him? Yet his wanting to dominate, his sinister past, his wealth, the mansion, his laboratories, the buildings in New York City? Shredder, the range of henchmen, his plans?

7. April, as a journalist, on her bike, wanting to get big stories, sent away, going by the docks seeing the Japanese gang members, the ship? Seeing the Turtles and their sign? The plans? Going to Dr Sacks, his friendship, supportive? Her fellow journalist, his taking the pictures, his mocking her and her claims? Her interviews and her thinking the items froth and fluff? Going to her boss, the boss not believing her and not having sufficient evidence?

8. The cameraman, the comic touch, living alone, his van? April relying on him? The turtles in the van, going to Dr Sacks’ mansion? The capturing of the Turtles, in the laboratory, transferring the fluid? Their becoming weaker? Transferring the fluid to Dr Sacks building in New York City? The scientists, verifying the tests?

9. April and the cameraman, the escape, the chases through the snow, the cliffs, the accident? April over the cliff, the Turtles to the rescue?

10. Shredder, the many knives, robotic, the many fight sequences?

11. Going to Dr Sacks’ building, the three Turtles being drained, getting the adrenaline, recovering, the fights, the gymnastics, the martial arts? Going to see Splinter, his revival?

12. The time limits, fights on the roof, with Shredder? The confrontation with the doctor, saving the day?

13. The happy ending for April, the cameraman, for the Turtles and their going to grow up and live and fight another day?