[Powder]

Simple & to the point- for the next inevitable film series, would you prefer it to take place in the modern/current world, or be a period piece in the 80's/90's?

The TMNT are very much a product of their era. They stand the test of the time, & have been proven to work in any setting (from feudal Japan to technological utopias of the future), but I think they're at their best amidst the grit & funkyness of their original glory days in the late 80's/early 90's. Heavy metal/punk/hip-hop were integral to the aesthetics of their most notable iterations (Mirage, Fred Wolf, Henson), & the initial boom of those genres are also time capsule-like. They capture a very specific vibe that is unique to their peak, & the coolness the turtles exuded is in part owed to their respective cultures. + back then, NY was a lot different. Filthy, crass, crime-ridden. Adult shops all over, way more drugs/sex/gang violence/etc. It was a city that very much welcomed Purple Dragon types, warranted the creation of a Casey Jones, & needed the help of mutant turtles. It was bursting with personality, graffiti, youth/alternative culture. Nowadays you don't have to worry about that stuff nearly as much, at least not in a post-9/11 Manhattan. There's little more than corporate crap-peddling.

I have no intentions of making this a Platinum Dunes film bashing thread, but a big part of what took me out of that film was applying the "TMNT spew pop culture references" thing to the 2010's. I cringed at the references to newer stuff, it just didn't feel right at all. Did anyone really wanna see the TMNT dancing to Gwen Stefani? I wanted to kill myself in the theater. The Nick series on the other hand kept only 80's/90's stuff in their homage jar, & it worked soooo much better. + I'd rather not see the TMNT or their peers have too many technological advancements, smart phones & all that. Makes things too easy.