So my review time
Let's start with the positives. The OT has the original cast back save (James Avery R.I.P.) and it's nice to hear them again sounding much better than Transdimenional Turtles, just needed to clear the rust off it seems? I like how Bebop & Rocksteady played off of OT Shredder at times and there ever so colorful string of insults are always a joy to hear.
As strange as this might sound the Turtles complaining about the complacency in their lives is very similar to the beginning of City at War. Even down to Leo being dissatisfied to being downsized to neighborhood watch. Odd place to have that reference but I'll take it all the same.
I see the universal constant of Bebop & Rocksteady ruining Shredder & Krangs plans still rings true even in another dimension, although my gripe is this being the same way the Turtles we're saved in Turtles Forever. Inside jokes were a plenty such as OT Leonardo being the only one taking being a ninja seriously (but then he doesn't, more on that later) All and all I liked what I liked.
Now for the negatives...
Seems like none of the crossovers can get the OT Turtles completely right. It started well with them being in character right until after they get captured. Then the only one who stayed in character was OT Raphael.
OT Leo shouted out his catch phrases at the most random of times instead when he is about to lead them into battle. Like yelling it out when he was locked up was just dumb. Not taking offense to the fact another set of Turtles question their skills when in Turtles Forever they did.
Was right there with the other three on taking a pizza break when usually he is the wet blanket straight man of the show. Not that OT Leonardo wasn't silly just less so than the other three. I get the joke that he's never used his Katana's on humans but he's never had an issue swinging it in their direction and has stabbed plenty of things that weren't robots. So Nick Raph's comment about it being a glorified pizza cutter should've rub him a little wrong.
OT Don While he wasn't ragged on by his counterparts as much he was a lot less grumpy than usual. OT never quite lost his temper but he always seem to be grumpy about a lot of things, usually about the other three doing something or feeling underappreciated. He got the better treatment other than looking like a joke in nearly every fight. Or even training...
OT Mikey Was actually sort of bland. Like he wasn't entirely in character? It's a little hard to describe. Nothing he did wasn't something I didn't expect from the guy but it's almost like he wasn't doing things I should expect from him?
OT Shredder may be a pushover but he was never really cowardly, that's about the only complaint I have against him.
Now to my biggest issue with the entire special. The Turtles needed to train to be competent fighters. Look I get that their method of fighting is orthodox and at times downright silly but even Turtles Forever never said they were incapable. In fact the only thing that bother them in that special was that they thought the Turtles were too goofy. The Training montage made no sense to me given I've seen the OT Turtles pull of basic forms. And the hackney sacks at OT Michelangelo was a missed opportunity to recreate this moment
http://i.imgur.com/YP7Kiak.gif
props to having OT Raph be lazy when they were going through movements as he was rather lazy in the show. But OT Leonardo not being able to recreate such simple forms seemed out of character. Not being able to take down simple Foot bots who were really competent in this special for some reason? Not trying to fight Shredder was another thing I found weird as OT Leo always left the henchmen to the other Turtles to pursue the ring leader of any fight they were in.(But that is a nitpik) My final grade for this special would be a 6/10.