Why was the 2007 movie CGI?

[Prowler]

Perhaps this has been answered before, but I've been wondering why this movie is CGI? It's still the only non-live action TMNT movie to this date. What was the reason behind this decision? Was it originally the plan? Was an animation studio the only one showing interest in a TMNT movie in 2007? Or did they reach the best deal with them?

Or was it simply a matter of "hmm, an animated TMNT movie has never been done before, let's try and see if it works"?

[snake]

They probably didn’t want to create complex practical costume effects for the turtles, but didn’t want to spend enough to make CGI turtles that could pass in the real world as organic beings, so they met in the mdidle and made it all animated.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

I'm guessing partially because CG animated movies were more cool and trendy at the time.

I'm glad they did though, because the movie is still very pretty to look at.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

I'm guessing partially because CG animated movies were more cool and trendy at the time.

I'm glad they did though, because the movie is still very pretty to look at.

Yeah probably. I've never been very in touch with cinema and such, so I wasn't sure. Makes sense, though.

Yes, it looks good. And the video game based on it was quite solid for what it was. It was kind of like a Prince of Persia clone, right?

You did feel like a Ninja Turtle jumping all over rooftops. in that game haha

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by snake

They probably didn’t want to create complex practical costume effects for the turtles, but didn’t want to spend enough to make CGI turtles that could pass in the real world as organic beings, so they met in the mdidle and made it all animated.

Right. Enough of a budget to make a cost-effective CGI movie outsourced to Hong Kong... not nearly enough of one to make it live-action with costumes and animatronics and all that.

Always seemed like an... interesting choice. I also don't think they had much of a marketing budget because very few people even knew there was a movie out.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Right. Enough of a budget to make a cost-effective CGI movie outsourced to Hong Kong... not nearly enough of one to make it live-action with costumes and animatronics and all that.

Always seemed like an... interesting choice. I also don't think they had much of a marketing budget because very few people even knew there was a movie out.

I remember it barely being talked about. It's like, 1 week before it came out some peopel were like "oh a new turtles movie, cool"... then a week later no one cared anymore. It's like it came and went. Plus, the 2k3 toon was not as popular as the FW or the 2012 ones were, so no wonder its tie in movie was a mere blip in the radar in the grand scheme of things as well. Plus it came out in 2007 already when either the Ninja Tribunal or Fast Forward were already airing. By then, the show wasn't as hot anymore.

And ofc, a lot of people were like "WAIT, NO SHREDDER ,BEBOP, ROCKSTEADY AND KRANG?! **** IT"

[snake]

Somehow I saw it in theaters in 2007. I "liked" TMNT at the time, but I'm surprised my parents knew that there was a movie out.

I remember waiting for a sequel, too- but it never came.

Still, 2007 is a very underrated piece of TMNT history. I genuinely like it more than 2k12 in some aspects.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by snake

Somehow I saw it in theaters in 2007. I "liked" TMNT at the time, but I'm genuinely surprised my parents knew that there was a movie out.

I remember waiting for a sequel, too- but it never came.

Still, 2007 is a very underrated piece of TMNT history. I genuinely like it more than 2k12 in some aspects.

Sometimes I feel like I am way too hard on it. It's less that it wasn't a decent, random TMNT movie... and more that it just wasn't anything near the movie it needed to be to kickstart anything meaningfully.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I also don't think they had much of a marketing budget because very few people even knew there was a movie out.

Quite the opposite where I was. Between previews of the game online, a competition to win the game via Channel 4 (WHICH WAS HACKED!!!) as well as press news either about Patrick Stewart's involvement or Mako's death I never not knew the film was coming out. Kind of sad that pretty much every film Kevin Munroe has directed has been a flop.

Originally Posted by Prowler

And ofc, a lot of people were like "WAIT, NO SHREDDER ,BEBOP, ROCKSTEADY AND KRANG?! **** IT"

I went to see the film with some buddies of mine and that wasn't out lasting concerns. It was more to do with the lack of an exciting plot or action although Shredder's absence was noticeable to us.

I just found it a disappointing movie to be honest. The Raph/Leo fight scene was just fan service and something nobody outside of the ultrahardcore wanted to see. We get they don't get along, we don't need them to spend ten minutes on them having a pointless fight just because. There was also a tendency for some reason back in 2007 to shoehorn Kevin Smith into every returning movie franchise because "he's a fan". Found it pretentious even back then.

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Imagi had their idea for a sequel that I think I read Peter was OK with (not entirely sure there)... then Imagi fell apart for unrelated reasons.

Yep, Laird said he wanted to see a live action sequel with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr reprising their roles while the TMNT being CGI. Obviously the idea of doing things this way ultimately led to the PD movies.

[Leo656]

Speak for yourself, the Leo/Raph fight is the only part of the movie that I still remember, and the only part of the entire thing that feels like anything important is happening when I do watch it. I liked it a lot in the theater - I generally do have a good time at the theater regardless of what the movie is, it's on the ride home when some things start to fall apart - but a while after that I realized that the movie itself wasn't very memorable. So I re-watched it a few times and while it's definitely not bad, it's completely "Meh". A lot of interesting ideas, none of which were explored to their full potential. And saving the conflict everyone actually DID want to see for the sequel (which we never got) was a Very Bad Idea. Regardless of whether seeing Shredder again was a rehash or not, it's what most people would have preferred to spend money on.

I knew the thing wasn't gonna take off when I went to see it opening night and the theater was 2/3s full. That's always a bad sign.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by Xav

https://peterlairdstmntblog.blogspot...all-about.html

That is the most depressing thing I've read all day.

I'd give IDW TMNT over for one single modern decent "Batman Begins" TMNT movie in a heartbeat. And throw in my Mirage/Image collections, too.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Speak for yourself, the Leo/Raph fight is the only part of the movie that I still remember,

I had to remind myself I actually saw the movie at the cinema. I just felt the fight scene didn't have a purpose. The film had some interesting things about it. I liked that the villain wasn't actually a villain but there wasn't much I enjoyed. I remember a fair bit about the movie even though I've only seen it once. Like the PD movies I don't have a big desire to see the 2007 movie again.

Originally Posted by Leo656

Like, people often do crap on "The Force Awakens", but it's absolutely the movie they HAD to make in their situation. They needed to do a "safe picture" since the Prequels were so divisive. Business-wise, it was the right move and I don't fault them for that at all, I fault them for completely botching the follow-up.

No way in hell did Disney have to make The Force Awakens. The film single handedly ruined the entire franchise while undoing all the good work Return of the Jedi ended with. It's only now after the disappointment of TLJ that people are starting to realise that. It was a travesty of a movie. If The Last Jedi is guilty of anything is being more of the same sh*t.

Originally Posted by snake

F*ck Disney. I should not be this fired up this late at night, but whenever that movie is brought up- that's the point I'm driven to.

I get you. Say what you will about the prequels but at least there was a vision and somewhat of a consistency to the universe Lucas created.

[snake]

This is the first I’m hearing of the mirage-style movie planned before the sale. Anyone else have any more info on it?

[CyberCubed]

Imagi is an all CG studio.

[Xav]

Originally Posted by snake

This is the first I’m hearing of the mirage-style movie planned before the sale. Anyone else have any more info on it?

https://peterlairdstmntblog.blogspot...all-about.html

[The-Shredder]

Originally Posted by Xav

https://peterlairdstmntblog.blogspot...all-about.html

I remember seeing YouTube videos of people on the streets auditioning to become Foot Soldiers. It's a shame that it all fell apart.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by The-Shredder

I remember seeing YouTube videos of people on the streets auditioning to become Foot Soldiers. It's a shame that it all fell apart.

Weird, I don't remember any of that.

A few years ago someone mentioned here that a FW animated movie was planned around the time the show was ending. I wonder how it would have turned out. An epic final battle between the Turtles and Shredder & Krang?

[The-Shredder]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Weird, I don't remember any of that.

Found it. It was during the 25th anniversary in 2009. Speaking of which, I don't remember the 30th anniversary having as big of a hype as the 25th one. Aside from the IDW comic, it just came and went. Hopefully, the 35th anniversary is different.

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by Xav

https://peterlairdstmntblog.blogspot...all-about.html

Its honestly depressing. I feel like this movie would have been leaps and bounds better than what we got with viacom.....

[Andrew NDB]

Yeah! That was the one. And the script writer they chose was Frank Fusco. And it was decided it was "too dark."

Everything I've heard about it suggests it was the best TMNT thing we'll never get.

Originally Posted by Roseangelo

In retrospect, I feel like a lot of the 25th anniversary effort was put together to help make the TMNT "saleable." I wouldn't be surprised if there were Nickelodeon suits watching the general interest that the events they held garnered. Especially at the Turtles Forever screening that was at Comic-Con that year.

Like we all said, those of us that attended it... "We had no idea it was going to turn out to be a wake."