"TMNT" 10 Year Anniversary

*ToTheNines* · 03-23-2017, 04:46 AM

A decade ago, Kevin Munroe's TMNT hit theaters. I remember pre-ordering tickets for me and my friends the second they were available, only to find the theater hosting about 10 other people that we surely annoyed with our sophomore buffoonery.

Gonna pop this one in the blu ray player after work. It has aged horribly for me and I've grown to mostly hate it, so this is going to be the last time I watch it for a very long while. But it's a day worth commemorating.

*snake* · 03-23-2017, 05:33 AM

I remember seeing it in theatres and forgetting about it for awhile until 2013, when I watched it again. It's not a masterpiece, but I appriciate the effort to try something new. The Nightwatcher stuff and Raph vs Leo is enough to solidify the movie's existance for me.

*Allio* · 03-23-2017, 05:54 AM

Went to go see the movie with a friend, enjoyed it.

despite the "A" plot being mediocre at best, the "B" plot I felt more than made up for it as it gave "conclusion" to the whole Raphael/leonardo thing that has always been building up.

Still second best film.

d_osborn · 03-23-2017, 09:02 AM

Their hearts were in the right place, but Munroe just couldn't pull off the script. I think he was a bit creatively hamstrung on the story by Laird. The loose connection to the original movies was cool, the look of the animation was nice... that Leo/Raph fight was incredibly beautiful. Overall, the movie just didn't work for me.

*pferreira* · 03-23-2017, 09:27 AM

I went to see the film, found it very average. I remember in the run up to the film Channel 4 hosting a competition to win lots of TMNT goodies like the video game. The competition was fixed due to people using hacks so no chance of me winning.

*TheSkeletonMan939* · 03-23-2017, 09:39 AM

I applaud the use of Nightwatcher, and that excellent Leo/Raph fight. Great choreography in general. Excellent music. In terms of script, though, it fluctuated from interesting to contrived to absolutely absurd on a dime.

sgtfbomb · 03-23-2017, 11:11 AM

I actually forget this movie exists on occasion. Parts of it were interesting. Never quite understood why they had to get jobs. Pizza money, I guess?

I think the biggest parts of the movie that fall flat for me include the dialogue ("the ghost of the jungle" and the dialogue hinting at the Shredder's return are big examples); the fact that the dialogue often seemed disconnected from the film, much like background noise on a video game; the fact that parts of the film actually look like footage from a video game, like the one shot battle scene; and the main plot, which borrows from a Vincent Price movie.

I never could grasp why they couldn't go with any of the actual villains from the franchise. I mean, if they are going to battle monsters, why not Triceritons?

*Powder* · 03-23-2017, 12:59 PM

Not the best, but pretty decent. I'll watch it later today.

*Andrew NDB* · 03-23-2017, 01:18 PM

To be fair, it's the only TMNT movie beyond the original that's marginally above abysmal.

*TheSkeletonMan939* · 03-23-2017, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgtfbomb

the fact that the dialogue often seemed disconnected from the film, much like background noise on a video game; the fact that parts of the film actually look like footage from a video game, like the one shot battle scene...

Incidentally, the video game gives the film's plot a rather healthy backbone. It's very weird in that it follows the same general plotline, but almost tells in essence a side-story that weaves in and out of the film's plot. It by no means makes the movie any better, but it gives one a beefier understanding of the world the turtles live in.

*CyberCubed* · 03-23-2017, 01:35 PM

it's a decent movie with most of its plot points and backstory revealed in the comic mini-series Mirage did and the extra material like spinoff children's books, oddly enough.

d_osborn · 03-23-2017, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgtfbomb

I never could grasp why they couldn't go with any of the actual villains from the franchise. I mean, if they are going to battle monsters, why not Triceritons?

I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure Laird said they can't use anything existing. The antagonists had to be new characters.

*Andrew NDB* · 03-23-2017, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d_osborn

I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure Laird said they can't use anything existing. The antagonists had to be new characters.

That can't be true. I mean they couldn't use, like, Walker or Danny or Tatsu or anything due to Golden Harvest, but guys like Leatherhead and Savanti and such were open game.

*CyberCubed* · 03-23-2017, 02:26 PM

They really should of used Leatherhead and Rat King at least.

*Galactus* · 03-23-2017, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d_osborn

I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure Laird said they can't use anything existing. The antagonists had to be new characters.

Laird posted one of his early correspondences with one of the movie's creators (could have been Kevin Munroe himself) on his blog, he had a list of antagonists he recommended. A pretty lengthy list of Mirage and 4Kids characters.

I would imagine that the higher ups felt that they didn't carry any nostalgia weight like the main Fred Wolf cast (although Out of the Shadows showed that wasn't quite the big draw after all) and perhaps a more valid concern that the likes of Leatherhead and the Rat King conceptually don't come off as antagonists you could build a "big" story around, not that you couldn't beef them up a bit. I could see them just throwing their hands up and saying they should just go with original villains. Laird was into Terracotta stuff at the time and it developed from there.

*Powder* · 03-23-2017, 07:33 PM

They shoulda used Triceratons.

Also, I lied. I don't really wanna re-watch this just yet.

*ToTheNines* · 03-23-2017, 08:54 PM

It really is a beautiful movie to look at, but like Osborn said, the script is bonkers.

Mikey sucked, Donnie did almost nothing and Leo's douchebaggery was vindicated. I really liked their take on Raph though, I still hear Nolan North when reading the IDW comics. Karai's Chinese accent still totally baffles me.

The voice talent is a cool link between TMNT past and future though. You have former Shredder Jim Cummings as the main thief in the first act, and Shredder-to-be Kevin Michael Richardson as Aguila. Plus North went on to voice The Kraang and Bishop, and John Dimaggio went from fat Hispanic thug to Pizzaface.

*MikeandRaph87* · 03-23-2017, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

It really is a beautiful movie to look at, but like Osborn said, the script is bonkers.

Summed it up perfectly!

d_osborn · 03-24-2017, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

That can't be true. I mean they couldn't use, like, Walker or Danny or Tatsu or anything due to Golden Harvest, but guys like Leatherhead and Savanti and such were open game.

I could be mistaken-- I vividly remember thinking how ridiculous it was, though. I wanna say it was an interview with Munroe. From what I remember, it wasn't a copyright thing, just a specific direction from Laird. It's been ages since the last AskPL... maybe one will pop up soon and we can pick his brain.

I agree with Powder. That type of CGI was perfect for a Triceratons story. TMNT07 was a huge missed opportunity.

Munroe's background was in visuals and animation-- and it really shows. It's a shame that a better screenwriter wasn't given a stab at the script.

***First of Two Latin Kings*** · 03-25-2017, 04:05 AM

Can anyone name the 4Kids episode it was loosely based upon?

03-23-2017, 04:46 AM	#1
ToTheNines [sic] Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 15,098	"TMNT" 10 Year Anniversary A decade ago, Kevin Munroe's TMNT hit theaters. I remember pre-ordering tickets for me and my friends the second they were available, only to find the theater hosting about 10 other people that we surely annoyed with our sophomore buffoonery. Gonna pop this one in the blu ray player after work. It has aged horribly for me and I've grown to mostly hate it, so this is going to be the last time I watch it for a very long while. But it's a day worth commemorating.

03-23-2017, 05:54 AM	#3
Allio Foot Elite Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 4,085	Went to go see the movie with a friend, enjoyed it. despite the "A" plot being mediocre at best, the "B" plot I felt more than made up for it as it gave "conclusion" to the whole Raphael/leonardo thing that has always been building up. Still second best film. __________________

03-23-2017, 12:59 PM	#8
Powder So tired of this place Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Shell Ri La Posts: 26,803	Not the best, but pretty decent. I'll watch it later today. __________________ I'm convinced that none of you have ever experienced joy

03-23-2017, 01:18 PM	#9
Andrew NDB Weed Whacker Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 29,247	To be fair, it's the only TMNT movie beyond the original that's marginally above abysmal. __________________ [ ODYSSEY \| ORIGIN \| THE IMAGE/VOL. 3 CONCLUSION \| THE SHELLSHOCKED PODCAST \| ON FACEBOOK ]

03-23-2017, 07:33 PM	#16
Powder So tired of this place Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Shell Ri La Posts: 26,803	They shoulda used Triceratons. Also, I lied. I don't really wanna re-watch this just yet. __________________ I'm convinced that none of you have ever experienced joy

03-23-2017, 05:33 AM	#2
snake Disgusting Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Outer Heaven Posts: 12,230	I remember seeing it in theatres and forgetting about it for awhile until 2013, when I watched it again. It's not a masterpiece, but I appriciate the effort to try something new. The Nightwatcher stuff and Raph vs Leo is enough to solidify the movie's existance for me.

03-23-2017, 09:02 AM	#4
d_osborn Mad Scientist Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 1,338	Their hearts were in the right place, but Munroe just couldn't pull off the script. I think he was a bit creatively hamstrung on the story by Laird. The loose connection to the original movies was cool, the look of the animation was nice... that Leo/Raph fight was incredibly beautiful. Overall, the movie just didn't work for me.

03-23-2017, 09:27 AM	#5
pferreira Foot Elite Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 2,514	I went to see the film, found it very average. I remember in the run up to the film Channel 4 hosting a competition to win lots of TMNT goodies like the video game. The competition was fixed due to people using hacks so no chance of me winning.

03-23-2017, 11:11 AM	#7
sgtfbomb Stone Warrior Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Internet Posts: 830	I actually forget this movie exists on occasion. Parts of it were interesting. Never quite understood why they had to get jobs. Pizza money, I guess? I think the biggest parts of the movie that fall flat for me include the dialogue ("the ghost of the jungle" and the dialogue hinting at the Shredder's return are big examples); the fact that the dialogue often seemed disconnected from the film, much like background noise on a video game; the fact that parts of the film actually look like footage from a video game, like the one shot battle scene; and the main plot, which borrows from a Vincent Price movie. I never could grasp why they couldn't go with any of the actual villains from the franchise. I mean, if they are going to battle monsters, why not Triceritons?

03-23-2017, 01:35 PM	#11
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 41,031	it's a decent movie with most of its plot points and backstory revealed in the comic mini-series Mirage did and the extra material like spinoff children's books, oddly enough.

03-23-2017, 02:26 PM	#14
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 41,031	They really should of used Leatherhead and Rat King at least.

03-23-2017, 08:54 PM	#17
ToTheNines [sic] Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 15,098	It really is a beautiful movie to look at, but like Osborn said, the script is bonkers. Mikey sucked, Donnie did almost nothing and Leo's douchebaggery was vindicated. I really liked their take on Raph though, I still hear Nolan North when reading the IDW comics. Karai's Chinese accent still totally baffles me. The voice talent is a cool link between TMNT past and future though. You have former Shredder Jim Cummings as the main thief in the first act, and Shredder-to-be Kevin Michael Richardson as Aguila. Plus North went on to voice The Kraang and Bishop, and John Dimaggio went from fat Hispanic thug to Pizzaface.