TMNT Honda Commercial

[Prowler]

I loved FW Raph and still like him, but he's the most different Raphael of them all. He's definitely not the angry and destructive type.

I liked Movie 1 Raphael and 2k3 Raphael when I was a teenager watching the 2k3 series, but yeah, honestly I don't care much for angry Raph nowadays.

I think there Turtles as a whole are getting more and more childish, and I find myself relating to them less and less. FW, 2k3 and the first 3 movies were aimed at kids ofc, but you didn't feel embarrassed watching them past the age of 12 nor did you really feel like you were out of the target demographic. And the Turtles, despite being teenagers, felt more like they were 17-18 years old. In the Nick toon they're like 12 and even April is around their age and will be that way forever at this point, it seems.

[Sumac]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I don't find it "boring", but I do find "Raph Type" to be a character-type that is supposed to be both a cautionary tale and a phase people grow out of.

I find this character-type to be very samey and thus boring.
"I am angry at...[insert object of anger here]". It's just very one-dimensional as far as character archetype go.
Of course a lot depends on the character development in the series.

Originally Posted by Leo656

When people in their 30s talk about how he's their favorite character because they're so much alike, well... that's not good. You're supposed to grow out of that kind of aimless "I'm mad all the time for no reason" stuff once you get a job and develop meaningful, non-school-based relationships in the real world. A lot of those people are frankly maladjusted.

To a lesser degree, it could be said of Mikey, as well; that goofy, "party all the time" stuff is acceptable in your teens and 20s, but not so much as a responsible adult. Identifying strongly with Michelangelo as an adult isn't as suspect as identifying with Raph, but it's still eyebrow-raising.

Essentially, on our journey from children into adults, we're supposed to pass through being Mikeys and Raphs, on our way to becoming Donnies and Leos. We're not supposed to get stuck in those kinds of arrested development scenarios, where we're exactly the same as adults as we were at 15. That's unhealthy.

I think you don't need to literally have the same character type to relate to Raph-type character or a Mike-type character. Like I am nowhere near the same character as Don (any version), but that doesn't stop me from liking him. And I don't think a lot of people who identify with, say, Leo, are really-really the same type of character.
Of course, being like Raph or Mike in your 30-s - now that's whole another thing.

Originally Posted by Prowler

I loved FW Raph and still like him, but he's the most different Raphael of them all. He's definitely not the angry and destructive type.

Ironically, I think, OT Raph is what most other versions of Raph would grow up into, if they were hit with some character development and aging.
Like, he still would have been an antagonistic asshole, it's just his "assholisness" would have been channeled through quips and sarcasm, rather than outright brutality and hot-hotheadedness.

Originally Posted by Prowler

I liked Movie 1 Raphael and 2k3 Raphael when I was a teenager watching the 2k3 series, but yeah, honestly I don't care much for angry Raph nowadays.

I watched those only as an adult, so didn't like him in those very much.

Originally Posted by Prowler

I think there Turtles as a whole are getting more and more childish, and I find myself relating to them less and less. FW, 2k3 and the first 3 movies were aimed at kids ofc, but you didn't feel embarrassed watching them past the age of 12 nor did you really feel like you were out of the target demographic. And the Turtles, despite being teenagers, felt more like they were 17-18 years old. In the Nick toon they're like 12 and even April is around their age and will be that way forever at this point, it seems.

Yeah, I never felt like Turtles were supposed to be actual teenagers in OT and 2k3. At least, they never came up this way to me. I always thought of them like young adults in their 20-s or something. Their voices in both series didn't help.
That might be the reason why I liked them so much, since I usually hated series, which had teenagers and kids as heroes.

[Leo656]

Lots of people say that, but the 2K3 TMNT were very consistent with a lot of people I went to high school with.

Granted, my crowd was fairly "mature" compared to most teens, and also, a lot of them were jocks or jock-ish. But I absolutely knew quite a few people at 15-16 who carried themselves similar to how the TMNT did in the 2K3 series.

Maybe it's a Jersey Thing? I'unno. It's just that whenever anyone says "The 2K3 TMNT didn't act like 'real' teenagers", I have to throw that out there because it was pretty similar to my own experience.

What most people generally liken to "teenage behavior", is closer to how kids I knew acted at, like, 12-13. Again, just my own experience, who knows why that is.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Lots of people say that, but the 2K3 TMNT were very consistent with a lot of people I went to high school with.

Granted, my crowd was fairly "mature" compared to most teens, and also, a lot of them were jocks or jock-ish. But I absolutely knew quite a few people at 15-16 who carried themselves similar to how the TMNT did in the 2K3 series.

Maybe it's a Jersey Thing? I'unno. It's just that whenever anyone says "The 2K3 TMNT didn't act like 'real' teenagers", I have to throw that out there because it was pretty similar to my own experience.

What most people generally liken to "teenage behavior", is closer to how kids I knew acted at, like, 12-13. Again, just my own experience, who knows why that is.

They act like teenagers but more like 17-18, imo. Mikey more like 13-14 at times, though. He's basically an 8th grade or 9th grade class clown in the 2k3 series.

[Leo656]

I could see that. 17 is reasonable.

People say they act like they're in their 20s, but anyone in their 20s would have the maturity and common sense to realize how stupid their life circumstances are and abandon the whole "ninja" thing so they could simply anonymously make money on Etsy and Amazon.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I could see that. 17 is reasonable.

People say they act like they're in their 20s, but anyone in their 20s would have the maturity and common sense to realize how stupid their life circumstances are and abandon the whole "ninja" thing so they could simply anonymously make money on Etsy and Amazon.

Don't they part ways and each follow their own path in Mirage at some point?

Tbh, you raise a good point... I've never really wondered myself what happens to the FW and 2k3 Turtles once they stop being teenagers and begin to get older. I can't imagine 50 year old Turtles still surfing, skateboarding, eating pizza everyday(they'd die of heart disease by then) and keeping up with bad guys, aliens and trained martial artist bad guys.

[Sumac]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Don't they part ways and each follow their own path in Mirage at some point?

2k7 movie also toyed with that idea.

And one of the episodes of OT too, for what its worth.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

For what it's worth, Mikey always seemed like the one most determined to go out and get/do whatever he really wanted, like getting a delivery job to afford something he wanted, or being a superhero in 2k3, or when he rescued Klunk AND got the stolen toys back to the kids for Christmas. He's a goof- except when he's not. His more compassionate and insightful side, along with the drive to "go out and get it" when confronted with a challenge that seems insurmountable to his dreams- that's what I always felt drawn to with him. Not the "party boy" persona he cultivated.

[Leo656]

Definitely a fair point, but I'm just going by the fact that most people probably don't go that deep.

Part of the problem inherent with any "team" demographic, especially one based heavily in children's entertainment, is the risk that everyone eventually becomes one-dimensional. Kind of unavoidable, but nobody really starts that way. Each of the characters has a lot of depth, but how often do you still hear people whittle them down to one basic personality trait? Constantly.

Pretty sure every fan has felt that way about their favorite; they see things the other people don't and it's frustrating at times. "Mikey/Leo/Donnie/Raph isn't JUST a _______, damn it!" Yet, so often, on the flip side, "I never liked _____ because of how he's just a ________."

You see it more with the casuals, but we all do it to some degree, even when we know better.

[Sumac]

For me its usually whether traits I like outweighs traits I dislike.
In case of Mike, I acknowledge that he has some positive and unique qualities, but his negative qualities outweighs positive for me, so I treat him accordingly.

[wpugh2424]

this has made my day, thanks for posting.
love the voices, oh nostalgia

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I don't find it "boring", but I do find "Raph Type" to be a character-type that is supposed to be both a cautionary tale and a phase people grow out of.

The only Raph I could relate to maybe because he was the most likable was FW Raph, the other versions bar maybe the Mirage version get on my nerves.

Originally Posted by Sumac

He was even dumber than 2k3 Mike, borderline on being mentally incapacitated.

2k3 Mike was annoying while trying to be funny, Nick Mike was annoying while doing everything.

Worse than the 4Kids Mike? That's...quite an achievement.

[Leo656]

I only ever visualize "movie Mikey" in my head. Were they "real", he's the only that seems like a "real guy" and not a cartoon character. not just because he exists in 3D space, but because he's written like a "person" rather than a running joke.

All other Mikeys grate on me to no end. I like the character, but most of the execution has been awful, historically.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I only ever visualize "movie Mikey" in my head. Were they "real", he's the only that seems like a "real guy" and not a cartoon character. not just because he exists in 3D space, but because he's written like a "person" rather than a running joke.

All other Mikeys grate on me to no end. I like the character, but most of the execution has been awful, historically.

In the first movie Don is the one that gets the Mikey treatment, so to speak.

[Leo656]

Corey Feldman is the best Donatello. Fight me.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by Prowler

In the first movie Don is the one that gets the Mikey treatment, so to speak.

I can't help but think perhaps they knew in advance they wanted Feldman's wiseguy sense of humour and wrote the character for him.

[Dejablue]

If i was rich this commercial might have been enough to get me to buy this stupid car....as a gift...for someone else.

[909 Turtle Fan]

Best commercial in the history of television!

They should air it during the Super Bowl.

[IndigoErth]

I'm sad I haven't seen it on tv, only the Million Dollar Man version once. (Meh, before my time.) Heard the Care Bears one on the radio, though I'm not sure that has as much impact. lol

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I only ever visualize "movie Mikey" in my head. Were they "real", he's the only that seems like a "real guy" and not a cartoon character. not just because he exists in 3D space, but because he's written like a "person" rather than a running joke.

All other Mikeys grate on me to no end. I like the character, but most of the execution has been awful, historically.

Agreed. THIS (with a few bits from certain FW and 2k3 eps for character development) is the Mikey I envision.

Originally Posted by Leo656

Corey Feldman is the best Donatello. Fight me.

I'll be your second! (Not that you'd nedd it, lol! I've seen you wrestle!)