Does anyone feel that the new designs are a little TOO skinny?

[TerranigmaFreak]

I heard the interview where someone said he didn't want to make the turtles look too beefy, and I can understand that. But at the same time, I thought they made them look a little too lanky and skinny. I mean, they do train and workout everyday, so it's no surprise they're going to be buff. Now they're buff and skinny at the sametime. That's kind of weird. I think the designs need a little more balance to my them look strong, without looking too Arnold-like.

[Spawn Guy]

Spider-Man is buff and skinny at the same time, and that's all in an attempt to make him look younger. Might be the same idea for the guys.

[Buslady]

I think they used the real thing for some references. I could get into it but their limps are not bad at all. The wide wrists and ankles fall back to the real beast where the red ear slider has wrists and ankles wide like that.
Their limbs are not very strong looking outwardly, but damn they are strong little monsters. I think they kept the youth look of the boys as well with the design. They looked really weird to me at first but I think they're okay. It'll be good.

[Mecha Cow]

Nah. They're supposed to be teenagers after all, and I suppose the muscle would only get in the way of all that ninja...ing. It has little to do with strength anyway.

Plus it just looks better this way.

[ThemanthatwouldbeRaphael]

I don't think so, it makes them look more fast and agile.

Besides, at least they're not Nichole Riche skinny.

[IMJ]

Aren't these just preliminary images for the CG though? The final product may look different.

[TerranigmaFreak]

Just cause their teenagers doesn't mean they have to be lanky. Plus, Spiderman does not look skinny. He wasn't super buff, nor was he skinny. I'm just really bothered by the fact that some of the images make it look like their arms are thicker than their legs. It was especially bad when the first poster image for Donny surfaced.

[iris]

They look great to me. They do look younger because they're not as bulky, and that fits the whole ninja thing. Just look at how they draw the Foot... talk about skinny!

I don't mind the arms... they look more like real turtles, but I can see how that looks weird to most people.

[Spawn Guy]

Plus, Spiderman does not look skinny. He wasn't super buff, nor was he skinny.
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2005/256/928335_20050913_screen004.jpg

[Draconic]

There's two different kinds of muscle training.

The kind that makes you beefy, is weight-training. Bigger muscles let you lift heavy things.

The other kind is speed/endurance training. These muscles aren't as huge. Ninjas would primarily train in this manner, repeating movements.

Look at body-builders: Some people's logic would lead you to believe these guys could run around the world without stopping. They would be wrong. Now look at olympic long distance runners: They're skinny as heck, but probably couldn't lift as much as a body builder.

Get it?

It's just more realistic.

[Raven]

I think they look great, they actually look like they could pull off some ninja moves in a realistic manner. In reality if they were buff it would get in the way of there movements, they have to be agile and speedy.

[TerranigmaFreak]

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2005/256/928335_20050913_screen004.jpg

Hmm, I never seen that before. Still, his arms aren't thicker than his legs.

About being able to pull some of the moves off... Wouldn't their legs be a bit too skinny to be able to jump like that realistically with a huge shell on your back? Again, I don't want to super buff (that seems to be what you guys think I'm talking about), but I wouldn't mind if their arms don't look bigger than their legs. To be honest, they look like they're not getting enough neutrition in their diet.

I'm not asking for body builders, I don't want them to look like they're starving refugees from some third world country.

[Spawn Guy]

Hmm, I never seen that before. Still, his arms aren't thicker than his legs.

And check out that butt.

No offence, but that seems a little nit picky. I mean they're mutants. Maybe they can't produce metal claws from their hands or control magnitisim, but their still mutants. Maybe they have stronger muscles than humans that just aren't the same size. Maybe the shells don't way that much. Maybe the design team thought thin was in and it would make them look like mutant teenagers.

[iris]

And check out that butt.

No offence, but that seems a little nit picky. I mean they're mutants. Maybe they can't produce metal claws from their hands or control magnitisim, but their still mutants. Maybe they have stronger muscles than humans that just aren't the same size. Maybe the shells don't way that much. Maybe the design team thought thin was in and it would make them look like mutant teenagers.
Er... maybe in the comic book definition of "mutant." In the case of the turtles, their "advantage" is that they 'evolved' so-to-speak so they can walk and talk and learn to kick butt and have shells. Well, they're also unusually talented in synchronized swimming. ;)

[Spawn Guy]

But that really isn‘t different from the comic book X factor gene. Considering the same thing used to create Daredevil was supposedly what mutated them in the first place, I’d say they could even be meta humans if not for the fact they weren’t human to begin with. And I'd call the ability to fire sudden beams of hot death at whomever I wish "advanced".

But I'm not going to argue over the context of the word "mutant". So long as they can swim...

[Buslady]

Hmm, I never seen that before. Still, his arms aren't thicker than his legs.

About being able to pull some of the moves off... Wouldn't their legs be a bit too skinny to be able to jump like that realistically with a huge shell on your back?

Nope because that shell is their body and they are used to it like we are of our own.

They really wouldn't have a whole lotta butt, but mutation would change their pelvis to accomodate their new leg structure and they'd have butts...we have butts to be able to walk...if we didn't have a hiney with a crack like we do, we couldn't walk.

aaannndddd.. if you lived in the sewers eating crap and people's leftovers, you wouldn't look terribly strong either.

[zkarlette]

I think that overall they look like 10 year olds or something like that

I do recognize that in the new toon they do look as if they were in their late twentys...

somehow they never look quite teenage and even in the old movies they seemed more built and stronger than this ..

[iris]

But that really isn‘t different from the comic book X factor gene. Considering the same thing used to create Daredevil was supposedly what mutated them in the first place, I’d say they could even be meta humans if not for the fact they weren’t human to begin with. And I'd call the ability to fire sudden beams of hot death at whomever I wish "advanced".

But I'm not going to argue over the context of the word "mutant". So long as they can swim...
Hm. True. There have been enough variations on the story that I forget the Daredevil connection. Fun to think of them as potentially Daredevilesque. :evilgrin:

[METALHEAD]

At first i didnt like it, but....they grow on ya. =^w^= i'm not bitchy like some ppl....O.o though fast forward has pretty killed my tmnt fandom....oh well i can look forward to the classic series on dvd volume 5 and the 2003 series season 4 coming in september on dvd...yesssss.....

[Spawn Guy]

Does it scare anyone else that this was taken seriously at all?

[iris]

Meh. I'm here for the meaningless distraction.

[Spawn Guy]

Well I could cut my finger off and send it to you in a box, and that would be meaninglessly distracting.

[iris]

Will you really? :D

[VaughnMichael]

Does it scare anyone else that this was taken seriously at all?
nope not at all....ooo look! "what was that?" "that...that was a pidgeon!":lol:

[Spawn Guy]

Will you really? :D
Only if you do it too.
nope not at all....ooo look! "what was that?" "that...that was a pidgeon!":lol:
http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/movie/spongebob/14.jpg
Out of ****ing nowhere it's David Hasselhoff!

[iris]

Only if you do it too.Well see now, that's not distraction, that's work! :x

[Spawn Guy]

Oh, all right! I'll cut both our fingers off! Happy?!

[iris]

Aw... and they say chivalry is dead! :D

[Spawn Guy]

It's not dead.

It's bleeding to death in the trunk of my car.

[iris]

You got Elvis in there too?

[Spawn Guy]

Wouldn't fit.

[Sage Ninja]

umm...yeah :ohwell: any way back on topic :roll:

I think I rather like the way the turtles are built in the CGI movie. Their physiques look sleek and muscular and more like that of a teenager. As much as adore the designs on the New toon turtles, they are far too beefy and muscular for 15/16 year olds. Honestly if I was going to base what i thought there age was based on their physiques, I would say new toon turtles are in their mid twenties :o .

My only gripe is that their feet look to much frog feet for my liking. :|

[TheShowstoppa]

I've got to say it too that they're only 15 or 16 years old. When I was that old, I used to weight lift everyday and run/work out. I didn't look like a beefy sumbitch. Given their age and the point in their lives, I think it would be a while before we see them BIG AND MUSCULAR!

[Draconic]

Heh, maybe in the sequel. ;-)

Have you ever noticed that in modern cartoons, 15-16 year olds have very pubescant voices, scratchy and annoying? But when it comes to the Turtles, they're already talking like Peter Brady at the end of the episode... weird.

Anyway... We know that the turtles were "babies" at the time of contact with the mutagen... what do we consider babies? 0-2 or so? They could in fact be (physically) 18 year olds... and when do Turtles hit puberty anyway?

...I wonder what a mutant galapagos turtle would look like...

[Sage Ninja]

Have you ever noticed that in modern cartoons, 15-16 year olds have very pubescant voices, scratchy and annoying? But when it comes to the Turtles, they're already talking like Peter Brady at the end of the episode... weird.

I like that the turtles don't have annoying cracking voice is changing, kind of voices. I like that their voices are deep and smooth with out that annoying squeak cliche that most toons give to adolecent males. Heck Even Leonardo and Donatello who have the highest voices of the four avoid that anoying crack in their voices.

I hope that their voices don't sound to high and squeaky in the movie.

[Warhorse]

People at work were talking about the new TMNT movie coming out. None of them like the the way the turtles are designed in this new movie. They do look skinny, almost alien like, and it could hurt the movie by changing such an important physique of the turtles. Guess we'll just have to wait and see from the mass audience reaction on opening day. Personally, I thought the turtles like they were was just fine.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Besides, at least they're not Nichole Riche skinny.

April on the other hand...

Her action figure looks like she's squeezed in with a corset.

[Spawn Guy]

That's just because there's going to be a tastefully done sex scene where Casey removes it and asks if she wants to clean his bat.

[Spike Spiegel]

Heheh lol!

Anyway, I think the Turtles look fine. They're like, sleek and powerful. They look like they would strike from the shadows...it's kind of reminiscent of the early comics...to me at least.

[Sage Ninja]

For me its no so much how they look, but how they look while in motion. I've seen mostly still shots of the CGI turtles and they look just fine to me. What I would get turned off about is if the turtles look alien like while they are in motion. I hope they move like human being with extremely advanced dexterity and agility, not frogs or something :sick:

[OldSchooler]

i thought this at first too but I have warmed to the look.

[CJStyles]

I thought it plays well with the teenage aspect of the TMNT, because in the beginning of volume one they weren't that big in muscle mass. Plus teenagers shouldn't be bulky

[Zelda]

Doesn't bother me any....they look fantastic in the trailer.

[Raven]

I love it, if I'm right it looks like they were inspired by alot of the first issues of vol. 1 of the comics when they were desiging them.

I like that they are this skinny because it makes it easier to believe they are teenagers.

[Turtleman100]

I think the turtles are ok big heads but still good. Then we have skinny people April, casey, and karai. Raph sai are to big. There up to has armpits. Splinter look cool. The design look great can't wait to see it.

[mikey2007]

no affense, by why do u keep starting posts, people talk about this stuff in other posts already, u need to read elsewhere before starting this discussion over again

[twopinacoladas]

I like the style, it reminds me of the first TMNT comic actually the pic in the other topic with leo and raph on the roof leo looks awesome.

[aabxx]

I love the bulky design of the 2003-series, but that does not mean I cannot love this design as well. Sometimes change feels good and it is easy to love different styles if you're just a tiny bit open minded about it.

In the movie they look more reptilian. They might look skinny but they do have the muscle tone and look like they could do some really fancy acrobatics! Anyway who're to say they're skinny anyway it's not like they're human or anything!

Anyway... I love the style, but I also love the style of the 2003-series and guess what i also love the style of the 1983-series, and i also love the style in every sort of TMNT comic... hmmm... I guess I dont really care much about the style then the most important thing is that they're the TMNT! :)

[Cascadia]

I think that the turtles look good. They look more like teenagers than they did in other genres. They also have a good amount of muscle tone.

[Spawn Guy]

Ultimate TMNT!

Not the comic, it's just that Ultimate Spider-Man is super skinny and now the guys are...yeah.

[Rooish]

Yeah, I think they look good. At first I was a little thrown off, but the designs have grown on me... as other people said, they look like the original comics and they look like teenagers. Now I just hope they act like the original comics...

[Sage Ninja]

Now I just hope they act like the original comics...

what do you mean by that? :|

[Rooish]

Well, I don't mean to start an argument, because I love the cartoons and movies for what they are. I first fell in love with TMNT from the old cartoon and movies. But the Turtles' personalities are changed drastically in those media, and if this movie wants to actually be faithful to the original comics like it claims it is, it should go back to the personalities in the original comics...

... Where Leo is hard and proud and bad-ass (not a goody-two-shoes like in the cartoons or a pushover like in the movies). And Don is philosophical and sensitive and serious, and Leo's second-in-command (not just the techno-geek or the one who jokes with Mikey). And Raph is impulsive and disobedient and angsty, but he's still sometimes a goof-off (usually the other media do an okay job with Raph, but he's only ever angry in those versions). And Mike is smart and playful, and maintains peace between his brothers, but he is still relatively confident and a hardcore fighter, although he occasionally needs saving (but he's not a idiotic spoiled brat, like in the new cartoon, or a stoner, like in the old cartoon--and this is coming from someone whose favourite Turtle is Mikey).

I think all of the versions of the TMNT are enjoyable and have great interactions between the Turtles, but if this movie wants to be faithful to the old comics, the characters should be written as such. I'll probably love the movie no matter what, though.

[Kendamu]

I'm all for this style. It screams "VOLUME 1" at me... kind of like the WB TMNT designs.

[mik8la]

I can dig them. They don't look skinny to me; Raphael in particular doesn't look skinny. I guess they'd seem that way if you were used to the new 'toon designs--which I don't mind, by the way; it's my current favorite incarnation of the turtles--but for someone who took figure modeling, their designs make sense. They look like teens, but incredibly fit teens who could kick your ass without trying. Maybe the animators beta-tested the turtles moving around in their bulkier forms, and found that it wouldn't fly.

And a big "hell yeah" to what Rooish said. As much as it pains me to say, though, their interpretations probably can't stray too far from original 'toon series--because, really, it's what the masses are most familiar with--but as long as they're more three-dimensional than how they've been represented in the old movies (particularly Leo, whose personality never quite surfaced even after three films), then I'll be happy.

[Rooish]

I can dig them. They don't look skinny to me; Raphael in particular doesn't look skinny. I guess they'd seem that way if you were used to the new 'toon designs--which I don't mind, by the way; it's my current favorite incarnation of the turtles--but for someone who took figure modeling, their designs make sense. They look like teens, but incredibly fit teens who could kick your ass without trying. Maybe the animators beta-tested the turtles moving around in their bulkier forms, and found that it wouldn't fly.

And a big "hell yeah" to what Rooish said. As much as it pains me to say, though, their interpretations probably can't stray too far from original 'toon series--because, really, it's what the masses are most familiar with--but as long as they're more three-dimensional than how they've been represented in the old movies (particularly Leo, whose personality never quite surfaced even after three films), then I'll be happy.

Thanks! I like how the Turtles look in the new 'toon a lot, but I agree that these designs work best for the acrobatics the boys will do. They are skinny but really muscular anyway, somehow. :) And I suspect that we'll get good character development in the movie, and that will be great... it's just that the characters might develop in a completely different way than they would have in the original comics. Ah well. Guess I should wait until I see it.

I really hope they develop Leo more, too. He was kind of neglected in the movies.

[Warhorse]

^I think they are gonna foucs quite a bit on Leo, judging by the leaked pictures. We get to see him exploring the world, and that in itself is just oozing with character definition.

And then we have the fight between him and Raph. Maybe this will show a unique side of Leo, on his observations on Raphael.

[mikey2007]

they look pretty amazing to me, when i first heard they were making a movie, i was scared of what they would make them look like, but no worries now *sigh*

[Jester]

Look on the bright side...they could still look like this:

[mikey2007]

Look on the bright side...they could still look like this:

THAT'S EXACTLY why i was scared at first(atleast of the picture on the right)

[Rooish]

LOL. Optimism is a good thing!

[mik8la]

Actually, the one on the left looks pretty much like the final design. The one on the right, on the other hand... :ohwell: But hey, they could've just as easily settled for the CGI designs from that Rainbow Studios 'pilot'...

I really hope they develop Leo more, too. He was kind of neglected in the movies.

He's my favorite, and yet I don't remember a single memorable line or thing he did (then again, it's been a while since I've seen any of the films). Sometimes I think I do, but then it might've been Mikey, or Raph, or Don. I think Leo would've worn a different headband color and no one would've been the wiser. If he's gonna get some actual screen time and a personality in this movie, I hope it's not because he's playing the foil to Raph.

[Warhorse]

Well, in the first movie, when they were all fighting the Shredder, Leo was the one that lasted the longest out of the four, and he was the only one that shed Shredder's blood on his blade! So I don't feel they neglected Leo in the first movie. They also showed him loosing his cool when he thought Shredder killed Splinter, and I think that showed how close he is to his sensei. I always felt that Splinter and Leo shared a special bond, and even though it was brief, the movie touched on that.

[mik8la]

Oh, well, it's been a while since I've seen the original movies. But the fact remains that I still can't remember any of those as being particularly memorable, at least compared to the other character moments. Leo's bond with Splinter was touched on, sure, but otherwise he was practically unrecognizable and his lines were interchangeable with his brothers'. (Though he wasn't the only one with that problem; Donnie seemed reduced to Mikey v2.0, but at least that was partially fixed in the sequel.) At any rate, I'm hoping that all four are presented as more than their personality stereotypes in the fourth film.

[Warhorse]

Wow, you can't remember Leo's fight scene with the Shredder? That was like the best fight scene in the movie, followed closely behind the fight in April's apartment and Raph's fight on the roof.

[VGiselleH]

When I first saw the teaser their "skinny" appearance looked freaky to me, but it grew on me almost right away. I actually prefer this look to any of their others. They look pretty (I'm talking about designs here), and I agree that their slim figure makes them look like believable teenagers. They still have plenty of muscle though, even the the guys that worked out when I was in high school didn't have muscle like that all over their bodies!

Karai on the other hand, lol, when I first saw her in the trailer I just burst out laughing. Not a bad thing though, it's cgi after all. But it just struck me as something intentionally overdone just to make it funny. I'm probably wrong about that, but I don't care, just means I get an extra laugh out of the movie ^_^

[Buffy]

I also thought they looked a little weird in the beginning, but after a while you don't see that anymore. At least they don't have an 'edgy look' like you see in so many CGI featere films lately (like open season, barnyard,...) :roll:

[Warhorse]

I don't know how many have been fortunate enough to see the new trailer on the big screen, but it does make a huge difference compared to our dinky computer screens.