Writing Point of View of the 2014 TMNT Movie's Script
 

Alright, it seems the Objective Point of View for the 2014 movie thread didn't really work as it was a finished product and had way too many subjective elements but one thing seems to be universal in that the script was really bad. I mean really really bad.

I will always call it the 'bastard child of blue door' or 'April O'Fox Rules the Universe' but hey that's me :twink:

Seriously though, I actually think we finally have something we can discuss objectively without letting our own personal opinions get in the way. We all know what good writing is and have seen it many times in other incarnations of TMNT but this movie didn't have it and many people can at least agree with that...you would think. So if we can, let's forget about designs, execution, acting, Megan fox, etc.. and try to keep this from a writing point of view only.

So, here it is:

What was so bad about the script/story? And What Specifically didn't work storywise and What Specifically Did Work storywise (If Anything and I mean Anything)?

I still think that what we got is better than what we could have got. The movie just needed more rewrites in the story and dialogue department.

You'd certainly like to think so, eh True Believer? :tcool:

I'll start with "Villains' Scheme Made No Sense For $500" just to be semi-On Topic. Y'all can take it from there, there's certainly no shortage of things to discuss.

Plot holes, unnecessary origin changes and other junk aside, prob one of the script issues that bugs me most is the perspective. It's the Turtles' movie, but the perspective followed April as if it was hers.

Case in point:

Releasing dangerous toxins that are colored in such a way you can easily see where it originates from, and it's being released from the top of the building that belongs to the company that will miraculously bring the cure. I see no flaws here...

I just...I don't even know where to start.

Not a thing made sense in this movie.

They were either sh*tting on the Turtles or they were sh*tting on filmmaking as a whole.

Now I will never defend this movie's merits on plot, even though I did enjoy.

However, it's worth nothing that both the 2nd issue of the Mirage comic and the first episode of the Fred Wold toon ("Turtle Tracks") were both stories seen almost entirely from April's perspective. She was the protagonist in both of those instances until we (the audience/reader) became more familiar with the Turtles.

Which would have been fine.

And yet, the movie CONTINUED to be about Megan O'Fox.

Where as the first movie had April and then, literally about 5 minutes later, we introduce the Turtles and the movie becomes theirs.

THIS movie took...what? 20 minutes for a full Turtle reveal? And even then, as I said, the movie continued to be about Megan.

Which sucks even more because the VERY few decent moments this movie had, you can count them on one hand and even then they're marred by sh*t somehow, were from the Turtles.

Script was definitely the worst part of this movie

I think we should just rename the TMNT Movie thread into Lets make numerous topics and Bitch about the 2014 movie.:roll:

And of course it's only bitching if it doesn't line up with your opinion, right?

Of course.

The script sucked.

Well if that's the case then no bitching about anything at all ever. That includes bitching about people's bitching.

We could...but this is SPECIFICALLY about the Writing and NOTHING else which a lot of people think was pretty bad not just for TMNT but from a simple story telling point of view so I think voicing what was bad about the writing isn't 'bitching' at all.

It was just a lazy, lazy script with no heart. I still can't believe 3 people got paid to write it. Like everyone says, where do you even start on this topic, there was just so much wrong with it.

I get suspension of disbelief and "heightened reality", but a film has to obey its own rules of logic. You can't have Raph say he can't help because his shell is cracked then a minute later have him use his cracked shell to smash into a vehicle. Same for April, if she's so desperate to prove the turtles exist to her boss then why not show her the photo she took? Or when she rescued these turtles who were effectively like pets to her, why not take them home, why dump then in the sewers? Everything was done "because it looks cool" (Raph shell smashing the truck) or because it was the easiest way to get the characters to where the plot (and I use that word very loosely) needed them to be.

One of the biggest crimes against TMNT fans was the complete removal of any form of antagonistic relationship between Splinter and Shredder. If they felt the need to tweak/update the origin that's fine, but don't take out something that CRUCIAL and put NOTHING in its place. They spoke and acted like they had a history that the script did nothing to support. It didn't even hint at it. Even if Sack's had been Shredder there was nothing there (that was all given to April). There was no reason for animosity between Splinter and Shredder (and by extension between the TMNT and the Foot). Instead of being personal they fought simply because the TMNT were the good guys and the Foot were the bad guys. There was no depth. To quote April it was all just "froth".

And please don't say "it's for kids". I've seen plenty of kids movies that are better and more intelligently written than movies aimed at adults. This is an insult to kids intelligence.

I person had no problem with the film regarding the script, The Script has gone through many changes over the years. I'm not really a hardcore movie buff that relies on how scripts are done when it comes to films. I just enjoy the movies for what they are, Entertainment.

Anyways, With a sequel coming in 2016, They can improve on it by writing a good script this time around, The 1st time was an experiment that needed revisions, This time, They know what they got, so they can improve on it and fix it in the sequel.

Yeah, that's just bad sequence of events right there... Was there no memory of what had been written shortly before it or too hard to reread and fresh the memory of what's going on before continuing the write? It was his brother that was being pursued, electrocuted, knocked unconscious and needed help. Smashing into the truck soon after just unfortunately made it look more like a disregard for his brother. :ohwell:

Although I did enjoy it being Donnie who went after Leo to help him. There just should have been a better reason - or no need for a reason - that Donnie went.

Dear turtle god I hope so. They will regain some small measure of respect from me if they are willing to take up some humility, pay attention to what's been said and discussed online, including the critical stuff, and learn from it and apply it. If they however choose to dig in their heels and take an arrogant, flippant attitude, then they deserve all lack of respect they'll receive for it.

They had a reason. Raph's shell was cracked.

Then they completely ignored that reason a few minutes later in favor of ANOTHER slo mo action scene with Raph, who, minutes ago, said he was very injured.

They won't. They've been rewarded for sh*t and now they'll probably care even less for the sequel.

Well, I mean more that the remark, seeing as how it's forgotten soon after, seems to exist solely as explanation why Donnie goes instead of Raph, when in all fairness to Donnie there shouldn't have to be a reason for him to "be the badass for once," just go be it. If that makes any sense.

Oh it does. The script writers are just not good at writing.

After all, they were also responsible for Blue Door.

Nothing made sense? If you were able to understand what went down in the movie then that is a lie.

2 + 2 = 5

It doesn't make sense but if we saw it we'd still understand that whoever did it was trying to do addition.

Understanding a simple, dumb story("what went down") is quite a bit different from story/plot/character elements that make no f*cking sense.

I don't have the time or the patience to humor you and hold your hand and go through every little stupid bullsh*t inconsistency this movie vomited forth.

Right now.

But I promise you, I'll down some advil, watch the movie again, and make a long, long list of all the things that didn't make sense in this stupid, crap movie.

Or maybe the Everything Wrong With youtube channel will do it for me. Cross your fingers and toes.

I actually can't wait for the "Everything wrong with..." video, it should be funnier and better than the actual movie (and probably about as long :tlol:)

Even though I got some enjoyment out of the film, the script was definitely a big problem for my "adult" mind. I tried not to dissect it so much while watching. The plot was pretty weak. Kinda choppy, but we all know why. It's been pretty well established that they scrapped the original script during filming and patched it with a new script. This is the result. The best you're going to get. I recall news sites calling it a chaotic production.

Kinda wish Honest Trailers would have done one too. The Transformers one was unbelievably hilarious.

And that revision was a revision of ANOTHER script.

They probably should have rewrote it again. With different writers. And producer. And director. And distribution studio. And cast. And crew.

Same here. It's gonna be hilarious.:tlol:

Could certainly believe it with the way they were supposedly working down to the wire on this one. Deadlines are more important than final product I guess.

Hope we can spare the Turtles actors though (sans Knoxville), along with their stunt/action doubles. That bunch did rather well (imo), even if the writing, directing, etc surrounding them was lackluster.


Likewise really hope they do one of those "Everything wrong with" videos. (Though will expect some serious tantrums in it's comments... lol)

I don't really watch those videos, Those videos are made by film snobs who are nit picky about everything in films.

Yeah, you prefer the reviews from nasally geeks who praise everything. We all have our biases. :trazz:

Alright, I really can't remember much of this movie so I'll just start from the beginning.

Michelangelo was changed for the sake of change or to be edgier or whatever. He's supposed to be the most pure of heart and the innocent one of the four brothers where his attraction to April from the 1990 movie was charming not lecherous but for some reason PD thought it would be cool and relatable to teens if he were to do say and do stuff that would get any other teen or adult a restraining order. Way to set an example guys.

As someone who has had to deal with guys like this towards friends and family, my experience is 99.9% of women do NOT like to be treated in this way and it not only pisses them off but also it pisses guys like me off that they THINK they can. The fact that Megan Fox NEVER does anything about it is her way and the writers way of saying it's okay. Doesn't work in the real world like this So it SHOULDN'T in movies especially that kids watch. Seriously it was practically Frenzy humping Fox's leg again and her being okay with it.

That was definitely in the writing so yeah that's the first thing that didn't work. I'll think of more things and expand as I try to remember the movie but quite a few other things have been said like the origin, april centered movie, not showing the photo, Raph's sudden healing, the whole tower bit etc..

I will though also add the physics, you have them being able to throw a freaking shipping crate but can't move a single human being in armour, Raph's sunglasses was just lazy graphics but that was definitely in the writing.

It was Wheelie Humping Fox's Leg not Frenzy :P

I hear ha. I really liked the turtle actors (except Knoxville, he just don't fit), although Alan's voice is great as long as he doesn't do the Batman/Tough Guy voice, which was something he did most of the rum time, sadly.

And even if the writers made Mikey into a creepy, border-line rapey niceguy. I really like Noel, his voice, and he took the time to learn how to use the Nunchaku, which makes it a big bummer that Mikey barely uses the 'chucks properly in the movie. Heck, when Shredder disarms Mikey and used the chucks for a couple of swings, he was doing more Nunchaku action then Mikey did in the whole movie...

Shows what I remember from the sequels of Bayformers :twink:

no worries I remember those movies pretty well :p

I remember being told over and over again that the Turtles totally weren't throwing shipping containers at the Black Ops Military dudes in the trailer, that that was ridiculous and Liebesman/Bay and company would never pull that.

Not only do they actually throw shipping containers that, empty, weigh around 8,000 lbs, Megan O'Fox SAYS THAT THEY DO OUT LOUD.

And I was told over and over again that they wouldn't do it in the movie.

Good times, good times.

I'm glad I got two hands, because you both just got an extra-hard High-5.

I feel bad in that, touching on what someone else mentioned, a lot of the actors went to the trouble of actually learning to properly handle their weapons, and seeing the final product, you go, "What was the point?" You don't see enough to make it worth all the effort.

My guess? I bet there were originally to be a lot more martial arts scenes when the script originally called for mutagen-jacked Foot Super Soldiers to be part of the threat. People saw some of that stuff being filmed, so I'm guessing they all got prepared for something that ended up being left on the cutting room floor once they started booking it on the fly near the end.

Know what else I remember?

That promised Hari Kari scene between Shredder and a "Foot" member.

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind...

You could say that about literally anything, no matter how bad. But in practice, it's just a way to dismiss valid complaints - just be happy with [Bad Thing] because at least it's not [Worse Thing]!

Sometimes lousy is just lousy. Lousier will always exist, but that doesn't make lousy any better.

By any measure, the script for this movie was utterly broken. Badly written. Objectively.

Oh yeeeeeaaaahhh... wuzzup with that, anyway?

Really does seem like the one and only thing rock-solid from Day One was the snow chase scene, and everything else was kind of tacked together around it like a collage or something. Little bits added and subtracted and moved around until you're not looking at anything coherent at all anymore, just a patchwork quilt of madness.