Thoughts on the new movie!

[Fledermaus]

I suppose I should have posted this in here, so here is my killer-monster-long TMNT review. I couldn't bear to write something longer on this movie, and you'll find out why if you read on.

WARNING!!!!! SPOILERS AHEAD. There is a "safe" version of this on page three of this thread.




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HERE it is!



Overall, I think this movie was at least as good as the 1990 TMNT movie, though for its own, unique way. I somehow... somehow, prefer this approach to that used in the first movie, but I think that's just because I tend to be a little "special" myself, so I'm told. (Animator's insanity. We all have it. ) The movie felt , more than anything, like it was lifted directly out of an actual classic TMNT comic -- complete with a ridiculous over-the top main plot, rich, meaty family dynamics, and great action scenes.

My feelings as I walked out of the theater with a huge smile attacking my face: "My God, that was totally awesome!" The other thought: "How the ****in hell did that work??? I demand answers!! NOW!!!!!!"

It really shouldn't have held together so well. It had no right to. This is everything your film critics and your teachers tell you you shouldn't do when you fit a movie together. It was insane. Completely insane. No, I take that back. There were insane elements dispersed throughout the film, though they were by no means the utter core. They did not overwhelm the tone, but rather added to it. I note the opening sequence: it basically kicked you in the face with it being completely "off its rocker," and the opening narration and the SHOTS were so overtly cliche, the scale so over-the-top I can't imagine how it wasn't aware of its absurdity. I was laughing so hard by the end of that beginning sequence there were tears coming out of my eyes and I'd developed a six-pack.

There were these absolutely crazy elements that were somehow balanced out by slower, quieter, scenes. For example, I think of that gorgeous Leo and April sitting around the fire. That was the first huge breather from all we'd seen before. And there was humor: though it was quite different from the humor of the first film, it was good. The theater laughed many times at the intended comedy, some not-intended. (Mostly the irony that naturally arises from this sort of plot.) I really liked the turtles at breakfast. That scene was just brimming of great voice acting, comedic TIMING (and timing is everything...), animation, and dialog. Every character was involved, yet it was so simple. For reasons like this, I dare not dismiss the film or try to sum it up in one simple package. It's not.

Okay... other aspects. Oh yes: I actually agree with one particular reviewer who described the movie as being "Totally out of its freaking mind" -- though he overlooked the parts where the movie took itself very seriously and concluded that it was "awful." But at the same time, it had... drama, beauty, and most importantly, it took itself seriously. I remember director Brad Bird talking about the importance of a movie that isn't a comedy to take itself seriously, no matter how absurd things get. Irony -- including comedic irony -- is a secondary result of this approach, and this movie gave that to us in wonderful doses.

But you can't just blindly dismiss the movie as crazy. It's also -- well just look at the family dynamics and the fight between Leo and Raph. There is so much intensity, a deep sense of self that gives energy to this strange, strange concoction.

And the visuals, the designs... wow, did I underestimate this movie. Forgive me for my skepticism. The first 10-15 minutes of the movie, as someone said, were not up to the same level as the rest of the film, visually. Aside from that opening explosion of a billion running bodies, the look was new, different from any CG feature-length film I'd seen before (with the one major exception being the designs for the monsters and the males of the movie, who I'm sorry looked like clones of Bob Parr. I almost wonder, with so many design and animation strengths, I wonder if people just "ran out of time/resources" on some things. This is another thing keeping I loved the colors, the textures, the shadows, the renderings, the very "film noir" appearance. This is something I'd hoped for even before I knew a new TMNT movie was in the works. Over all, the film was really gorgeous. At times, as others have also said, I forgot I was watching a CG film. I know, I know TMNT hasn't TECHNICALLY reinvented the wheel. But I hope this movie gets some sort of recognition for its visuals. the animation quality wasn't always consistent in the movie however -- and I only mean this in the subtlest of ways. Then again, great animation is subtlety. Anyways, it is different than Pixar animation. I won't say better or worse, as far as enjoyment or believability goes -- only worse in that it feels a less polished, conceptually, that if only there had been a little more time and resources, it could have been pushed to its full potential.

To sum up the thoughts of my raging inner critic: the infuriating thing about this movie is that, I think, it is extremely difficult to define. I feel that one can't just pinpoint something and call it the rest of the movie. TMNT is not constructed like a typical movie, despite it's seemingly "cliche" plot. It doesn't resolve in the conventional way, in my opinion. The unorthodox continuity and story progression is both "weakness" in that it alienates viewers who expect something to unfold in a particular way... and it's a unique strength in that it is more truly itself... Oh man, I know you're all probably like Raph right now falling asleep when Casey fumbles over explaining strange feelings. The logical part of me loathes saying this because I can't explain it yet in painstaking detail: This movie does its own thing. It does not lend itself well to definition and that is why it really bothers some people.

Though I have to say -- I haven't met anyone at my college who thought the movie was bad. I've heard from most people a similar reaction: it was very strangely a very enjoyable movie. Everyone in the auditorium applauded at the end, yet it was for one of the WEIRDEST reasons of... I'm running out of ways to say this. I talked with my friends afterwards over a midnight pizza. We were all very surprised at how wonderful the film was -- not because it was TMNT, but because there was no way we could see it coming (the fulfillment). It's similar to the feeling I got, actually, when watching Pirates for the first time. It's just really good fun.

I'm still of the opinion that, at this point, if word of mouth gets around, and if other forces come into play, TMNT could turn into one of the most beloved films of the franchise. Excellent job, Kevin. You've crafted a film worthy of representing its title. Sorry for the erratically written review, but if I spend any longer trying define this movie, I'll go nuts.