New Kevin Eastman Interview about the new Movie and upcoming sequel

[Candy Kappa]

I actually really like that the turtles got their shells handed to them by Shredder. Considering Splinter is a terrible instructor who taught them "ninjutsu" from a picture by picture training book.

I love it that Splinter to defeated, cause they aren't actual ninja. Shreddet is, despite his adoptive almost-the-same-age son gave him a mecha suit with swords for fingers. I absolutely love that Shredder ridicule the turtles and Splinter.

[Myko]

Yeah Shredder is pretty much the only cool thing in this movie. The suit and battle scenes are pretty cool. Regular non-mecha Shredder would've been better though.

[Candy Kappa]

I hate the design of the suit, but at least it was Sacks who made the suit for Shredder during that timeframe of the movie. And Shredder himself, despite bei extremely underdeveloped to the point we don't even get his name, he had some nice lines.

I liked that he spoke for the most part Japanese. I hope that'll be a recurring thing in the sequel.

[B-Man]

Originally Posted by Powder

No hard feelings? I wasn't tryna make you feel ganged up on or anything. Just sick of this section still having drama & I guess I thought you were at the root of it. Not that it'd matter either way as I'm not helping anything myself. & I had considered getting the statue edition too, if only for the actual collectible piece. It's not so shabby & would be especially sharp with a custom paintjob.
For me, it's Leo. Raph only loses points because of that ugly mug of his. He's a dead ringer for George from Gremlins 2 (see pic). His outfit is the least offensive, though, for sure.

Yeah no worries and even as a fan of the film, the comparisons crack me up. This had to be done...



TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA GREMLIN SHREK BLACK NERD ED O'NEILL'S - THE MOVIE.

THIS SUMMER.

[TurtleTitan97]

Originally Posted by TigerClaw

True, Movies about the suspension of disbelief, I never like it when they try to incorporate real world stuff into movies, I go to the movies to escape the real world, and don't like being reminded of it on the big screen, Its the reason why we go see this big fantasy and scifi films, It gives you a chance to be immersed in them.

Okay, now you're just sounding silly.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by B-Man

http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a...12s2464777.jpg

Well can't argue with that.


(Wait, that's the Al Bundy guy?? Hey... lol Well I suppose there is worse. *cough*)

[pennydreadful]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Nah, it's definitely more Fact, this film series is the sh*ts. Like others have said, you have a unique premise like TMNT, and all you can think of to do with it is make it like everything else? Get the ever-loving f*ck outta here with that garbage. "Summer action movie". "Made for kids". "Suspension of disbelief". All I'm hearing/seeing is, "Lowest common denominator, paint-by-numbers, half-assed, half-baked f***ing garbage, with a metric f*ck-ton of excuses being made for it.

These people were not put in a difficult position. They were not tasked with spinning Straw into Gold; they started with Gold and they spun it into friggin' manure. They had 30 years of stories and characters to work with, and in the end, they came up with something that was so departed from the source, so badly-written, so clearly designed only to push plastic, so derivative of everything else being made nowadays, so unoriginal, and so much a waste of potential, it's absolutely sad.

It's not that it's not Perfect or even "no tas good as it could be". It's that it feels like they were trying to piss people off with this movie. Huge chunks of it seriously feels like the filmmakers giving fans the finger. There's just so much wrong with it. I can't for the life of me understand the enthusiasm a small segment of fans have. Because at least we got a movie? Who cares?! "It's just a movie". So what? Movies can be good and there's No Excuse to make a bad one, ever. Not with the money these guys are throwing around.

Look, to me, it's obvious that Bay resents being given franchises where he's expected to play within a world with pre-existing rules and characters. Because at the end of the day, he doesn't give a f*ck about characterization and the lore. He's made it clear at every opportunity that he gets, he resents the pressure that comes with what fans of the G1 and TMNT franchises expect from his treatment of the characters.

Bay wants to make standard brainless action stuff where the emphasis is on the action and not much else - and you know what, that's fine. Let the man go do Bad Boys and The Rock -- he does well with that stuff, it's the sort of thing his creative drive is geared towards, and when he's working with that kind of thing, he serves it up.

But take the 80s franchises away from him. He is not the man for the job and frankly, everything he does with TF and TMNT reeks of a petulant child pouting over the fact that everyone's not lapping up something that he's only even doing in the first place because he was offered obscene amounts of money to do so. He comes off as someone who expects to be given a gold medal just for showing up.

He's stated numerous times he never wanted to do Transformers - the "toy movie". Every single TF film, he states he's not doing another one, the dinobots are stupid, blah blah blah - then he comes back for another one, and oh look, it's the "stupid" dinobots in his movie. It is obvious he doesn't give a sh*t about the work he's doing - and if he doesn't, why should we? Yet we're the @ssholes for complaining. Sorry, but I'm over it. His attitude sucks.

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Part of where it trips over itself to me is, summed up, it was basically "We're aiming to make them/it super believable, we want movie goers to be able to believe this is real! ---- Now forget all that and suspend disbelief because we're taking reality to the next unbelievable level!"

This is so exactly it. They're meant to be more "realistic" designs, but then it's an action movie where we're not supposed to take it seriously? Basically, they keep moving the goal posts and putting the blame on the fans who aren't into it, instead of taking any responsibility for dropping the ball on anything that they've done. Nothing's their fault - not their writing, not their designs, not their casting - it's all the fault of the "hardcores" for complaining about white Shredder and Taking It Too Seriously and not realizing it's a popcorn flick, for the kiddies, yadda yadda, rinse repeat.

[Commenter 42]

Originally Posted by B-Man

Yeah no worries and even as a fan of the film, the comparisons crack me up. This had to be done...

http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a...12s2464777.jpg

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA GREMLIN SHREK BLACK NERD ED O'NEILL'S - THE MOVIE.

THIS SUMMER.

Ok, you need to share that larger. this I need a copy of

But, you should use this pic of Leo instead. The bundy-ness is more apparent

Spoiler:

[FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza]

I have always wanted to see "badass" TMNT also. I love the first movie and it still amazed me what they were able to do in those suits. The 2nd movie was still pretty good but the action was kept pretty slap stick... Tokka and Rahzar grabbing the Turtles and throwing them, etc. Not much for fighting which there was plenty of in the first movie.

This one did display good visual tension. The downhill snow scene was exciting but, again, it was just for popcorn as it's been said. Raph mentioned his shell was shattered and I cringed to see him roll into a hummer, thinking there should be repercussions from that impact. And I also agree on the bulletproof thing as its been said...
When the movie was on the horizon and we knew the Foot were para-military with guns, I was left wondering just how these behemoths would fair in combat against armed foes... and that's what we got. No threat. They are bulletproof. I suppose in some mutation thing, their shells and carapace come strengthen as their purpose in the real world is to prevent predators from eating them. But to literally show so worry or concern, able to jump in battle against 100 armed Foot and able to take them all out, wheres the threat?! They are not Godzilla. And if they are going to have that level of protective shielding, I think the threat level needs to rise. More than just a skirmish with Shredder.
Who, BTW, I dont believe they ever said why Shredder and the TMNT were involved... the story was around Sachs and O'Neil and how 'ol ball-Sachs screwed O'Neils family. Worst of all that's how she's fit in the TMNT mythos here and now Splinter introduces her as same sacred deity while every other male, Mikey included, is trying to get an eye full of her gnarly thumbs (that's all I can imagine they are looking at... her butt is ok, rack decent and face fairly average and shows slightly more emotion and conveying of thought than Kristen Stewart... and that's saying A LOT.)
Without the

Spoiler:

feud between Saki and Yoshi

what's the point of having Shredder? Did he raise Sachs? Is that what we were to think? I'm still holding out he's a Krang or whatever they do. He just kinda appeared and did things to the Turtles home and family without the convection we know Shredder to have... lets not forget that his first appearance was brief and Leo killed him with a sword after a battle that wasn't too fierce... IMO.
But if "Michael Bay" is the only reason they cant keep to their own rules, no number of sequels will fix this problem. This is where movies fall apart.
Highlander is a great example where the sequels seemed to forget certain "rules" set force in the original and thus you loose your audience because now you're expecting more from them then the audience might have the patience to bear.
There are a TON of other movies also, not just Highlander. Hell, Jurassic World seems to already be re-treading on previously set rules... and Terminator Genesis just looks like a mess ready to terminate all rules the original AND T2 sequel set in place.

Bay has said he makes movies for young boys. That's fine. However... he needs to realize in anything he directs or produces... it takes more than flash images to make a GREAT film. Will we be watching 2014 TMNT movie another 20 years from now? Probably not... I cant see his movies having any staying power... save for maybe Bad Boys 2. But I will guarantee that we will all be watching that 1990 movie still.

And if you're one who says this is your favourite TMNT movie... that's cool, but honestly give it time. I'm 30. I have seen I ton of movies and I own a **** ton of movies. I own movies I thought were the best things ever, only to watching them years later and realize they really are weak.
Likewise there are other movies I have grown to appreciate that maybe I didn't care about when I was younger. Now that I am older, I might get that movie more and realize the story is stronger.
I do not believe this to be true for 2014 TMNT. I think it's one that'll be a fun background movie to watch, at least until its sequel is on its way.

I can not knock the VFX of the film. The Turtles look great. Design aside... 'cus they look like giant Orcs from The Lord of the Rings... almost possible they could be passengers on Jabba the Hutt's sailing barge. But the believability of their presence wasn't an issue.

At the end you just wanna... pinch their cheeks, yea?

EDIT: Leo is the ****in' man again here. Well said sir.
EDITED: and pennydredful... BOOYA! Well said too!
EDITEDER: I really should have proof read this...but it's almost 3am and I'm far too tired to get too technical on this X_X sorry guys.

Originally Posted by DarthRaphael

My best response to this is ....... because Michael Bay. I agree that the movie should follow it's own rules but..... Michael Bay.

Originally Posted by TrickOrTreater

Yeah, Michael Bay. Bad filmmaker.

Also Jonathan Liebesman. Bad filmmaker.

And in this occasion Bay produced and Liebesman butchered/directed.

As Leo said, this is such a unique franchise. It was born of parody and satire but here we are, 30 years later and the film is being treated worse than any child movie that's come since. What happened to the cleverness?
Disney still makes kid movies and yet their movies are still adult enough to hold interest. TMNT made it's money but I can't believe it made new fans. I would probably have a bad taste in my mouth if I wasn't already a lifelong fan.

This is just coming up with excuses.
And I'm not one for defending what a movie should or shouldn't be. I love Speed Racer which many people found to be a pile of crap. I thought it was fantastic and held to the original tone characterizations from the 1960s anime. Yet it was panned and most people decided they couldn't see it unless they were stoned or tripping hard. I felt that movie was exactly what they set out to make and I find it is a stronger family/kid movie than this TMNT.

Being a "kid" movie shouldn't be a punishment. Doctor Who is considered a kids show in England, always has been. It's viewed as a family show since literally generations of people still watch it. Oldest the youngest, Doctor Who has a balance of being more than just what it should be.
TMNT has clearly proven that it appeals to all demographs (except maybe the elderly... but that could be us in the coming decades). Most of us were there at the start at varying ages... I was born in time to watch the cartoon while others already were starting high school and jobs and we able to buy the comics. 30 years have past with so many incarnations and now I talk to kids under 10 who LOVE the TMNT in the same way I always have.
WHY is this film, then, treated at it's lowest common denominator?! Who gave this franchise (and Transformers) to Michael Bay?! We have JJ Abrams directing visually stunning tales of space exploration in 2 franchise, along with giant monster/kaiju films. Del Toro is another director able to achieve grand vision to the big screen... lets not forget Scott Snyder who is able to create visually visceral films (see: Man of Steel and Sukerpunch). Ridley Scott has proven he is a force of sci-fi storytelling and then Luc Besson, I believe could do amazing things as a fan of comic books growing up (attention to Leon the Professional, The Fifth Element). Why couldn't we get directors like this on TMNT? and the writers?! Oi...

Ironically I have been watching A LOT of Kevin Smith talking (documentaries and stand up) while I'm taking a screenwriting class. He didn't take the Green Hornet when it was offered to him because it wouldn't be HIS film. There are investors who have money in the film. The film is expected to do this. They need a quota of big Hollywood names. Everyone has a hand in it and everyone has something to say. Smith wouldn't be able to use his guys 'cus the studio wanted to use X writer, X editor, etc etc.
He turned down Green Hornet because it wouldn't have been HIS movie. He turned down Superman Returns because he didn't see it the same as the executives... he saw it as a long time fan like us, while the studio just wanted to see dollar bills. Kevin Smith even went on to say the guy he had to talk to about Superman insisted there be a GIANT spider in the 3rd act of the movie. Smith didn't do that. Both guys left the project. That guy went on to work on Wild Wild West... 3rd act a giant metal steam-powered spider appears.

Unless we are blessed with another indy developer... this could be the best we get, sadly.
We need a Dark Knight treatment to revive this franchise for the Hollywood market.

[B-Man]

Haha nice sig Commenter 42

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza

Bay has said he makes movies for young boys.

The man is missing his calling. If he wants to focus on a young male audience only, then he needs to do something along the lines of a Lego movie, but use Matchbox of some other brand of toy cars instead, and it will be an entire movie devoted to the cars crashing into each other and digitally added in explosions.

He'd not only hit is target audience, but with all the explosions he'd be happy too. And he wouldn't have to deal with the pesky problem of properties that belong to a bigger audience than just little boys.

Then leave TMNT and other wider appealing subjects alone dammit...

[Leo656]

People who "Get" the "Speed Racer" movie are, generally, among the wisest of people.

[The Boston Ninja Turtle]

Originally Posted by Ramboraph4life aka Matt

Seeing a shadow throw a giant container I guess = badass? Because that's what you get in the first 20 minutes of the movie. That's it.

dont forget the game of fruit ninja in the opening speech

Originally Posted by pennydreadful

[url]

Bay wants to make standard brainless action stuff where the emphasis is on the action and not much else -

ive always wondered how many people realize Bay started out making Victoria secret and car commercials


ever wonder why Car chase and Hot babe scenes are always the best looking in his movies

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by The Boston Ninja Turtle

ive always wondered how many people realize Bay started out making Victoria secret and car commercials


ever wonder why Car chase and Hot babe scenes are always the best looking in his movies

Seriously? Well that explains a lot. He needs to go back to that and leave everything else alone.

[Lou 500]

I'm really split upon Kevin's overall attitude towards this film:

I want to shake my head at how uncaring he seems but at the same time I ask myself: If I had a franchise I created and it became successful enough for it to become a film, cartoons and sell s***loads of toys, would I challenge the descisions made and kick up a fuss? Because at the end of the day, it's a franchise about talking shinobi terrapins and it's got him securely banked for life.

But as a fan, I just want to scream "How can you sit back and just pretend to accept this?!" He's turned into a sell-out, but can you blame him? If I were in his position I may very well do the same.

[Leo656]

Everyone is different and everyone's feelings about their own IP is different. Some people are just happy they get paid, and other people feel very protective and a real sense of ownership over what they created and don't want anyone screwing with it. For every Eastman, there's an Alan Moore.

I see both sides of it, but I'm more of a Moore type (although I think he goes way too far and doesn't often consider the feelings of people who are fans of and admire his work). I've never created anything commercial, but the few ideas I do have and have toyed with, be they characters or story ideas or what have you... In my head, they're a certain specific way, and if someone else was to "interpret" those ideas in a completely different way, I'd be furious, because they would be the same in name only, completely separate and disconnected from the personal thoughts and experiences of MINE that were integral in creating those characters/ideas. They might look and appear the same superficially, but would not, in fact, BE the same, and I'd have a real problem with that. So I "get" the Moore approach of, "Nobody touch my toys, they're mine." There's definitely a lot of good reasons for that approach, even if it's a little selfish.

That said, I also see the Eastman approach of, "This is all a lark, and all I ever wanted was to pay my bills and if people are getting a kick out of my brand, great." I think it's definitely more a capitalist's view than an artist's view, but I have no problem at all with capitalism. My problem is that, he thinks, or seems to think, or acts like he thinks, that he knows/cares what TMNT fans want, and, he kind of doesn't. He seems to think everyone who is into TMNT is as emotionally divorced from it as he is, even though a lot of people take this stuff very seriously. It bugs me that he exaggerates or flat-out lies about things just to get people on board with a project because he knows fans will listen to him, and that he, in turn, will make even more money that way. I think that's irresponsible and shady on his part.

I want to like the guy, I mean, I'm grateful, but it's hard for me to like someone when I can't take anything they say without an entire shaker full of salt, and when it genuinely looks like they'll say Anything At All as long as they get paid. It raises certain questions of integrity. But then... a lot of people who worked with him at various companies would also raise many questions about his integrity, so I guess it's no surprise.

[IndigoErth]

Yeah, agree. It's perspective I guess. You want to make a career in something and succeed, well you obtained the goal of making an income from it.

Although at the same time, if I had some little random concept that ended up beloved by so many for 30+ years and watched it "grow up" over that time, it would probably also be pretty close to my heart as well, not simply be a paycheck.

But... maybe after so long people simply get tired of their product at some point and become detached.

Edit: They're lucky to have found unexpected success with these guys and been the ones to bring them to life, but if dealing with years of deadlines and TMNT 24/7 makes a person tired and detached... I'm glad I'm just a fan.

[B-Man]

Anyone see that Screen Junkies video where they interviewed him at Comic Con & brought up 'Coming Out Of Their Shells' as a joke & he took it as them bringing it up as a positive? I reckon he genuinely does love anything to do with TMNT and/or tries to see the good in all of it. Who knows.

[Leo656]

I definitely see a positive side to his approach - and he definitely seems happy and secure in himself and all that, while on the other extreme, guys like Moore always seem miserable.

That said, it's kind of weird how many people have gotten very real, very powerful and uplifting things from TMNT, it has been a huge influence in their lives, partly because it's NOT just a shallow, toy-centric kiddie property... and yet, one of the guys behind it treats it like it's all a laugh and it's inconsequential. I'unno, it's weird.

[Ramboraph4life aka Matt]

Originally Posted by B-Man

he took it as them bringing it up as a positive? I reckon he genuinely does love anything to do with TMNT and/or tries to see the good in all of it. Who knows.

No, because Eastman will gladly talk crap/make fun of Secret of the Ooze at any chance he gets. And yet he's ok with Coming Out of Their Shells? Or a new film that has boner/farts/turtles dancing & twerking in an elevator? Or Next Mutation (cause I've heard him say positive stuff on that)...and yet to him Secret of the Ooze is the worst (I've seen footage of him bashing that flick).

And yeah, I know it's his opinion. I just think his opinion Sucks...that's MY opinion.