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04-08-2022, 05:24 PM | #21 |
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Because some versions amount to little more than a cash grab. Not that there weren't such versions before the Viacom buyout, it's just fairly noticeable under Viacom.
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04-08-2022, 10:17 PM | #22 | |
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If stuff like the Bay movies or the current state of IDW sincerely makes people happy, well... That's awful. Those People have no standards and as a society we shouldn't be in the business of catering to those with no taste. Nothing good comes from that. Of course, a strong case can be made that TMNT was ALWAYS "bad" and we were just too young and dumb to notice. I can't really dispute that - it's absolutely one of the "dumbest" things to ever become super popular - but I do maintain that at the very least the 1990 movie and the old video games are of quality, and that the first season of 4Kids was one of the better cartoons of its era. I'd say those things are objectively "good"; I can't really say that of anything else in the franchise, though. Except for the toys, obviously, but then it's pretty hard to mess up toys. Then again, in recent years Playmates found a way to screw THAT up, too. By far, 99% of TMNT media makes me outright ashamed to have ever cared about this brand at all. I don't claim it publicly anymore, and since it's very clear that under Viacom each new version will continue to be worse than the last, I for one would love to see the brand put out of its misery once and for all and just be a toy line. That's its ONLY remaining value and it can still do well in that space for a long time thanks to nostalgia. Any and all other media promises to be horrifying. I don't want to see it. I don't even want to acknowledge it. All the fact that "SOME people like it!" does is remind me just how stupid people are. And that's depressing. It's funny how in general, people tend to agree that "It's better for things to just stop before they become terrible", whether it's a TV show or movie series or whatever. And YET, if it's something they liked when they were 6, "It needs to be around forever so future generations can enjoy it!" Ridiculous. Hypothetical "future generations" are under no obligation to feel love for a thing that stopped being any good before they were even born. What it's REALLY all about is peoples' fear of getting older and the fact that they - like the cartoons they watched as kids - will soon be irrelevant and forgotten. Well... Tough sh*t. That's life. And in life, when something turns sour, you throw it out.
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04-09-2022, 01:06 AM | #23 |
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Actually, there’s a fair amount of objectively good tmnt content lately.
The Neca figures are the best figures the brand has ever had, with great sculpts from movies, games, comics, cartoons, you name it. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for figures. Shredder’s Revenge promises to be an objectively good game, judging by the developer’s track record. The Last Ronin is doing what made the franchise popular in the first place by just being a really good comic. And it’s from the original creator - how many ongoing franchises are still being influenced by their creator, in a positive way? It’s a rare thing. Barely any of our favorite pop-culture characters have had that privilege, 35+ years after creation. It gives a very strong argument that it’s one of the few franchises of it’s ilk that shouldn’t end. Kill something that’s nothing but a corporate toy-seller, like He-Man. That thing never had a soul. There’s no one behind it with passion on the level of something like TLR. Then there’s the little bits here and there like Injustice DLC or Batman vs TMNT (wasn’t for me, but pretty good by most accounts). 2012 was a good children’s cartoon. Still fits with the modern era of the franchise. All the reprints from IDW, with commentary from Peter and Kevin are great to have. Image TMNT reprinted in glorious color. Those are just the top off my head. No reason to obliterate that stuff from existence. I do not think the franchise has been handled to it’s full potential. It’s been sort of a drag overall since Nick bought them. I don’t think it’s fair to say there’s nothing good coming out of it though. I find it so easy to just ignore the stuff I don’t like and enjoy what I do like. I don’t lose sleep if a bad tmnt movie or cartoon comes out. I ignore it and move on with my day. Roll the dice, screw it, could be great. Worst case scenario? I ignore it. Best case scenario? Something good comes out of it. It’s really that simple for me. I’m not about to cry over the so-called desecration of a kid’s/young adult property. It’s just not that serious. That’s how I see it. Last edited by AquaParade; 04-09-2022 at 01:25 AM. |
04-09-2022, 06:23 AM | #24 |
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Yeah, I don't think anyone is really denying that some good stuff has been released under Viacom's ownership (and I should probably switch to saying Paramount since that is the current name of this entity), it's just that much of the potential has been stifled.
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04-09-2022, 07:55 AM | #25 |
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I'm still getting used to calling them Paramount.
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04-09-2022, 10:55 AM | #26 | |
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I agree that much of the potential has been stifled, unfortunately. I really do believe that the 2014 film had all the potential in the world. The bases were loaded. Comic book films were on the rise, people were ready to take them seriously (even stuff like GotG), and the opening weekend numbers proved that there were plenty of fans waiting in the wings. Had that film lived up to it’s potential, I think we’d be in better shape right now. It could have been a positive “flagship” for the franchise. Once that was squandered, it was like there was nothing to look to for leadership, in terms of tone. The 2012 cartoon was the most successful element of the relaunch. Not a bad show, but not the leader we needed. |
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04-09-2022, 02:13 PM | #27 |
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I kinda think it's a bit too optimistic to cite the NECA (or even Super 7) figures as "proof" the brand is doing great and has a bright future. They're admittedly great-looking BUT 99% of the fanbase can neither find or afford them.
It's great that they exist but it's still an incredibly niche product that only a very small subsection of the fanbase can partake in. What the brand REALLY needs is a decent direct-to-retail line. For as much sh*t as people here talk about MOTU, that brand has THREE retail lines running simultaneously to varying degrees of success (although I stand by my thinking that such a thing is simply not sustainable long-term; doesn't change the fact that they're making it work for now). And on top of that, they still have their Collectors Only lines of $1000+ statues and whatnot for the rich hardcore fans. So they're catering to every section of their audience, from very young kids to the 40-something doctor and lawyer crowd and everyone in-between. So it's good that TMNT has the hardcore collector crowd covered, but they haven't been successful in the regular retail space for a decade and that's a problem. And no, I don't count the NECA figures "technically" being available at retail stores as them being a "retail product", because they're still very obviously a collectors' line based on their price point and relative scarcity. I'm talking about how they would benefit from a quality line of $15+ action figures and stuff for the mass market that anyone can go to Wal-Mart and buy for their kid. Although for that, they'd most likely need to have someone other than Playmates do it, and that's highly unlikely at this point. Most of what Playmates puts out for TMNT anymore has been awful, and that's really holding them back I think. When even MOTU and G.I. Joe have a significant presence at retail 35 years after their prime but TMNT has none whatsoever, that's a huge hole any way you look at it. I'm not even sure who to blame. Probably Playmates, I guess. Their movie figures and Rise figures were horrible, did not sell at all, and probably killed retailer confidence in the brand. I'm sure when the next movie comes out they'll do another mass-market toy line; we'll have to see how it does, I guess. ------------ Agreed that the movies really sh*t the bed and ruined the momentum for the entire brand. There's no telling where things would be right now if they'd done something other than... THAT sh*t. Arguably worse than the movies themselves is the fact that SOME people responded very positively to them. Which means that there's no longer anything anyone can say when someone comes at them with, "You like TMNT? HAH! That sh*t is so stupid." Because Those Movies are all the ammo anyone will ever need to "prove" that TMNT is stupid and that if you like TMNT then you're stupid too. After those movies came out I never brag about ever liking TMNT anymore, because I don't have the patience to constantly clarify "No, no, just the old stuff, I HATE the new stuff." People just assume you like all of it since a LOT of TMNT fans are of that "I like all of it just because it's TMNT" variety, and they make us all look bad. Those movies pretty much ruined everything for everyone. Given how "decades too late" sequels are all the rage in Hollywood right now, and further how most of them do well, it's amazing that nobody's talking about making a "real" sequel to the 1990 movie. I have a feeling that THAT movie might actually light a spark if anyone were to make it. I admit there are a ton of logistical issues involved (How much time do we pretend has passed? Do we acknowledge that the original was in 1990 and this one is 20XX, or do we just keep it all purposely vague and pretend it's only been a little while in between? Just for example), but as far as style and tone go there's not much better they could aspire to. Sadly, all Viacom knows how to do is make them goofy and aim them for little kids. So suffice to say, based solely on precedent, my hope for the future is dim. But eh, I guess we never really know. My personal well, however, is dry.
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04-09-2022, 03:36 PM | #28 | |
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That’s different than saying “the brand is doing great”, which is pretty much the opposite of what I said. Just to be clear. I agree that the figures are somewhat niche. That’s not great for the franchise, but it’s fine for me. |
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04-09-2022, 04:24 PM | #29 |
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I mean, okay, "good stuff" is nice but how much does it mean when most people who want them can't have them?
I'm a huge MOTU fan and the various lines of $1000+ statues are absolutely gorgeous. But I can't get excited about that stuff since I'll never afford them. I'm glad they exist, but from where I stand, they "may as well not". What good does it do me, personally? Likewise, TMNT and all of their $50+ per figure "toys". I forgot to go to law school so I can only admire them from afar. That's most people. So they can only ever achieve a certain level of market penetration. I'm sure another proper TMNT retail line will come out one day. If it does well, that will be great news for everyone. But given how badly the last few lines did, it's by no means a foregone conclusion. But the brand can't sustain itself indefinitely on collector's figures alone, no matter how great they look. The market's too small.
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04-09-2022, 04:30 PM | #30 | |
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That's true, at those prices and are hard to find as they are, they might as well not exist. Can't get em anyway.
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"I was down with TMNT once, but then they changed what TMNT was. Now what I was down with is no longer TMNT and what TMNT now is seems weird and scary. And it'll happen to YOU." Check out my blog for Comic Reviews and other things. https://markepicblogofrandomness.blogspot.com/ I also started The AEW Crew, the All Elite Wrestling Fan Club! https://www.facebook.com/groups/637508120044168/ |
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04-09-2022, 04:40 PM | #31 | |
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04-09-2022, 04:53 PM | #32 |
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I'd end the series where it began... some kind of world ending problem arises and the turtles defeat the enemy by going backwards in time to their original creation but die in the process... end scene shows the kid coming out of the pet store, with his bowl full of baby turtles, walks by the "camera" & then a loud crash and everything fades to black.... with a slight green glow edging into the frame. Maybe a multiversal ending... tie in all current & previous versions & boom. The end.
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04-10-2022, 07:05 PM | #33 |
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I would end it after the 2012 turtles ended. I recently watched that series for the first time all the way through and I thought it was pretty good. I love what they did with Napoleon Bonafrog.
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04-10-2022, 07:14 PM | #34 |
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Hey Leo656 have you ever given the 2012 series a chance? It was a really great addition to the turtle's legacy.
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04-10-2022, 07:42 PM | #35 |
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I tried. There were elements I kind of liked but on the whole I did not like it. The things I didn't like got worse as it went on, apparently. A competent kids show but very very far from what I want for many reasons big and small. I kind of see why some people like it so much but I didn't.
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04-10-2022, 07:45 PM | #36 | |
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04-10-2022, 10:07 PM | #37 |
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Making Mikey and Casey too dumb kinda ruined for me. Yeah, Casey's a kid, but they didn't have to make him a dumb kid.
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"I was down with TMNT once, but then they changed what TMNT was. Now what I was down with is no longer TMNT and what TMNT now is seems weird and scary. And it'll happen to YOU." Check out my blog for Comic Reviews and other things. https://markepicblogofrandomness.blogspot.com/ I also started The AEW Crew, the All Elite Wrestling Fan Club! https://www.facebook.com/groups/637508120044168/ |
04-11-2022, 02:21 AM | #38 |
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I think Casey was at his worst by the end of Season 3 (Looking at you "This is awesome!" moments after the Earth was destroyed), but I think Season 4, especially the back half, did a lot in terms of fixing him.
It should also be noted, upon rewatch, when you don't have to wait months in between each episodes, the character dynamics and certain arcs that were tedious the first time around flow surprisingly well and work better overall. The 2012 show really was "written for the trade" as it were. |
04-11-2022, 04:24 AM | #39 |
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CG shows in general rarely age well. There's just something about them where they kinda lose what made them entertaining to watch besides maybe Jimmy Nuetron. TMNT 2012 I remember somewhat enjoying but it's always had issues that got in the way. I feel that if I try going back to it, I might not enjoy it anymore.
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04-11-2022, 05:18 AM | #40 |
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The main problem I see with the 2012 show is that the core plot just didn't work, it relied on things looping back around and sudden developments to move the plot forward. Had it been more competent in crafting it's plot, it probably would have been a lot better. One could blame Nickelodeon execs or Playmates meddling for some of the show's flaws but I don't see how they would be responsible for things like "killing off" Splinter several times before he was killed off for real. And to be honest, had the show gone on for another season, I could totally see Splinter get reincarnated as a lab rat who mutates and then that whole thing is reset as well.
The show has a lot of other flaws too of course, a few contradictions, poorly aged CGI, inconsistent characters like Tiger Claw, obvious matte paintings, etc. It's just that some of those problems might have been easier to excuse if it had a story that worked. |
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