The TMNT 2014 movie opinions

[Meowazziel]

I am curious to what others their opinion is on the TMNT 2014 movie.

I will write down my good and bads about it and I would like to hear yours as well.

Maybe you can comment on mine?

The good:

The looks in general of the TMNT turtles. They really look like reptiles.
Realistic and not funny cartoonish. I really like this look for a movie that is not drawn like the animation/cartoon series.

They wear clothing. Pants and such.
I think thats a cool new addition. They are humanoid after all.
They really look different in charisma, in face expressions, shape and size.
Donatello glasses. Awesome.
He has a nerd like look and voice. Especially his geek laugh in the slide down the snow hill snow chase was awesome.
Leonardo his samurai like armor. Awesome.
Raphael huge muscle size with different worn bandana. Awesome.
Mickey has a real Mickey look. His face, charisma, fits his personality really well.
Master splinter looks cool too.

Cool to see the turtles as kids in the movie.

Some cool fight scenes and awesome snow chase.

I loved Splinter vs Shredder.

There was some good humor in it as well.
Like the bra/shell billboard for example.

The bad:

They messed up the story.
Usually Splinter is either Hamato Yoshi, Hamato Yoshi in a previous life or Hamato Yoshi's pet rat.
In all these cases, he has learned ninjutsu from someone.

In the 2014 movie, he just finds a book about ninjutsu in the sewers and becomes a ninja master with it (instead of a book about renaissance where he got the names for the turtles from in some incarnation(s).
Sorry but becoming a ninja master from reading a book that coincedently (lol) fell in the sewers just feels silly to me.

Shredder didnt have much of a link to Splinter/Hamato Yoshi in this movie. Usually Shredder is Hamato Yoshi's adoptive brother/student or the muderer of Hamato Yoshi himself after he reincarnates as a rat or when Splinter is Hamato Yoshi's pet rat.

Megan Fox does not fit the role of april. Not saying she is a bad actress, but her type just does not fit with the character of April.
Will Arnett does not fit the role of Fern Fenwick for the same reasons as Megan Fox not fitting the role of April.

Raphael his sunglasses on his headband.
They never fall off? His looks are already cool enough with him being so muscular and large, with wearing his bandana differently.
Those sunglasses are just overkill up to the point that it ruins the character's look some for me.

Donatello his techno gear.
Him wearing all sorts of techno stuff is cool, but I think they should have tuned it down a bit (as in more practical for fighting). They went a bit to far with it. I cant see it being practical in a fight. There is just to much stuff (to large objects) that can get hit and destroyed during a fight.

Overall:

I think the movie had so much potential.
However the bad outweighted the good for me up to the point that the movie couldnt really grow on me.

I am still curious about seeing Rocksteady and Bebop in the half shell movie coming out in 2016 though.

[Candy Kappa]

You can check out the Platinum Dunes section and you'll find several threads regarding the 2014 movie

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/forumdisplay.php?f=43

Personally. I did not enjoy the movie.

[Meowazziel]

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

You can check out the Platinum Dunes section and you'll find several threads regarding the 2014 movie

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/forumdisplay.php?f=43

Personally. I did not enjoy the movie.

I will.
I havent found a good+bad+overall and do you agree with these points or not thread in there though, so I dont think that my thread hurts as addition.

[Commenter 42]

Oh, but it does...
Oh, but it will...

At this point I think we're all spent, but if you're looking for trouble, you're asking the right question.

[Powder]

Yeah, you haven't looked hard enough.

& we've been over this so many times, it's driven people to a point of madness that has gotten tens of users banned. So it's for the best we not retread this tired ground again...

[Autbot_Benz]

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=53284 What did you like about movie thread

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=53019 Worst part of the turtles

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=48565 Official Reviews of the movie.

These should answer your questions on what people liked disliked etc

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

I'll just stick around and see if this thread implodes... the potential for entertainment is lurking just offstage.

[Meowazziel]

Well let the thread than be closed and removed.

[Bry]

But yeah, to be serious -- this ground has been well-worn by now. I don't see a problem with a discussion thread, even a complaints thread, but they always devolve into flame wars (and lockdowns), so unfortunately it's prolly best not to have that conversation.

Like the other fine folks said, there've been a number of threads on the topic over the past year and change, and if you're willing to poke through the defensiveness and screaming and name-calling, I believe there are even some good analyses/critiques in there somewhere.

[myconius]

one thing i can honestly say about the 2014 movie is i did enjoy it for what it was, and really hope they improve upon it with the sequel.

though i did enjoy their casting voices of the turtles.
Donatello especially was perfect!
and before i found out it was Johnny Knoxville as Leonardo i was very impressed with what i'd heard of his performance in the previews.

[TMNT Kirby]

Their giant size was the only thing that bothered me especially now that they are bringing Bebop and Rocksteady in the next film. I always imagined that they always were bigger than the turtles. If they still make them larger than the turtles they are going to be gigantic.

Otherwise its nice to see a different take and it was fun to watch and can not wait to see Casey Jones!!!

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by TMNT Kirby

Otherwise its nice to see a different take

I confess that I'll never understand this logic. I could repeatedly rather watch the "same old thing", forever, as long as it was good, and never, ever want for a completely broken "fresh new take" that's only "credit" was that it was, indeed, "fresh and new".

I'unno. Sometimes new and different pays off, but I'd say it completely did not in this case. Especially since all of what was "different" about it was made that way for absolute superficial "Why Not?" reasons, and that should never be the reason anyone does anything.

Meh.

[Bry]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I confess that I'll never understand this logic. I could repeatedly rather watch the "same old thing", forever, as long as it was good, and never, ever want for a completely broken "fresh new take" that's only "credit" was that it was, indeed, "fresh and new".

I'unno. Sometimes new and different pays off, but I'd say it completely did not in this case. Especially since all of what was "different" about it was made that way for absolute superficial "Why Not?" reasons, and that should never be the reason anyone does anything.

Meh.

Totally agreed. Surprise!

There are ways to rework elements of the characters, plot, and/or backstory while still staying true to the spirit of the original. Merging Hamato Yoshi and Splinter into one character has happened off and on since the '80s, and while it alters the dynamic a bit, it doesn't completely change it -- because the creators of the various adaptations (the ones that worked) understood that the Yoshi/Saki feud is essential, and even if things play out differently plot-wise, there are certain plot and character beats you can't just throw away and expect the rest of the thing to still work. The IDW comics have even introduced reincarnation into the story, but they managed to keep everything essential pretty intact, and that's the whole reason it works anyway.

Nobody's saying they have to retell the exact same story again and again. Of course there will be updates and alterations, but there has to be a good reason for them, and they have to be thoughtfully planned out in a way that makes sense for the property and its story.

It should pass a "one-liner test". Boil the basic plot of the franchise down to a short summary, like so: "Accidentally transformed into humanoid mutants and living in the sewers of New York City, a rat sensei named Splinter and his four turtle sons become embroiled in a deadly ninja-clan rivalry from Splinter's past". That's the basic, floor-level TMNT plot, right? You can take liberties with the details beyond that, but that needs to be your guideline and followed closely. Almost every TMNT adaptation follows it... and BayTurtles doesn't, not entirely. Which is why it feels so "wrong" to a lot of fans.

I'm all for updating/altering the non-essential details where it makes sense. We've seen a ton of that in this property's history and its fans are generally on board with most of it. But if you're changing the details to the point where it breaks the most basic story, you're not doing "something new", you're doing something that's just not TMNT at its core. And at that point, why even bother? Just do something else if you want to do something else.

[Autbot_Benz]

This whole thread is just

[Kurvos]

Well, if you would like my full opinion on the 2014 movie, I actually uploaded an audio review on Youtube once to explain why I don't think it's as bad as people make it out to be: https://youtu.be/XSqdANS_rvQ

[MissTique]

I pretty much agree with what Meowazziel said. When I saw the film, I honestly didn't have much expectations from it, knowing that Michael Bay had a hand in it.

It had its good moments and its flaws but a few things that REALLY bugged me were:
1. The color of the movie was so drab! One can hardly make out that the turtles are actually greenish.
2. Splinter's changed back story. One can become an expert martial artist just by reading one book about the subject? Really?
3. Shredder's outfit. It was too bulky, like it was on steroids. Reminded me of the "super-Shredder" from the second live action movie. I would have preferred a more sleek and ninja-esque Shredder rather than someone who looks like a Transformer.
4. The plot was basically lifted from "The Amazing Spider-Man" 1 and 2. Just too many similarities.

[Kurvos]

Originally Posted by MissTique

I pretty much agree with what Meowazziel said. When I saw the film, I honestly didn't have much expectations from it, knowing that Michael Bay had a hand in it.

It had its good moments and its flaws but a few things that REALLY bugged me were:
1. The color of the movie was so drab! One can hardly make out that the turtles are actually greenish.
2. Splinter's changed back story. One can become an expert martial artist just by reading one book about the subject? Really?
3. Shredder's outfit. It was too bulky, like it was on steroids. Reminded me of the "super-Shredder" from the second live action movie. I would have preferred a more sleek and ninja-esque Shredder rather than someone who looks like a Transformer.
4. The plot was basically lifted from "The Amazing Spider-Man" 1 and 2. Just too many similarities.

... okay, your first reason is just ********. The movie was surprisingly colorful to me, and I could make out all the colors on the turtles perfectly fine.

And when it comes to number 2, I explained in my audio review I linked to why I think that's a silly argument to make. We don't know if that's the only thing he learned martial arts from - just that it was what inspired him and sparked his idea for it. For all we know, he could have been doing other researches after that.

[Powder]

The film itself is overly saturated, yes, but the turtles themselves are rather dull. I guess that's part of the "realistic" approach. A minor quip. That opinion isn't what I presume to have been written as "bullsh*t", it's just a matter of preference. You don't feel that way, fine, doesn't mean it's not fair to say. As for number two, nobody's got time for audio reviews, if you want to discuss something, write it out. & headcanon has no purpose in the validity of origin. They made it quite clear what their martial arts knowledge came from. Anything beyond that is the filmmakers responsibility to divulge, it's not for you to simply pad out with imagination. As it was presented, they got it all through that book's teachings.

You're new here, & by coming around this section of the boards you've popped in the cartridge & gone straight to the "hard" difficulty setting. Tread lightly, because this particular topic has been a high point of contention. Lotta people getting hostile over different tastes getting into fights & finding themselves banned. Keep it respectful & rational if you're gonna beat this dead horse up some more.

[MissTique]

Originally Posted by Kurvos

... okay, your first reason is just ********. The movie was surprisingly colorful to me, and I could make out all the colors on the turtles perfectly fine.

And when it comes to number 2, I explained in my audio review I linked to why I think that's a silly argument to make. We don't know if that's the only thing he learned martial arts from - just that it was what inspired him and sparked his idea for it. For all we know, he could have been doing other researches after that.

Someone started a thread and asked others to share their opinions about the topic, which is what I did. You are more than welcome to agree or disagree with my opinions, or share your own opinions. But hurling insults at me just because you don't agree with me is clear proof of your immaturity.

P.S: Pretending that the whole world has heard your audio review is second proof of your immaturity.

Originally Posted by Powder

The film itself is overly saturated, yes, but the turtles themselves are rather dull. I guess that's part of the "realistic" approach. A minor quip. That opinion isn't what I presume to have been written as "bullsh*t", it's just a matter of preference. You don't feel that way, fine, doesn't mean it's not fair to say. As for number two, nobody's got time for audio reviews, if you want to discuss something, write it out. & headcanon has no purpose in the validity of origin. They made it quite clear what their martial arts knowledge came from. Anything beyond that is the filmmakers responsibility to divulge, it's not for you to simply pad out with imagination. As it was presented, they got it all through that book's teachings.

You're new here, & by coming around this section of the boards you've popped in the cartridge & gone straight to the "hard" difficulty setting. Tread lightly, because this particular topic has been a high point of contention. Lotta people getting hostile over different tastes getting into fights & finding themselves banned. Keep it respectful & rational if you're gonna beat this dead horse up some more.

Thank you for supporting me and being the voice of reason and responding like an adult. Nice to see that chivalry isn't completely extinct.

[Candy Kappa]

If we're gonna talk colors. How about, how draw and boring the Turtles skin colors where, more or less plain green with bare minimal paintings. Considering they (on-screen at least) was presented as Red-Eard Sliders, and the makers patted themselves on how "realistic" the Turtles was, there was little color variant ions to have. Especially when the game Out of the Shadows had some really nice color markings on the Turtles that was distinct, varied and yet noticeable but also subtle enough not to be distracting for the viewer.

The textures on the PD Turtles where nice. Standard, generic reptile with rough scaley bits, but so boring colorwise. Maybe it's because post Blue Door, they where originally coined to be Box Turtles (early Lego bio, actual line in the movie and the overal physical creature design in the movie). But even most Boxies have some color to them.