Brian Tee talks the Shredder

[Galactus]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entert...11-column.html

There was something about putting on the Shredder costume for the upcoming sequel to 2014’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” that made Brian Tee feel different. He obviously looked different. The Turtles’ arch nemesis is known for his menacing, blade-covered samurai armor and metallic helmet. But Tee also found himself standing differently.

Tee said seeing himself in the full Shredder costume was “surreal” — even if it wasn’t technically his first time dressing up as the Foot Clan leader.

“When you’re Shredder for Halloween as a kid, and now you get to play him, it’s like a childhood dream come to life,” Tee said Monday at a party for NBC’s “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.” and Chicago Med” at STK Chicago (Tee stars in “Med,” which premieres Tuesday). “I must have been 8. It was around when the comic books first came out, I believe, in ’84. I was a big reader. I loved these turtles that were somehow mutants and teenagers and they were ninjas. How cool is that?”

Shredder was played by Tohoru Masamune in the last film, and various actors — including “Magic Mike” actor and former WWE Superstar Kevin Nash — in the original films in the early ’90s. The Turtles film featuring Tee as Shredder is scheduled to be released June 3.

“My Shredder is definitely a little different,” Tee said. “I think he’s much more grounded in reality, in a sense. In talking to the producers, writers and director, they really wanted to put a face to Shredder, which they never had before. Shredder has always been kind of behind the mask. They want Shredder to be a grounded human being that’s a bad (expletive). Hopefully that will shine through.”

Tee said the preparation for the role was more mental than physical.

“As far as the build, definitely a lot of weights,” Tee said. “A lot of training. But it’s more about an essence and a presence, because he’s the baddest … out there. He just has to exude that. … That’s what I really worked on.”

Just like most of the changes from the previous movie to the current one it sounds like an improvement until you really think about it.

While Tohoru Masamune's role was minimal and obviously his personal wishes for where he wanted the character to go don't mean anything when he is on the lowest end of a very long totem pole I always appreciated that there was at least one person involved in the movie who seemed to do some legit research into the franchise and knew enough to give interviews about it without sounding like he was bluffing his way through a subject he knew little or nothing about.

I can't help but roll my eyes at the idea that we've apparently never got to know Shredder behind the mask. Even if your only frame of reference was the Fred Wolf show there was still enough presented of Saki behind the mask (both literally and figuratively) to be noticeable. Heck the Yoshi/Saki rivalry was a fairly big deal when the show was at it's peak of popularity.

While this new Shredder maybe more "badass" it doesn't seem we're getting any of his backstory. I've said this before; I can see they are trying to please us but I don't think they understand what fans are upset about to properly do that. With the last movie they caved and gave us an Asian Shredder which was probably Oroku Saki (great) but didn't include any of reasons why we wanted Saki in the first place. It's the same deal with the character being more grounded in reality which I take to mean there will be no mech suit. On the one hand I think it's something of a step in the right direction which is where it should have began but in principal there was nothing wrong with Shredder having mech armor in fact it's been used a fair bit in the franchise prior it was just the execution with retractable flying blades all over was too over the top and perhaps worked his way up to it.

As far as I can see they are hearing fans but not really listening. Tee may look like a better Shredder on paper but he doesn't sound it. Not unless Tee starts saying some very different things in subsequent interviews.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Oroku Saki is a vicious man consumed by hatred and rage, who just happens to have a pretty badass set of bladed armor. What the hell is so hard to understand about that?

[IndigoErth]

Time will tell, I guess. At least he sounds like he's familiar with the character he's playing, even if he himself unfortunately probably has little say in how it's portrayed, written, etc.

Originally Posted by Galactus

As far as I can see they are hearing fans but not really listening.

I think it's like talking to 1-year-olds. Hearing what's said, but not understanding what 2/3rds of the words mean.

[Powder]

Sounds like they're gonna go the 4kids route of More Saki, Less Shredder.

Ninja masters > Evil businessmen

[CyberCubed]

Just as long as Shredder doesn't look like a Transformer with 10 blades sticking out of his hands like last time.

[Technogeek29]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Just as long as Shredder doesn't look like a Transformer with 10 blades sticking out of his hands like last time.

Fear not we shall receive what one calls "subtlety" and I mean that in the loosest sense of the word. But I will gladly smile at being wrong.

[Commenter 42]

I agree with Galactus, but the larger point is that we don't have a single ingredient in this abomination to inspire hope. They don't understand the material, nor do they want to. The Producers are incompetent, and cheap. The director is green - literally. They've hired C list actors and below, so as not to upstage their prize pig. They botched everything; the design, the story, the photography, editing - everything the first time out, made every mistake they could, and still walked away with a profit! Not only did they profit, but they exceeded their own expectations.

We'll get lip service, at most.

I'm expecting SOTO spliced with TF:ROTF.

With Warcraft being what it is, expect B&R to look really silly.

[Wildcat]

So this is just nitpicking an interview? No new pics, trailer or reveals...we need something to complain about, right?

They "caved" gave us Saki because of so many people whining over a different version of Shredder that probably would have fit better into the movie since there is no Yoshi/Saki feud in this incarnation.

But, but a different version of tmnt that exists totally separate from the comics, cartoons and old movies? That in turn all exist separately from each other? wait...Turtles Forever! Haha saved!

[Shark_Blade]

I'm sure he'll do just fine.

[Bry]

Originally Posted by Galactus

I've said this before; I can see they are trying to please us but I don't think they understand what fans are upset about to properly do that. With the last movie they caved and gave us an Asian Shredder which was probably Oroku Saki (great) but didn't include any of reasons why we wanted Saki in the first place. It's the same deal with the character being more grounded in reality which I take to mean there will be no mech suit. On the one hand I think it's something of a step in the right direction which is where it should have began but in principal there was nothing wrong with Shredder having mech armor in fact it's been used a fair bit in the franchise prior it was just the execution with retractable flying blades all over was too over the top and perhaps worked his way up to it.

As far as I can see they are hearing fans but not really listening.

That seems to match with the pattern so far -- they totally misunderstand the property, make various bass-ackwards creative decisions, then run arms flailing in the other direction when they get a negative reaction. But at no point do they seem to learn or gain any understanding about how the characters or their story really work or what their appeal is.

Time will tell, I guess. But we've already seen this play out more than once during BayTurtles' production cycle.

[Leo656]

But see, it's fine, because a couple other versions of TMNT have happened to suck. So it's perfectly fine that the big-screen version that's going to define the franchise for the next decade is a huge piece of sh*t, because occasionally, there were other versions that were also pieces of sh*t, even though nobody really saw or remembers them. See, Next Mutation sucks, for example, but it exists, thus it's Just Fine that the movies are f*cking dog sh*t, because there's precedent.

Or so a few would have you believe.

[Etsyturtle2]

I hope they have some form of the helmet, I wanna see a new helmet to match the new suit. It looks good. And while I'm a fan of the first pd movie, shredder was definitely overdone.

[Foombamaroom]

There are two main points I wanna cover.

1. Stop with the 'It's grounded and it feels like Shredder' thing. It's not Shredder. It never will be. The whole point of Shredder is that he's a man fueled by hatred for Hamato Yoshi. Hamato Yoshi didn't make an appearance. That is a HUGE issue. This will never be the actual Shredder, only some guy dressing up like Megatron ****ed a swiss-army knife.

2. Change his design, please. You can't tell me that the Transformer we got in the first movie was grounded and realistic.

[TrickOrTreater]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

Oroku Saki is a vicious man consumed by hatred and rage, who just happens to have a pretty badass set of bladed armor. What the hell is so hard to understand about that?

Because this movie is being made by no talent hacks with little to no understanding of the franchise they're adapting, and with zero care for it.

I'm willing to bet an actual real dollar bill that when they say "badass and grounded" they mean "bland and boring".

[Bry]

Originally Posted by Foombamaroom

Stop with the 'It's grounded and it feels like Shredder' thing. It's not Shredder. It never will be. The whole point of Shredder is that he's a man fueled by hatred for Hamato Yoshi. Hamato Yoshi didn't make an appearance. That is a HUGE issue. This will never be the actual Shredder, only some guy dressing up like Megatron ****ed a swiss-army knife.

Well, that was the truest truth that ever... uh, truthed?

TMNT without the Yoshi/Saki feud as backstory is just broken on a fundamental level. It's like Spider-Man without Uncle Ben, Batman without his parents' murder, Superman without Krypton exploding. Those are the moments/details that everything else spins out from, gives motivation to the characters, and informs who and what they are at their core. It's essential, first-step plot stuff.

Which means this is Platinum Dunes:

[d_osborn]

Originally Posted by Etsyturtle2

I hope they have some form of the helmet, I wanna see a new helmet to match the new suit. It looks good. And while I'm a fan of the first pd movie, shredder was definitely overdone.

I would be willing to bet that the helmet will be there.

[massakre]

Originally Posted by d_osborn

I would be willing to bet that the helmet will be there.

LOL of course the helmet is there! Anyone who thinks it isn't didn't just read the interview. Brian Tee was overwhelmed WHEN HE SEEN HIMSELF AS THE SHREDDER.. Iam willing to bet he wasn't overwhelmed at a shot of himself in a black ninja suit with no mask on smh.. come on now.

[Shark_Blade]

He must've looked so badass. Can't wait.

Look forward to see his caliber acting as Shredder.

[HeroTurtlesFan]

Sounds interesting to me. Really looking forward to this film.

[shuriken]

Here'e hoping it will look and be a better portrayal of Shredder. But once you go Megatron Shredder, can you really go back?