Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.
... View MoreThis movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
... View MoreAmazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
... View MoreThere is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.
... View MoreThis crossover is one of the worst I've ever seen. The movie is hateful and disrespectful to the original 1987 Turtles. They are portrayed as complete blithering buffoons. The entire movie from beginning to end is just, "2003 Turtles are awesome! 1987 Turtles suck! How could you like those morons!?" Different characterization is gone, the 1987 turtles are reduced to Mikey clones whose every last bit of intelligence is stripped from him.Before everyone says, "But the 1987 turtles were like that!" let me tell you: no, they were not. Although the 1987 turtles show degenerated over time, it was much better in the beginning. This crossover movie takes the worst they could find and then dialed it up to 11, while bringing in nothing of the good stuff that made people fans of the original show; while at the same time, doing the opposite with 2003 Turtles show.It's hateful, and absolutely disgusting to sit through.
... View MoreThis is excellent craftsmanship, which understands the finer and the not-so-subtle points of cross-over. And it does so with enough self-irony to make this movie a real enjoyable trip, by taking the whole idea far beyond the meta-level.It is literally a full cross-over of the 1987, the 2003 TV animated series and the original black and white comic of 1984. The 1987 version is the most cartoon-ish one, which had a much younger target audience, than the other two versions. The 2003 version aimed at young teens, while the original comics, quite sinister and rough, sometime even brutal, were created for mature audience.In this movie, all of the drawn series* (in style, tone, plot, lingo and background) really merge together. One of the funnier things as an example is, that in the 1987 series, the fourth wall is often broken by the turtles talking to the audience, making silly remarks or moral statements, whereas that never happened in the 2003 version and so the 2003 characters always wonder who the 1987 turtles talk to, and the black/white turtles narrate as they did in the comics. The black and white version makes fun of the colored headbands, the 2003s are annoyed by their 1987 brethren silliness and they even start to refer to each other in their style distinction.*It does not take any TMNT Manga (the Japanese versions of the franchise) into account, or I just missed the reference.I would say that this is a true homage to Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It certainly closes one chapter of my (admittedly never ending) childhood, by taking me on a - somewhat nostalgic - trip through teen memories*, giving them a worthwhile ending, the one it never really got back then...*Just in case you are wondering, I grew up with the classic comic TMNTs in my early teens, saw some of the 1987s, but did not like it due to its more childish style and I have seen some, but not really followed the 2003 version much. But I know enough to connect them in this movie.So all the small sentiments are a nice touch, but the real genius, I think, is an ironic, reflective re-wind through the history of its own existence. In a more morbid interpretation, it seem to be like the legendary flash-back of ones own life, in the moment of death, packed into a movie. In this case, I mean the cultural death of a legendary quartet of mutated Testudines. Indeed, I have not seen or heard much of the turtles lately. They have become a passing memory, almost eager to be replaced by the new heroes of todays media and culture.The reason I deduct a point from perfection is the finite tone of the movie. Almost to the point, where you could interpret it as a depiction of self-pity, composed of its own demise; if you the more cynical type.If the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' have ever been, no matter how small, a part of your childhood or teenage pantheon of heroes, you should really watch this, which is more true, if you are familiar with all the styles. Even the hardcore comic fans that may despise the whole TMNT-franchise, will find gratification, because the film takes the viewer back to appreciate its own origin. And with that, it also makes us think about origins, including our own, which closes the circle to our childhood or teenage heroes, that may have had an impact on us - although I am still not sure, how much influence the turtles had, beyond my occasional craving for pizza.If 'TMNT' doesn't mean anything to you, you will probably not understand much at all; and neither the drawing style, nor the plot will be enough to satisfy a casual viewer, not by todays standards anyway. But I do believe that this is intentional, to keep the cross-over true to its originals, mixing the different versions very harmoniously. The 2003 TMNTs did seem to have had a bit of a polish tho, which may just have been done to better separate them from their 1987 counterparts.All in all: COWABUNGA!
... View MoreHaving grown up watching the old 1988 series, it was great to see the specific characters of the turtles and their villains then, in the universe of the new more serious turtles that kids watch today. The whole thing is animated well and has an interesting enough storyline. The only thing I slightly disliked about this movie, was that the older versions of the characters, both good and bad, are depicted as being somewhat helpless in the 21st century Turtle universe. They mostly get the goofy lines and carefree attitude. However, to be fair the old show was never as serious as the newer one apparently is, and there were excellent tributes to the old show. One running gag in the movie I really enjoyed, was that the older turtles would sometimes direct their attention to the viewer, which would confuse the 21st generation characters. At some point a turtle is actually asked; "Who are you talking to? There is nobody there!"Although there is definite goofiness and corniness present, this movie offers a nice look at the turtles through time, and is a nice way to end this saga of the turtles (as Nickelodeon is apparently planning to make the next show fully CGI).
... View MoreI was a kid when the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series came out. I was, to put it lightly, a fan, as well as for the first two theatrical movies. It's this young-inner- fanboy that had a "Cowabunga!" at the news that they would be brought back for one time only to the new 21st century show. I thought it would be just one episode, but as it turns out it's really a fond goodbye (for at least now) to the franchise of cartoons. It's premise brings both universes, and then some, together like this: a trans-dimensional portal has opened thanks to 1988 turtles bringing them into the 2003 turtle universe, and with them the Technodrome and Shredder and Krang the brain. But as it turns out, the Shredder from the new 2003 show - not really called Shredder but something like Ch'rell, comes back to life and plans to wreak total havoc on not just the turtles present but ALL of the turtles from the dimensions and incarnations by going to the source: the original Eastman-Laird comic- verse. Yeah, it sounds confusing, and a little too geeky to get into, but somehow it works. It should be interesting to see the reactions from fans of the 2003 animated series, or just younger folks, who aren't as familiar with the 80's animated series let alone the original comics. It's a blast from the past though, and the kind of movie that would probably be interesting to watch with young kids with their parents who may have grown up on the show themselves. We get the wacky (and sometimes just stupid and goofy) antics of the old turtles, but contrasted with the self-serious newer turtles (who do have their own merits as a ninja-style show) it makes a lot more sense and the two even compliment each other. It's like watching an awesome evolution given homage and a new creative story like something out of Roger Rabbit: what happens if the entire dimensions are destroyed by means of cutting off the source? Everything, it would seem, would just disappear. There's plenty of solid action, corny one-liners, and some genuinely funny scenes (my favorite was the old-school April having to be saved by a banana monster, among other creatures), put against a backdrop of cool animation, and some mocking of both young and old. It works, more or less, as its own self-contained movie, and as a lasting tribute to the boys in green.
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