Bad or Good? My Thoughts on The New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie

So as most of you have probably figured out, I'm a big fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise. I loved the original comics, the 2003 show, and the 2012 show. I played with my brother's Ninja Turtle action figures as a kid, I have all three live-action movies and the CGI movie on DVD, and I have a fair amount of Ninja Turtle merchandise.

So you would think that I would be completely excited about the new movie that's coming out this year.

Well . . . that's what this blog post is about. I have some serious misgivings about the movie and also some hopes. So let's get started.

Reasons Why The New TMNT Movie Could Be Terrible

Source: idlehands1.blogspot.com

1. Michael Bay is Involved
I know that he directed Armageddon, but he's also been responsible for some pretty bad movies (cough cough Transformers), and the fact that he's involved in this project means that the movie could share the same fate as his other movies.

I just don't really like Michael Bay's style and he doesn't put a lot of thought into the characters or the story. For him, it's all about the special effects. So the fact that he's involved in a movie adaptation of my favorite TV show has me pretty edgy.

2. Megan Fox is April O'Neil
Some of you know that I can't stand Megan Fox. I honestly have never liked a movie that she was in. She doesn't strike me as a good actress and I feel that she's just there to be the sexy chick who appeals to the crowd that these types of movies attract. And the fact that she's supposed to be playing the first human that the turtles meet, a character with a lot of potential, really bugs me.

My worst fear is that the character April O'Neil will degenerate back into the useless character that's just there for sex appeal when I know that she can be so much more. And with Megan Fox playing her, that prospect seems so much more likely.


3. The Shredder is not Japanese
This may not seem like a big deal, but for those who were fans of the story, it kind of is, but not for the reason of race. For us, the Shredder has always been Oroku Saki, master of ninjutsu and leader of the Foot organization from Japan.

The fact that this new Shredder is being played by William Fitchner means that the Shredder probably won't be from Japan, which means that the story is going to be a little different. And in my experience, when a director starts messing with a story that's been around for a while, especially with key characters, things can get ugly really fast.

4. The Story is Being Changed
Similar to number 3, we've seen some changes to the story in this movie, mainly with the idea that the April's father and the Shredder used to work together, and that the Turtles came from this project. This potential change doesn't worry me too much since I could see this working, but the fact that they are changing things in the story is a possible bad sign. It could work out, but it could also end very badly as well. At least they abandoned the whole "The Turtles are aliens!" idea.

Okay, so there are my fears, and now let's look at my hopes!

Reasons Why the New TMNT Movie Could be Really Cool 

Source: kpopstarz.com

1. Michael Bay is The Producer
I know I just said I don't like Michael Bay, so why am I suddenly rooting for him? Well, in this case, Bay is producing this movie, not directing it. So (hopefully) he's less directly involved in the story and more involved with the special effects, which is what he's really good at.

Let's face it, even though the story to the Transformer movies sucked, the visual effects were pretty cool. And one of the problems with the past Ninja Turtles live-action movies is that the special effects weren't very good. This mixture of live action and CGI could result in some fantastic visuals, and based on the new trailer, the special effects are looking pretty cool. I particularly like the design of the Turtles and the Shredder, though I'm not crazy about the Turtles' faces, which look a little weird. But I think it'll work.

2. The Atmosphere is Darker 
This could be a really good move for the Ninja Turtle franchise. Most people see Ninja Turtles as the cheesy cartoon and 90s films where the turtles were silly and campy. This darker movie could really appeal to a larger demographic and bring more fans in, particularly those who were fans of the comics, which were quite dark.

On the other hand, it could backfire and push audiences away or come off as way too dramatic. But if it's done right, it could bring a new insight to the Ninja Turtles that people may like. I personally like the idea of a darker story for the Turtles, and I hope that this atmosphere works well in the movie.

3. The Movie Modernizes the Turtles 
I don't know about you guys, but I feel like the Ninja Turtles have been stuck in the 90s for the past decade. This movie could bring a modern feel to an older story, and I think that could be a really good thing. It can appeal to new audiences and we can see the story of our favorite turtles in modern times.

So there you go. I'm still really leery of the movie, and yet I'm hoping for the best. But in all honesty, the cynical part of me is just hoping that they don't screw it up too much. The new TMNT movie is supposed to come out on August 8, 2014, so we'll just have to see then. To all my friends who are Ninja Turtle fans, let's cross our fingers and hope it goes well.

Until later, folks!