When I learned of a TMNT movie. I was excited. Then I learned Michael Bay would be doing it. I was no longer excited. The First Transformer movie is watchable if you turn off your brain, the second is robot/explosion porn, the third... Well let's just forget that they made a third. I haven't bothered with the new one. Even if it has Marky Mark. Anyways, when I learned April would be played by Megan Fox I only bought a ticket out of morbid curiosity as to whether this movie would replace the Last Airbender and Bay would replace Shyamalan as the principle ruiner of childhoods. The end result? It was OK. It was fairly enjoyable. The action was great, Michaelangelo actually made me laugh a few times, Raphael is a beefcake, Leo is everything he should be. The only turtle portrayal I didn't like was Donatello. Director says "Hey guys, with all the gadgets and big words and stuff, Donatello is a big nerd. But do you think it's obvious enough that he's a nerd?" Crew member jokingly says "Maybe we should put taped glasses on him too so it's unmistakable!" Director says "Good idea Jenkins!" Crew member says "Bro I was kidding." But they used it anyway. I won't get into the origin story because everyone else makes it clear they hate it. I do too. But I enjoyed the action and had fun not thinking about how stupid the movie was and being entranced by the pretty turtles. It was like an acid trip. Michael Bay is certainly evident throughout. Unnecessary explosions, product placement, Megan Fox bent over and a gratuitous Pervy camera angle of her butt. All of the Bay trademarks are there. But it's somehow less annoying than in Transformers. The weakest point of the movie is, not surprisingly, Megan Fox. It's like after she was cast someone told Michael Bay "hey, you probably don't want to sexualize April. That's not how fanboys want to see her. She's like the girl next door." So Bay gave her a significant subplot and character development with only one money shot on her (of course I throw around terms like subplot and character development loosely. This is Michael Bay I'm talking about. Just because it's done, doesn't mean it's done well.). The problem is Megan Fox wasn't cast in Transformers (or anything she's been in) because she can act. It was just so dull.
Overall, the movie exceeded my expectations, but only because they were low to begin with. I do still feel like if studios took this movie seriously and hired intelligent, talented people to make it, it would have been great. Maybe Shredder would have been scary and not just seemed like a man-sized decepticon. It could have been better. But it could have been much, much worse. I'll take it.
Overall, the movie exceeded my expectations, but only because they were low to begin with. I do still feel like if studios took this movie seriously and hired intelligent, talented people to make it, it would have been great. Maybe Shredder would have been scary and not just seemed like a man-sized decepticon. It could have been better. But it could have been much, much worse. I'll take it.