#21 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

No joke (or insult), this is 100% the best sequence in the film.

The Movie: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 2014. Written by Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and Evan Daugherty Directed by Jonathan Liebesman Not Michael Bay Staring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, and Whoopi Goldberg

I'm nearing the end of Octerrible, and today I'm reviewing a more recent movie. Partly because I think it's worth discussing, and partly because when I review movies that only I've seen, it's just me reading it. While I'm not doing this for recognition (I'm doing it to ward off the never ending pang of depression,) it is nice when these get a certain amount of support.

so enough talking about talking about thins, lets talk about TMNT

I grew up not really being exposed to The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I only really watched the show in re-runs as a teenager. I think I'm right in the age group where I was a little too young for the original run, and a little too old for their reboots.

That said, I really do love The Turtles themselves. I think they're a really good example of the four humors (After Hours has a great piece on that here) I think they embody a sense of boyhood childishness that is a little old fashioned and honestly hits home for me.

I remember hearing people get really hot about how much this movie was going to kill their childhood. People were claiming Michael Bay (not the director, just the producer) was going to ruin another franchise like he did with the Transformers.

Guys, the movie is pretty good. 

I mean it's really dumb, and Megan Fox is really bad (Though she does seem to be trying, and you know how I feel about that) The movie follows intrepid reporter  April O'Neil (Played by Fox) as she comes to uncover the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Four CGI brothers (The leader Leonardo, The smart Donatello, the emotional Raphael, and the fun loving Michaelangelo) who know ninjitsu (they were taught by a rat) It turns out that these four were April O'Neil's childhood pets. (her father and William Fickner were partners in science creating a mutagen. The night her father died, O'Neil saved the turtles (and the rat) and put them in the sewer.

The Mutagen that the scientists were working on turns the animals into 6ft tall humanoid creatures. Blah blah blah, ancient Japanese man who wears a very spiky suit, blah blah blah awesome (if not crazy and incoherent) fight scene down a mountain 2 miles away from Manhattan(?) and then Megan Fox beats the Shredder. 

If that last line makes you hate this movie, I guess I get it. If the Turtles are an integral part of your childhood, it's understandable that their biggest* villain is beaten by an actress who most have deemed beneath the craft. However Fox isn't really important to the movie. She's our main character in billing only. 

The best thing to come out of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is the dynamic of the titular Turtles. The film really can be a slog at times, (and let's be clear it's not good) but the four turtle's characters are very clear (more than they ever were in the original films) and the brotherly dynamic is quite honestly it's fun. It might seem like a joke that the four turtles beat boxing in an elevator before they go into the big fight would be the best scene, but it's a refreshing and unique scene that allows all four to be themselves and really endears us to them.

Should you watch this movie?... Yes. I'm going with yes, but maybe fast forward through all of the scenes without the Turtles.

Where can I watch this movie? Netflix and Hulu

this is a shot from the beginning of the remodel

Recommendation: Today is a short one. Allison and I tried Dix Coney Island (which opened today on the Denton Square) and it was honestly awesome. It's a Detroit restaurant that has been transplanted here, and it's our first 24 hr restaurant that isn't like Waffle House or Ihop. Its relatively cheap, and I'd love to see them stick around. So if you're in the area definitely check them out.