Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:Out of the Shadows review
Taking place after the events of the first film, the turtles continue their vigilante antics from within the shadows whilst remaining hidden from the outside world of New York. Unlike the previous film, the story takes no time unfolding and immediately introduces the audience to cartoon regulars such as Casey Jones (the guy with the hockey mask – you know the one), Bepop and Rocksteady (Who begin as humans but later take the form of their cartoon/comic-book selves) and slightly later on the popular alien villain, Krang. The previous and perhaps their most popular foe, Shredder, also re-appears to play a fairly prominent part throughout.
The film must be praised for it’s variety of homages to its source material and although the film is indeed aimed towards the younger audience, older teenagers and adults can find nostalgic joy within the film. The characters are actually like their cartoon counter-parts and the soundtrack featured within the end credits also provides a reminiscent feel towards the film, particularly for those who grew up watching the cartoons as a child like myself. However, it must also be noted that whilst the film makes efforts to pay these nods it does somewhat sacrifice the emotional content between its characters. The film begins and maintains at such a fast pace that it’s difficult to connect with the characters, and even for the characters to connect with one another. The film features high-tempo action sequences throughout which are supplemented by childish one-liners that you’d find in most of the marvel films of today. These work well in order to keep the film light-hearted amongst all its action, yet it also provides the film with a counter-problem being that the film lacks any seriousness. Although the film is indeed a production intended for family entertainment at no point at all did I feel as though any of the heroes were in any real danger, and there are only so many times that one can overlook the luck or lack of logic that the characters are receiving in order to journey through situations. The villains Bepop and Rocksteady are portrayed as nearly indestructible, much like the turtles, yet Casey Jones is able to seemingly take a hit from them and get back up instantly in one of the later fight scenes.
The performances throughout aren’t breathtaking and I feel as though any of the characters except the CGI characters could probably be replaced. Stephen Amell, most popularly known for portraying Oliver Queen in the CW series Arrow, does well to break away from his moody character archetype yet his character has no real impact on ones memory of the film. Megan Fox delivers her role well, yet its a role that we’ve most commonly seen her portray in the Transformer films (a role for which she was replaced) as the hot girl who seemingly attracts trouble yet solves it. The youngest of the turtles Michelangelo certainly steals the show, possibly being the only character within the film to actually deliver personality to the audience allowing them to connect with him (most often via his humour), however the newer additions to the cast Bepop and Rocksteady also make for entertaining villains.
In conclusion, taking into account that this is indeed a blockbuster intended for family fun and acknowledging it as that, the film is overall fun and at no point was I at all bored. Michael Bay is often criticised for his production of the transformer films as they usually feature an over-inclusion of explosions and CGI, however TMNT 2 features the suffice amount of CGI in order for the film to work and I feel as though director Dave Green (Earth to Echo) and Bay work well together in order to produce a film superior to its predecessor.
Abergavenny Now rating: 7/10
What’s on at Abergavenny cinema this upcoming month:
AAIC: Leonardo Da Vinci: The Genius in Milan – Monday 20th June – In spring 2015 Milan paid tribute to Leonardo Da Vinci by holding an extraordinary exhibition event at the Palazzo Reale. Leonardo Da Vinci: The Genius In Milan explores his work as never seen before, telling the story of the artist’s world and the treasures he left us. Pietro Marani, the curator of the 2015 exhibition, and some of the world’s leading experts on Leonardo tell a story that could open new perspectives and reveal extraordinary things about Leonardo Da Vinci the painter, sculptor, scientist, anatomist, botanist and architect.
Alice Through the Looking Glass PG – Tuesday 7th June onwards – Alice returns to the whimsical world of Wonderland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows 12A – Tuesday 7th June onwards – As Shredder joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman and henchmen Bebop and Rocksteady to take over the world, the Turtles must confront an even greater nemesis: the notorious Krang.
Money Monster 15 – Friday 10th June onwards – Financial TV host Lee Gates and his producer Patty are put in an extreme situation when an irate investor takes over their studio.
The Secret Life of Pets PG – Release date Friday 24th June – Taking place in a Manhattan apartment building, Max’s life as a favorite pet is turned upside down, when his owner brings home a sloppy mongrel named Duke. They have to put their quarrels behind when they find out that an adorable white bunny named Snowball is building an army of abandoned pets determined to take revenge on all happy-owned pets and their owners.
Independence Day: Resurgence 12A – Release date Friday 24th June – Two decades after the first Independence Day invasion, Earth is faced with a new extra-Solar threat. But will mankind’s new space defenses be enough?
