TMNT Movie #4 - REVIEWS (SPOILERS!)

[Raphael]

Funny, I didn't consider Leo's "I'm better" line as arrogance...it seemed to me like he was trying to push Raph's buttons and knew that line would get a reaction.

[Aignatius]

It's certainly a good effort for Leo to at least draw out Raph's internal resentments in a viable conversation. Or rather, a more volatile conversation. A risky thing to do, but Leo probably didn't know what else could be done to resolve the issue. And it looked like it wasn't planned, maybe more like a fortunate accident that they met and Leo just winged it. Goes to show his leadership talents came into play. How to handle difficult peers.

I'd pity any therapist who adopted the same technique with somebody like Raph. Said therapist would have to be really good at ducking and evading. Literally.  

[Raphael]

Now...is it totally resentment toward Leo (and possibly Splinter) that Raph is feeling, or do you think at least part of his feelings here are feelings of inadequacy? As in, why wasn't he good enough for Splinter to pick to be leader?

[Leonardo]

Like life? I'd say probably a mix of both. Good points, there!
I like Aig's complement of Leo's leadership skills. ahem

They do portray Raph as certainly resenting Leo for being "Splinter, Jr." The lecturing, etc. For Leo for just being Leo.
And yet, I think Raph is able to look at himself, and finally take responsibility for his own part in their ongoing conflict--in terms ofalso feeling he is inadequate, as you said.
But in the movie, the path he is taking to dealing with his issues, is focusing it toward picking at Leo, being disrespectful to Leo by leaping into battle, smirking at Leo when Splinter's scolding Leo, throwing it in Leo's face he doesn't want to work with Leo, then finally attacking Leo once Leo's "busted" him on the Nightwatcher gig.
And yes, to be fair, Leo's brought Raph to that point, when they get to the second part of their fight on the rooftop. First his 'dissing' of the Nightwatcher. And particularly in saying what he does with the "I'm better than you." It's like, the whole frustration of trying to improve himself for his brothers, and for Raph's treatment of him just finally comes out.
But Raph can't back down and find a solution that involves dialogue to resolve their differences. He lashes out in a fight.
I think you see the inner truth about Raph when Raph actually breaks Leo's swords, and darn near does serious damage to Leo, too--then he has to run off because he can't face the truth of himself at that moment. He isn't gloating at all, isn't laughing, isn't celebrating. He's horrified. Doubly so when he realizes that Leo has been taken, most likely as a result of how Raph left him.
And on the other end, Leo seems rather horrified, too. He's certainly completely shaken up, devastated, because it's like maybe he sees no hope to reconcile with Raph. And then, of course, that means he's failed Splinter's trust in him. And what Leo wanted for himself.

Some can say what they want about the plot? I'd say, even to having to hit a PG rating and having to turn in a movie of  only an hour and a half, there are areas of the movie where the plot is very deep if you know the characters.
And when Raph is able to reunite with Leo, there's some interesting stuff there, too....

[Absaraka]

Agreed.  It wasn't War and Peace--there's no way they could have nailed that in 90 minutes flat.  Also, you're right, the plot's much deeper if you know the characters--a sure sign Kevin was writing this at the hardcore fan base, and not random six-year-olds.

My personal awards, in no order:

Best side character scene: Village terror in Central America.  I thought that was well-done, considering it was a scene without any lead characters in it.
Funniest side character scene:  The diner chef freaking out at Nightwatcher
Best side character line: Tommy's "I should have stayed in law school..."
Funniest side character line:  "I got kids.  In college.  Community college."
Best enemy scene: Karai confronts Max Winters over unexpected monsters
Funniest enemy scene: Winters first meets the Foot.  "I've got a shareholders' meeting at ten, I'd rather miss it."
Best enemy line: "And thank you, brothers.  You've made a very old man very, very happy."
Funniest enemy line:  Karai--"You've got to be kidding me..."
Best ally scene: April calls Casey from the dock
Funniest ally scene:  Casey and April fighting behind the wheel while running from the last monster
Best ally line: April (realizing Casey is gone)--"Be safe."
Funniest ally line: Casey--"I'm the caveman type.  Au naturel."
Best Splinter scene: His consolation of Raphael.
Funniest Splinter scene: Ninja breakfast!
Best Splinter line: "Then the time has come to...take back what is ours."
Funniest Splinter line: "I still got it!"
Best Don scene: In April's apartment after Raph was knocked out--part doc, part detective, all brains.
Funniest Don scene: IT tech support.  No contest.
Best Don line: "Within hours, we'll lose the city to monsters.  Within days, the country.  And within weeks, the world."
Funniest Don line: "No, I'm not playing hard to get!  I'm telling you, sir, it's not that kind of phone line!"
Don's best brainiac moment: "Because this has Winters' name written all over it!"
Best Mikey scene: Overhearing Raph's conversation with Splinter.  He looks like he's fighting back tears.
Funniest Mikey scene:  The birthday party (sorry, Ivey).
Best Mikey line: "Did anyone get the license plate of that thing that hit us last night?"
Funniest Mikey line: "I have nightmares about birthday parties."
Mikey's best stolen scene: "Um, can I get rid of this, too?"
Best Leo scene: Visiting Splinter on his return home
Funniest Leo scene: The fight at the construction site.  (Leo didn't get that many funny moments.)
Best Leo line: (to Raph)--"I'm gonna need you, too."
Funniest Leo line: "You call that an attack?"
Leo's best leadership: The showdown with the generals
Best Raph scene: his return home after The Fight.  Biggest cry I've ever had during a TMNT film, and I wasn't the only one.
Funniest Raph scene AND Funniest Fight: The fight with the Jersey Devil
Best Raph line: "I'll tell you what we're going to do.  We're gonna rescue our brother, and then we're gonna save New York City."
Funniest Raph line: "Aw, ain't you CUTE!  You want a butt-kickin', little fella?  Yes you do!  Yes you DO!  I'm gonna drop-kick you all the way to Hurtytown!"
Raph's best angsty moment: His panicked flight and near breakdown following The Fight.
Funniest line: "Looks more like fall.  Get it?"
Best line: "But just because you are not my favorite student, does not mean that you are my least favorite son."
Best short line: "BOYS!"
Best unspoken line: Mikey almost crying when he overhears Splinter consoling Raph
Best surprise: Winters's true motivation
Best score: Leo's skydiving scene
Best song: "Rip It Up"
Best animation: Courtyard fight with the Foot
Best fight: The Fight
Funniest scene: Ninja breakfast
Best scene: The Fight
Best voicework, side character: Kevin Smith
Best voicework, enemy: Patrick Stewart
Best voicework, ally: Mako
Best voicework, Turtles: Nolan North

[Lisardo]

Funny, I didn't consider Leo's "I'm better" line as arrogance...it seemed to me like he was trying to push Raph's buttons and knew that line would get a reaction.

It didn't seem like the typical comment that Leo woudl make though.  Stunned me a bit too.

[Leonardo]

There's an online article about Kevin Munroe (speaking about Gatchaman) that had this in the Imagi blurb at the end:

IMAGI's first theatrical movie TMNT was released in March 2007, opening #1 in U.S. box office revenue, only the third time in history that an Asian-made film has achieved that honour.

I thought that was interesting info.
 

[NinjaNette]

I went to go see the movie the day it came out in theaters. I wasn't very impressed with it. At the beginning of the movie, I was kind of lost. It shows the turtles jumping, then it goes to Winters and his family turning into stone. It really lost me there.

One: Splinter's voice was bugging the heck out of me. I didn't like how he was drawn and he kind of didn't seem at all wise for some reason. I don't know, that's just how I feel.

Two: April just didn't fit at all. She seemed totally different from the original movies and cartoon. I didn't think Sarah Michelle Geller's voice went with it. I was distracted everytime she talked. It just made me think of The Grudge, Scooby-Doo and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Three: Karai not knowing Leonardo and the turtles, also didn't fit. Overall, I do like how she was drawn in the movie.

The fight scene was very well done. I do like the extreme close-up shot on the face. I liked when April was telling Leo about his brothers. The shots of showing each of his brothers was good. Especially, the Nightwatcher scene. One of the scenes I do enjoy is when Mikey comes home from worker and starts getting all excited over the news and jumps on the couch saying, "But they weren't like these guns". The skateboard scene was done well too. I liked that part. It made it look realistic like the audience was in it or something. It just brought it out.

[J.A.B.]

I loved the movie but I don't think the advertisements did it justice.  They marketed it as more of a children's movie then it turned out to be.

[BubblyShell22]

I loved this movie so much. I really hope they make a sequel. That would rock. The animation was great, especially Mikey's skateboarding through the sewers. The way he did it was well done. The voice acting was also very well done. I thought all of them did an excellent job in portraying characters we know and love. I also loved how April told Leo about what the others were doing and how Leo felt that Don would keep everyone together. Don's IT tech support was hilarious because he seems so frustrated at people who don't know what they're doing. Mikey's party business was great, especially his comment where he says he has nightmares about birthday parties. Raph's Nightwatcher gig was also cool, especially his fight with the Jersey Devil. That was hilarious.

I also loved the rooftop scene where Raph and Leo fight. I think Leo can be arrogant at times, but I think he said that "I'm better than you" line because he was angry at Raph for being so reckless. He meant that Raph was in danger of exposing the family while Leo was always cautious about that. I do like the fact that Leo didn't want to fight his brother because it shows he cares for him deeply. I also loved how Raph tried to go after Leo after he was taken by the Generals. His line, "I'm coming!" brought tears to my eyes. Another scene that really put tears in my eyes was when Splinter was talking to Raph and how Raph admitted that he messed up holding out the broken swords. That was powerful and Splinter's comment was very heartfelt.

The ending fight was pretty good, and I really liked Karai's last line. Let's hope they make a sequel to this movie because it was awesome. Overall I give it a ten out of ten. Nicely done.

[horserider]

I think Leonardo is the best leader next to Master Splinter. Where as Raphael is more of a lone wolf. Michealangelo is the knucklehead in the family which makes me wonder where Splinter wnet wrong in raising him. Donatello is the egg head in the family yet not all his ideas work the way he plans them to.

[Michaelangelo]

"Cowabunga Corner" Review video for this Movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVoddTLen-M

Like this, check out the Ivey's TMNT Video Blog Topic:
http://www.tmnt-l.com/index.php/topic,4917.0.html