TMNT Movie #4 - Reviews - NO SPOILERS

[Raphael]

Ok, as a special request, here's a second movie review topic - just for the folks who haven't seen it and don't want things spoiled.

In here, please just post general review comments, please.  ("I loved it!" "Best movie EVER"...that sort of thing) Try not to give away too much of the plot and such.

This topic will be up for a little while, at least until the movie officially opens, for those who don't want to have things spoiled. It will probably get locked fairly soon after that point.

Remember...no spoilers here...or I may have to come and bap ya!!  

[Raphael]

Ok...to comment on one thing...

While I wouldn't necessarily say it's a "Raph" movie completely, he probably does get the most air time...with Leo a close second.

There. Happy, Leo?

[Raphael]

Hee...I like to see my own posts, so I'm going to crosspost my review here. However, I will try to edit out as many spoilers as possible (although, reading through them, I don't know if my original post had a lot of spoilers)...

Not going to do a blow-by-blow, scene by scene or anything, though. Some general comments:

1) Animation - quite well done, although the humans' features were a tad long in the face. Although, there were times that Splinter looked more like a lion than a rat...and I wasn't digging the shoulder pads.
2) Voice acting - pretty good. Still not sure about Splinter's voice but it wasn't horrible. The 'celebrity' voices weren't so obvious that they were distracting. My friend, Sandra, thought she recognized Winters' voice (Patrick Stewart) but she wasn't sure. The one voicing Mikey reminded me a lot of Townsend Coleman's animated Mikey.
3) Soundtrack - not nearly as irritating as the first three movies. The few songs that were played weren't as 'in your face', more background stuff. Well, this IS an action movie and not a musical, so that was fine.
4) Editing - some of the lines from the toys that people were talking about weren't in the movie, and it seemed like some of the stuff from the book went missing too.
5) In a nice touch of continuity, at the end of the movie, Splinter is putting a helmet into a display case...which housed Shredder's helmet, the TCRI canister (I didn't get a chance to see if it was TCRI or TGRI, though), and the time sceptor from the 3rd movie. (at least, that's what it looked like) The lair seemed like a bit of a cross between the lair Karai trashed in the current cartoon...and the lair from the live action movies. There was also a bit with Splinter watching his 'shows' and being concerned that Cody was going to break up with Donna. A nod to FF, perhaps? And, although it wasn't a jumpsuit, that yellow outfit from Japan that April wore during the final fight scene looked strangely reminiscent of the original series' April's infamous outfit.
6) Definitely a Leo/Raph movie. Mike got some great oneliners & jokes, and Don got to do some good geek stuff...but a lot of the movie hinged on the tension between Leo and Raph. Oh, and they definitely state that Leo is the oldest brother. (I know there was speculation over the years that Raph was older and, thus, resentful that Leo was leader)

The bits about what each of the guys was doing in Leo's absence was great.
- Mike, as Cowabunga Carl, was quite funny (the van really reminded me of the original series' Turtle Van). When the kids beat him up, the show it from his point of view, inside of the mask, which was funny to see. He later admitted to having nightmares about doing the kids' parties and was more than happy to retire the costume head at the end of the movie.
- Don, doing the IT phone line. Easily one of the funniest bits of the movie. "No, I swear, I'm not teasing you. This is NOT one of those phone lines!" IT people will enjoy some of the comments he makes.
- Raph, as Nightwatcher. A major part of the movie storyline and he gets some good moments. Really enjoyed the bit with the little monster ("Oh, who wants a butt kicking? Oh you do, don't you?"), they did a similar viewpoint bit with this scene - showing the monster trying to figure out how to get inside Raph's mask from Raph's point of view.

- Ok, the big scene, the one everyone was waiting for - the Leo/Raph fight on the roof. Niiice. The close up shots of them, where the rain was running down their faces was very nicely animated. You could see the pores in their skin, for heaven's sake! Lotsa good action.

[Leonardo]

Ok...to comment on one thing...

While I wouldn't necessarily say it's a "Raph" movie completely, he probably does get the most air time...with Leo a close second.

There. Happy, Leo?

Yeah...but I will say of the IGN clips I got to see over at Aig's yesterday....there's bad air time and good air time.
The clip where they are all before Splinter, and Leo's getting chewed out and the LOOK Raph gives Leo during that??? That borders on cruel and unusual punishment of the Phael sort!!! aaaaaaaah! (Aig and I rewatched that several times.)
Just seems to me Raph is cruisin' through the movie on the bike, in the Nightwatcher outfit, and so on--bein' all Raph. Leo's bearing the brunt of the Phael Tude.
     
Although there have been some tantalizing hints of some lovely looking sword work....
     

As for why I just saw most of the IGN clips yesterday?
On my dialup, it would take over an hour to see 1 clip. So I just waited for the weekend.

Speaking of waiting, just wait Raph. You'll get even more laughs. I wish I could take a hidden camera into the movie, NOT to record the movie. Oooh not, not that. But to record Ninjara watching the movie the first time....I'm sure my report when I get back from the movie will have to include Ninjara's antics. I don't think I want to sit next to her, especially as I pointed out, this movie seems to have a lot of Raph picking on Leo stuff....I'll make Aig sit between us.
         

[Raphael]

No, I wouldn't call it 'picking on'...I would call it 'serious Phael 'tude'.  A lot of the movie hinges on the tension between those two.

Having said that, I think Ninjara will enjoy it immensely.

[Leonardo]

No, I wouldn't call it 'picking on'...I would call it 'serious Phael 'tude'.  A lot of the movie hinges on the tension between those two.

Having said that, I think Ninjara will enjoy it immensely.

Fine...you have enough time to get out here.
You sit next to Ninjara when we see it for the first time.
     

[Raphael]

I'd love to...but $1600 for the plane tickets is a bit steep right now.

[WolfofMibu]

I really loved this film.

This version of Leo jumps high up my list to one of my favorites.

Can't wait to see it again next weekend!

[Aignatius]

Sigh... it was so beautiful... the clips and the trailers and stills, the book... they don't do it any justice. It's way better than I expected. I wanted to cry at some of the scenes. Really hit home with me.
Even my son, who isn't much into TMNT and reluctantly went with me and my daughter, was impressed.

I love these guys!  

[TurtleTitanMusician]

It was worth the train & bus ride over there.  In Dallas, they have a small newspaper called "Quick" that you can read while on the DART train.  I read the movie reviews section & they gave TMNT a "D" & calling it B-O-R-I-N-G!

Loved what the other three Turtles did while Leo was away.  Raph was so cool as Night Watcher, but only drove his motorcycle once.  

Other than that, I enjoyed the movie & was worth the $4.

[splintered]

$4?!??! Wow, that's really good! The cheapest ticket I can get is $6 before noon.

Yeah my paper, The Star-Ledger, gave it one star and said the movie plot was too complicated and the family stuff was boring. The journalist came off extremely pretentious and just didn't "get" the Turtles. I read a Washington Post review that wasn't very positive either, although the biggest complaint there was that the movie should've gotten higher than a PG rating. I don't remember what kind of reviews the first TMNT got, but I hope these reviews by those who don't get TMNT don't dissuade people.

It didn't seem to be the case when I went to see the movie today. It was great to see a healthy mix of young kids and 20-somethings who grew up with TMNT both at the theater, enjoying the movie and getting some laughs.

I saw it twice today and the movie was even better the second time around. I loved the movie's portrayal of Casey. In all other versions of Casey that I've seen (which is all of them except the comics... I've only read the first 12 issues and I don't have a great feel on his character there), it seems they play up his bad qualities, and in this movie, they didn't make a mockery of his bad qualities and they really showed his deeper side and good qualities.

[TurtleTitanMusician]

It didn't seem to be the case when I went to see the movie today. It was great to see a healthy mix of young kids and 20-somethings who grew up with TMNT both at the theater, enjoying the movie and getting some laughs.

When I went, there were only 10 people who took to the $4 early bird show & only one little pre-school kid were amongst the 10 (Dallas had a school day).

[LenniluvsBrian]

I laughed, I almost cried, my jaw LITERALLY dropped during a Raph/Leo moment on the roof in the rain......

LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!! IT F*****G ROCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, & there was people my age & then kids there - few adults. The people who were about my age or a lil' younger/older clapped & cheered when the movie began, then clapped again when it was over!!!!!

I LOVE Max Winters!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lol.

Didn't like Master Splinter's voice though - that kinda threw me off. Even my Dad said it didn't sound like Splinter. SO hope they make another one!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell just HOW much I liked it!?!?!?!

My Dad & I are gonna go see it again in a few weeks when it comes to our theater & not the one it town [town theater is gross, but we went tonight anyway] so he can ask the dude about the poster! 'Cause they guy will remember my Dad asking about it, since he already did - lol. I'm sooooooo close to having a poster! I REALLY hope it all works out!!!!!!!!

~Lenni~

[Leonardo_Mystic]

It was incredible! OMG... I might go again by myself on Sunday for the matinee.

I went to an 8 p.m. showing tonight with some friends. There was a good crowd there too; the theater was half full with an audience of all age ranges. The little kids were very good and quiet for the most part. I saw one little boy with a toy of Mikey's weapon.    I myself wore a Turtle shirt.

The crowd was pretty responsive too at certain scenes. They laughed at the funny stuff, and it got really quiet when Leo and Raph were on screen during their fight. Overall, it was a great experience.

The fight between Leo and Raph was by far my favorite scene of the movie, and also what followed after the fight. Just everything couldn't have been more perfect. It was so intense, and it felt so real to me.

Each of them have their own different views of the world, and it can be hard for them to listen/communicate with each other because they are stubborn in their own ways. It reminds me of how some things have happened in my life like that.

[cynlee]

Best. Movie. Ever.

And I LOVED Mako as Splinter!