‘TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES’: THE FUN ACTION PICTURE NOT EASY TO TAKE SERIOUSLY

A film from several years ago, this is a live-action remake of the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic. With big names attached – in front of and behind the camera, the film is one of those watch-and-forget-about kind of popcorn flicks.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) Film Review

Working hard is getting April O’Neil (Megan Fox) nowhere. She’s tired of being the “fluff” reporter doing silly stories. Her cameraman (Will Arnett) tries to encourage her to stick it out, but when April gets a lead on a possible vigilante, she has a mission. With a notorious group called the Foot Clan targeting NYC and a myth of a villain called Shredder up to sinister deeds, April wants to know who this vigilante is.

In the surprise of her life, she discovers it’s a turtle, four of them to be exact. There is Michelangelo (Noel Fisher); Leonardo (Johnny Knoxville, voice); Donatello (Jeremy Howard); and Raphael (Alan Ritchson), all of whom are nothing like the average turtle. With a faint memory for their names, April discovers a connection she never anticipated just as her life is thrown into danger.

Reviewing this is honestly not something I cannot take very seriously. I mean, it’s about TURTLES who are NINJAS. That said, like anything of its elk, this film is fun in a suspension of all reality kind of way. (Oh, yeah, and the Amazon ratings suggest this one is a fan favorite.) With Michael Bay part of the production, who many will know from the Transformer movies, there is all kinds of stunts and special effects. The climax is a really big affair where things explode and topple, waging battles and revenge, too. There’s plenty of that to go around which means this is an ideal summertime popcorn flick movie.

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The characters are lots of fun too. I appreciate that the turtle brothers all have different personalities. It’s not always easy to keep straight the who’s who of them, but I do enjoy them nonetheless. Also funny is, having just finished Reacher, to see Alan Ritchson play in this. Will Arnett is also good as someone who adds a bit of his usual humor. What perhaps surprises me most is how so-so Megan Fox is. I don’t know that I’ve seen her in much but guess I did think she was a better actress than how she seems in this role. I mean she’s ok, but also I wanted more spunk from her character. Either way, the film is fun time. Just being honest, it’s an adjustment for turtles to be the sole heroes. Good thing they’re dang likable.

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You can find Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) digitally on Amazon Video

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Content: there is some minor profanity and lots of action adventure! There’s destruction in that and someone nearly dies. Lots of ninja action and sometimes harm from that. Nothing ever seemed “too graphic” to me and everything keeps in line with a PG-13 film.

Photos: Paramount Pictures / Nickelodeon