TMNT, 2007

I don't get out to see movies in the theaters very much -- hard to believe with my schedule, but it's true -- but last night provided an opportunity, and there was a new release that I did want to see. TMNT, by now a sufficiently well-established brand name that they need not spell out the full version, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

There have been countless imitators of the title style -- three disjointed, somewhat absurd adjectives piling on top of a non-sequitur noun -- but none of those ever lasted long. Eastman and Laird did it first and did it best. I was in college when I first heard the name, and even my rather good primary comics store (the now-gone FantaCo in Albany, NY) couldn't hook me up. So I wrote out a check for some $6 and change and mailed it to Mirage Studios in Massachusetts. A few weeks later, a large envelope arrived, semi-folded in half (to fit the pathetic mailbox at my college apartment), containing issues #1 (third printing), #2 (second printing), and #3 (first printing; I mention this because I don't want anyone thinking I scored a now highly-valuable first printing of #1 for cover price; not so. Some of those earliest printings are valued highly, but the ones I have are not). I spent the next hour enjoying the heck out of some darn good comic books. The turtles themselves were well-developed characters -- not particularly deep, but consistent and motivated -- and the stories had actual plots, though nothing extraordinary as comic book stories go. It was good, sound craftsmanship with an amusing twist, though the fact that the protagonists were turtles never seemed to be particularly important; it was something to be worked around cleverly, and Eastman and Laird did so (stay out of sight, how did they become mutant turtles?, etc.) but the fact of their reptilianhood was rarely central.

Mirage hit a home run on its first try, and they cashed in big, with a cartoon series (never really watched; it was too juvenile, deliberately so, and yes, I realize I'm serving that criticism against a series sourced from comic books), and three live-action films in the early 1990s. (Super-short critiques: first film good, second atrocious, third a nice try based on actual Eastman & Laird comic stories, but it didn't get put together very well.) And then the turtles just sort of ... dropped out of sight ... I couldn't say why. Maybe the audience needs a generation to reset, like the Disney animation target demographic does. Anyway, the turtles are back.

The new film is CGI, of course, but I thought it was quite good; it allows the turtles to have a sleeker, more athletic design than the live action costumes did, good as they were. Overall the film is dark, but being set in New York City at night most of the time makes that unavoidable. The rather thin story -- a 3000-year old (and immortal) general is rounding up 13 transdimensional monsters in order to reverse the ritual he completed three millenia ago, and the turtles get involved -- isn't really interesting or sensible, but it doesn't have to be; it's a vehicle for the turtles to show their stuff. The general also has four lieutenants made of animate stone charged with capturing the monsters, and the turtles' traditional enemy, the Foot ninja clan (whom, aside from their leader, are primarily cannon fodder), also show up. Monsters, statues, ninja, and the turtles -- let's get it on! This movie is for the fight scenes, and they are very, very good (no matter how ridiculous or excessive -- really, that's the point). Throw in some inter-turtle strife between Leonardo and Raphael, which leads to a breathtaking duel and the film's emotional climax, and this is a delightful and thrilling popcorn flick.

About the only part of the film that disappointed me was the graphic design of the turtles' rat sensei, Splinter. He didn't have the right bulk -- should've been either larger or smaller -- and his fur was much too spiky. But, Splinter was voiced by the late, great Mako, who nailed the "wise, gruff, but loving master" voice decades ago, and whose talents will be missed from future installments (as well as from the fine television series Avatar). So this is more nitpickery than actual failing.

I didn't expect a lot, and got plenty and more. Well worth even a full-price ticket (for me, $8.50) at least one time. Definitely gonna get the DVD. Out of five stars: three.