I, like most kids of my generation, I LOVED the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I am pretty sure they were my life for my formidable years before I turned double digits. I can not count how many action figures I owned. I remember bragging with kids in school about how many times I had seen the original turtles movie in the theater, I think I said 5 and some kid bested me with 8 but these were totally untrue and just young kids exaggerating for effect. Then after the 3rd movie came out, even I remember that one being bad, the Turtles were pretty much done as a part of my life. The only exposure I had to them since was a few years ago at the Cottonwood house. It was 2am and a party had just died and I remember stumbling across the DVD of the first movie, putting it in and enjoying it throughly before I fell asleep about half way through. So what does all this senseless backstory mean? When I heard they were making a new one, almost 15 years since the last one came out, I decided I had to go see it. I owed it to my past self. If I did not see it and you traveled back in time and told the 8 year old version of me that I chose not to see a turtles movie he would be pissed! He might cut off his finger just to spite me now (damn crafty past Aaron!). So I saw it and now I must review it:The movie takes place after the originals way back in the early 90s. Shredder is dead (many will be disappointed he does not appear in this movie) and the turtles have basically packed it in. Splinter sent Leonardo to train in Central America, but he has been gone for three years. While he has been gone Splinter has forbidden any surface fighting activity by the turtles. So they spend their time in different ways: Michaelangelo works kid's birthday parties, Donatello works as an IT phone help guy and Splinter watches soap operas. Raphael secretly moonlights as a crime fighting vigilantly. Yes these turtles world has changed, they don't really feel whole anymore. There is a scene were Raphael and Casey Jones (yeah he is back) reminisce about the old days. After a chance meeting with April in Central America, Leonardo decides to come back and is immediately at odds with Raphael (of course) who resents him because he left. Most of the movie focuses on their conflict but then gives way to the main story line. They must fight a bunch of ancient immortal stone generals who are trying to take over the world, you know classic Saturday morning cartoon stuff. The Climactic scenes were okay, but the rest of the movie was what I liked the most. Watching the turtles shake off their rust and slowly return to what we used to know them as. The movie has your same classic jokes, that may seem tired and worn to some but I would have been disappointed if they tried to change anything (they are very, very true to the classic characters you all remember).
The movie has an Incredibles feel to it in animation and humor. I was surprised to say I found myself laughing out loud a few times at the classic turtles shtick. I honestly did not think "throughly enjoyed it" were the words I was going to use to describe this movie. Then again the entire time I watched it I could not help but feel like past Aaron, there was no way he was NOT going to let me like this movie.
Grade: B+
