Movie Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

I don't know what is it about being thirty (yes, I'm turning 30 this month) but it seems that all of the TV series and movies I watched growing up is being remade or re-imagined in a movie. I have no qualms or complaints here of course as I get to relive my childhood in bigger and better resolution and a whole new generation can get to know them and love them as much as I did. 

I was really disappointed with the first Turtles movie, when it came out a couple of years ago. It was riddled with cliches and the plot was too dramatic. Well, I'm glad to say that 

"Out of the Shadows" is better than its predecessor in so many ways!    

Exceeding it's predecessor, the sequel has more action and laughs which the kids and adults will enjoy. There are so many impressive and jaw dropping action sequences that will make it worth seeing on the big screen (and yes, even the glory of iMAX). 

All is well in the city of New York, with the evil Shredder behind bars, the brothers Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo spend their days eating pizza and watching basketball games inside jumbotrons. They can't actually bask and enjoy the limelight of being the city's heroes due to their appearance, so the teenagers continue their work in the dark. Longiing for the day to be able to step out of the shadows and just be, well normal teenagers. 

Things shake up when Shredder (Brian Tee) escapes prison, with the help of mad scientist Baxter Stockman (the legendary Tyler Perry) and with the addition of two dimwitted henchman Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar Stephen "Sheamus" Farrelly), work on a diabolical plan to take over the world. 

Stephen Amell as hokey wielding Casey Jones and Megan Fox as a ripped jean sporting April O'Neil. 

One of my issues with the first Turtles movie was that they (the turtles) were HUGE and scary. No longer reflections of their smaller scaled cute selves in the 90's animated series. Put them alongside the mutated versions of Bebop and Rocksteady (a rhinoceros and a warthog) then you have them even matched and their bigger and scarier look is easier to let slide. I have to applaud the computer graphics and the motion capture technology that went into the film, you can really see the emotions in the CGI characters, when they look scared, angry or hurt. It's really there and it's just impressive. 

I was looking forward to seeing Stephen Amell, who we watch on "Arrow" on the big screen. He plays the hokey wielding vigilante Casey Jones in "Out of the Shadows" and his character is different from Oliver Queen, for one, he's more talkative and definitely a lot more noisy. Stephen Amell is a good fit in the role, being Canadian, he has a clear advantage by presumably being good at hokey but I was really bothered by his voice, which I found to be a range too higher for comfort. You won't notice it in Arrow since he is always brooding and whispering and he has that voice changing apparatus (like Batman) but you really notice it as Casey Jones. I don't know if it's just because I'm really sensitive to sound and music but it really bothered me but aside from that, his performance as Casey Jones was well as could be expected. 

Megan Fox has less of a role her than in the first movie, which is fine by me since a lot of my hating on the first movie also had to do with April O'Neil being too involved with the turtles origin story that she should have been. There's a scene where Fox struts up in a mini skirt and crop top, which is probably a fan service for the guys. I for one, would love to see her more in yellow as a homage to the 90's animated April O'Neil.   

Sticking to the original character design. Bebop and Rocksteady make their big screen debut. 

With the external conflicts already too much to handle, the brothers face some internal conflicts as well, which they must set aside in order to save the city that they love. 

There are some loop holes here and there but all forgivable for an action packed almost two hours of non-stop Turtle power. 7 out of 10 stars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is now showing in cinemas! 

Movie News: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN “TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS”

The young actors who played the Turtles via performance-capture in the 2014 hit film return in the eagerly anticipated sequel “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” opening June 1 in Philippine cinemas.

Reprising their roles are Pete Ploszek as Leonardo, the stoic, disciplined leader of the foursome; Alan Ritchson as Raphael, the hot-headed rebel; Jeremy Howard as Donatello, the tech-savvy inventor; and Noel Fisher as irrepressible, fun-loving, Michelangelo, who longs to live the life of a human teenager.

"For me, the actors have become so synonymous with the characters they play, that when I see a finished shot, I hear and see Noel, Alan, Jeremy and Pete," says producer Andrew Form. "I see each of them coming through in the animated performance. I can't imagine anyone else playing these Turtles."

“Out of the Shadows” presented Ploszek with new challenges in his portrayal of Leonardo. "Leo has been raised with a strong moral compass," says Ploszek. "But he’s most interesting when he has to make decisions that aren't black or white. He’s never really thought about life beyond the sewers, and when they’re presented with an opportunity to join the outside world, he’s against it, because he doesn’t want to break up the band.”

"It's difficult to be a teenager leading other teenagers," says director Dave Green, "especially when they all have such strong personalities. Leo just wants to maintain the group’s stability, but there are some secrets between the brothers that spiral out of control. Thankfully, Splinter is there to remind him that a good leader accepts their differences and recognizes their strengths."

Unlike Leonardo, Raphael has not made as much personal growth in the months since their first foray into the outside world. "Raph is still Raph," says Ritchson. "His disposition hasn't changed; he's always upset with his lot in life."

"If I'm honest, I'm a lot like Raph,” Ritchson laughs. “He doesn’t like to overthink things because indecision can lead to immobility. He’d rather make the wrong move rather than doing nothing. You get farther faster with that philosophy. I can relate to that."

Since we last saw him, technophile Donatello has been diligently upgrading the team’s lair and transportation. "Donnie's been very busy," Howard explains. "In this film he's got a full laboratory, twice as many surveillance screens and a pet project: a New York City sanitation truck that he's decked out to the nines. It has a couch, multiple big screen TVs, a cannon that shoots manhole covers, and robotic arms on the outside. The only problem is that he's never tested any of it, so he's not really sure what works."

"Donatello is a noble, logical mind," says Green, "but his character is also tasked with giving the audience a lot of information. Jeremy was not only great at all the techno-speak, which might as well be another language, but he was terrific at imbuing those moments with the right amount of weight. We may not always know what he’s talking about, but we always understand the stakes involved.”

Howard was pleased to see more emotion and depth in his onscreen siblings. "It's exciting to see these guys fight and get angry at each other, and do all the things that families do," he says. "We see what makes each of them tick.”

Fisher was thrilled to return to the role of Michelangelo. "Mikey is the heart and soul of the group," he says. "He's a very pure character who looks out for everyone's best interests. He's fun, but he's also the glue that holds them together."

At the start of the film, Michelangelo is enjoying a Halloween parade and the unique freedom it allows the mutant turtle to mix and mingle with his fellow New Yorkers.

"Mikey has this little taste of what it's like to be 'normal,'" says Fisher. "He pretends to just be another human in a crazy costume, but he knows he isn’t. He knows he looks different and his struggle for acceptance becomes a major theme of the movie.”

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” is distributed in the Philippines by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movie News: “NINJA TURTLES” BREAK “OUT OF THE SHADOWS” IN IMAX THEATERS JUNE 01

Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies and IMAX Corporation announced recently that “TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS,” the latest installment in the blockbuster franchise, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released in all IMAX® 3D theaters across the Philippines beginning June 1st (simultaneous with its bow in 2D and 3D cinemas).  

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo return to theaters this summer in “TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS” to battle bigger, badder villains alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). After super villain Shredder (Brian Tee) escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar “Sheamus”), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.

“We are pleased to collaborate once again with our long-time friend and partner Michael Bay, as well as the entire team at Paramount, in offering international audiences the opportunity to see ‘TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS’ in IMAX® 3D,” said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. “This latest installment raises the bar in an already highly entertaining and imaginative franchise, and we believe the film fits right in with a robust overseas IMAX summer line-up.”

From Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies. Produced by Michael Bay, p.g.a., Andrew Form, p.g.a., Brad Fuller, p.g.a., Galen Walker and Scott Mednick. Based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. Written by Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec. Directed by Dave Green. Starring Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Laura Linney, Stephen Amell, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Alan Ritchson, Brian Tee and Tyler Perry.

The IMAX® 3D release of “TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS” will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” is distributed in the Philippines by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movie News: “NINJA TURTLES” HIGHLIGHTS “ARROW'S” STEVE AMELL IN CASEY JONES CLIP

I grew up watching the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and so Casey Jones is no stranger to me. I remember a sticker of the hockey wielding, vigilante on our closet-you know how children like to put stickers up on any surface possible and somehow that image of Casey and a happy Michaelango got stuck in ng head. 

We've been following the TV series Arrow and having Stephen Amell play Casey Jones is a big plus! So much so that I can forgive them not giving him the long locks. 

“Arrow” superhero Stephen Amell plays the hockey masked vigilante Casey Jones in Paramount Pictures' action-adventure sequel “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” in cinemas across the Philippines on June 01.

Check out the newly-released “Casey Jones” clip at http://youtu.be/7IWfAUNUs6g

Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael return to Philippine cinemas this season in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell).

After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.

“Earth to Echo” filmmaker Dave Green directs from a script by Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec. The producers are Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, Galen Walker and Scott Mednick.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movie News: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Posters!

Okay-so I wasn't really happy with the first Michael Bay helmed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that came out but I'm giving "Out of the Shadows" a chance because:

1. Bebop & Rocksteady 

2. Stephen Amell as Casey Jones

With barely two weeks to go before its grand opening on June 1, the action adventure “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” has taken its marketing campaign to full throttle with the simultaneous reveal of not just the main payoff poster, but also the four new character one-sheets.

Check them out below!

Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael return to Philippine cinemas this season in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell).

After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.

“Earth to Echo” filmmaker Dave Green directs from a script by Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec. The producers are Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, Galen Walker and Scott Mednick.

Opening across the Philippines in June 01, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.