TMNT

TMNT. So I'm home on this lovely Memorial Day weekend, hanging out with my father. After watching another disappointing Red Sox game(we're no longer in first place) I took a break from the Deadliest Catch marathon to check out TMNT on HBO Family.

I was a big fan of the turtles the first time they came around, I remember being mildly intrigued when this project emerged. Some interest + duty to my readers = unfortunately-not-HD animated viewing.

I wasn't really sure what to expect going in. I didn't really hear anyone talking about TMNT when it came out, and I wasn't sure who the target audience is. Narrated by Lawrence Fishburne, we're greeted by central American martial corruption that has opened movies like Rambo and reminded one of the ending of Hulk. We are then treated to a story from long ago, an interesting legend in the style of the back story from The Fifth Element(warlord from long ago waiting for an aligning of elements to harness outside forces).

The turtles (I assume they're no longer teenaged, as it has been 14 years since the last installment) act silly enough that we're going for a young audience, but there is enough action and CGI April O'Neil to aim for a slightly older crowd as well. The back story is interesting and cool looking, and there is plenty of turtle martial arts to please action fans. We are also treated to the voice talents of Ziyi Zhang, Patrick Stewart, and the venerable and always under appreciated Mako, who has starred in numerous movies, animated pieces, and enjoyed success on Broadway. Sadly, Mako died the day after he was announced as the voice of Splinter, after he had recorded all of his lines.

The movie stays interesting for an adult(if you're familiar with the subject matter) and should be light enough for children. I didn't expect too much here, and I was pleasantly surprised. I was disappointed at the lack of Bebop and Rocksteady but if that's my biggest complaint then I think we're doing ok.