Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

[Borgholio]

[Ziggy Stardust]

This is pretty much my only reaction. I had no idea that this was happening, and now I wish I didn't know.

[Gandalf]

This is pretty much my only reaction.

Why not? People like the property, so why not make more of it?

[Kojiro]

Why not? People like the property, so why not make more of it?

So long as I get to see the Turtles in some way that fits my definition of them I'll be happy. The new TMNT cartoon is awesome despite the clear and obvious changes- it retains everything cool about the franchise. If this movie can do that I'll be happy. Bay is only producing this one so there's still hope for it not being a TMNT skinned explosion fest.

[Iroscato]

Considering the director, Jonathan Liebesman is the creator of such treasured classics like Wrath of the Titans and Battle: Los Angeles, I fail to muster up much enthusiasm. Not to mention Shredder apparently being responsible for the creation of the turtles (gathering what I've seen from the trailer, anyway), and the uncanny-valley-bothering appearence of the turtles themselves.
And Megan Fox.

[Ahriman238]

Are the turtles... eight or nine feet tall? Seriously, they look like green Space Marines with shells.

Anyways, yeah, heard a story maybe two years ago? That Bay was doing a TMNT movie. Except the turtles were going to be aliens, so technically neither mutant nor truly turtles, nor would they be teenagers. The trailer sounds like they're dropping the aliens angle, unless the trailer is misleading and they're referencing some sort of origin for Shredder (whom the trailer did not flatter.)

As a kid watching a cartoon, you never think how stupid April's bright yellow tracksuit would look in real life, but now I'm thinking it. Admittedly sort of a Catch 22 for Bay, if he ditched the suit he'd have tons of nerd rage to deal with.

[Kojiro]

Are the turtles... eight or nine feet tall? Seriously, they look like green Space Marines with shells.

Megan Fox is 5'4" and is wearing heels in every TMNT shot thus far so I'd say she's clocking in at 5'8" or so. Not tall by any stretchbut given the turtles are supposed to be short. Mikey is at least a head taller than her and he's the smallest of the turtles (height wise).

Anyways, yeah, heard a story maybe two years ago? That Bay was doing a TMNT movie. Except the turtles were going to be aliens, so technically neither mutant nor truly turtles, nor would they be teenagers. The trailer sounds like they're dropping the aliens angle, unless the trailer is misleading and they're referencing some sort of origin for Shredder (whom the trailer did not flatter.)

That script was mercifully abandoned. It also featured Casey Jones as the main protagonist.

As a kid watching a cartoon, you never think how stupid April's bright yellow tracksuit would look in real life, but now I'm thinking it. Admittedly sort of a Catch 22 for Bay, if he ditched the suit he'd have tons of nerd rage to deal with.

See in the 2012 TMNT cartoon she only has a yellow t-shirt and it works fine. The turtles are also clearly different from previous (they now have 3 toes for example) and they're all extremely easily identified sans masks or weapons. It's very different but it works, just like Transformers Prime was radically different but it worked. Change doesn't automatically incense fans.
Edit: Just for reference.

[Marko Dash]

the purple one looks like he's just been knocked upside the head

[Elheru Aran]

Check this out.

http://badassdigest.com/2014/04/01/a-fa ... em-snouts/

Looks much better. Too bad it probably won't happen, though.

[Borgholio]

Check this out.

http://badassdigest.com/2014/04/01/a-fa ... em-snouts/

Looks much better. Too bad it probably won't happen, though.

While I didn't really mind the new look, I have to agree...the old-fashioned snouts look way better.

[TheFeniX]

Wait, did someone edit turtles into the new Batman movie?

I kind of miss robot ninjas and a pink brain trying to jumpstart his ultimate weapon because he forgot to install an engine.

Just for nostalgia sake, (Europeans may need to avert their eyes.) I present you with:

[Crazedwraith]

"heroes are created"? That's what you want to say? Heroism is an innate aspect to you? not a matter of choice and determination?

And Mikey just looks hideous.

And TheFenix, I don't what you're talking about. Them there are the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles.

[Borgholio]

Wait, did someone edit turtles into the new Batman movie?

I kind of miss robot ninjas and a pink brain trying to jumpstart his ultimate weapon because he forgot to install an engine.

Just for nostalgia sake, (Europeans may need to avert their eyes.) I present you with:

Holy shit that brings back good memories.

[Steve]

I grew up with that old show.... but even with that, the 2003 series is the best representation of the mythos IMHO.

[TheFeniX]

One thing I loved about TMNT growing up is that the show was very light-hearted, but was serious when it needed to be. I enjoyed the earlier movies (the first 2 at least), but they flopped the premise for the most part: they were serious movies that were light-hearted when they wanted to be. They also did quite well at the box-office IIRC. Same with the TMNT movie with Patrick Stewart, except for the popularity. I enjoyed it, but Hollywood seems to love turning light-hearted shit into grit with some comedy thrown in.

It reminds me of the 2 competing Sonic cartoons WAY back. One was extremely kid friendly, much more in line with TMNT at the time. Whereas, there was another one that took place in some dystopian future and all the Sonic kids are punk rockers that use their instruments in weird ways.... or something, it's been a while. The show had a much darker tone, which I wasn't all that big on.

Directors seem to think that as fans get older, we want to see our nostalgia reimagined as more "mature," which completely ignores a lot of the source material. They'd be better off just coming up with their own premise, but this is Hollywood which rarely, if ever, has an original idea. Seriously though, make a fucking ExoSquad movie. They've remade just about everything else at this point. People actually died in that show, so it's fits more with this "rar! gritty grimdark darkness" shit they keep pushing.

[Lord Revan]

Directors seem to think that as fans get older, we want to see our nostalgia reimagined as more "mature," which completely ignores a lot of the source material. They'd be better off just coming up with their own premise, but this is Hollywood which rarely, if ever, has an original idea. Seriously though, make a fucking ExoSquad movie. They've remade just about everything else at this point. People actually died in that show, so it's fits more with this "rar! gritty grimdark darkness" shit they keep pushing.

the things is that Hollywood wants in a way "safe" grimdark, that one of reasons you'll never in a million years see a WH40K live action movie cause it's not "safe" as any sacrifice must in the end pointless as "in the grim future there can be only war", where as Hollywood wants movies where the hero saves the day in the end.

[TheFeniX]

I won't disagree with you there. I get that the origin of TMNT was pretty damned dark, but it's popularity came from the 80's cartoon series. I don't recall a whole lot of social commentary in that cartoon. That really wasn't the point, but even the original movie shoe-horned in a lot of stuff about "rebellious youths" that felt extremely tacked on.

When I see a trailer like in the OP, I immediately think of an old Pablo Francisco sketch:

Ideas that seem idiotic on paper can turn out awesome (one of the ways I feel about the original Robocop), but I've got little faith in this one. Honestly, just put something like Pixar in charge of stuff like this. They do a great job keeping kids and adults entertained.

[Mr. Coffee]

Ok, am I the only one that thinks when Mike or whoever took his mask off there that he looked like the Hulk with Downs? Also, what the fuck are their shells made of? Whatever it is was durable enough to use one of them to take out a hummer. Bay, stop ruining my childhood, you greedy fucktoaster!

[Kojiro]

the purple one looks like he's just been knocked upside the head

See I was very skeptical at first too but this version of Donatello is very endearing. Yes he's a bit taller and he's more nerdy than previous versions but I really like the character. The gap in his teeth isn't from damage as we see him (all of them) just post mutation. The current TMNT is I think the best one there is. Leonardo struggles with the leadership role, taking (and they lampshade) advice from 'Not Star Trek TOS' they show him watching each week (later it's 'Not Voltron'). Raph is show to be the hothead he's supposed to be but with a softer side- he's emotional, often expressed as violent but it's clearly not the be all end all of him. Mickey is the easy going, slightly dense one but he's also very endearing. He and Donny both have changes to their weapons- Mikey carries a manriki gusari (if my spelling is correct) and Donny's staff has a retractable naginata blade in it. It's thoroughly worth a look for any TMNT fan. It's even got Krang, an evil Chuck Norris and this version of Splinter is all kinds of awesome.

Re the fan changes to the movie turtles, they look far, far better. How they'd look talking I don't know but from those shots they're 10x better. If I were the designer of the new movie look I'd be embarrassed.

Also, what the fuck are their shells made of? Whatever it is was durable enough to use one of them to take out a hummer.

That actually worries me a little. With the whole 'created' theme I'm worried they're basically green super soldiers. 'Oh yes, this one, Blue, Code Name 'Leonardo' has been genetically mutated for tactical and leadership abilities. This one- Purple- has been engineered as an advanced field tech and medic while Red here is the 'berserker' mod.'

[Executor32]

One thing I loved about TMNT growing up is that the show was very light-hearted, but was serious when it needed to be. I enjoyed the earlier movies (the first 2 at least), but they flopped the premise for the most part: they were serious movies that were light-hearted when they wanted to be. They also did quite well at the box-office IIRC. Same with the TMNT movie with Patrick Stewart, except for the popularity. I enjoyed it, but Hollywood seems to love turning light-hearted shit into grit with some comedy thrown in.

It reminds me of the 2 competing Sonic cartoons WAY back. One was extremely kid friendly, much more in line with TMNT at the time. Whereas, there was another one that took place in some dystopian future and all the Sonic kids are punk rockers that use their instruments in weird ways.... or something, it's been a while. The show had a much darker tone, which I wasn't all that big on.

Directors seem to think that as fans get older, we want to see our nostalgia reimagined as more "mature," which completely ignores a lot of the source material. They'd be better off just coming up with their own premise, but this is Hollywood which rarely, if ever, has an original idea. Seriously though, make a fucking ExoSquad movie. They've remade just about everything else at this point. People actually died in that show, so it's fits more with this "rar! gritty grimdark darkness" shit they keep pushing.

You're probably the only person who preferred the goofy slapstick weekday Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog series to the more serious Saturday morning Sonic the Hedgehog series, or at least the only one I've ever seen. Even when I was a kid, I thought the SatAM series was way more appealing, and that was also the general consensus at my school back then. Also, the punk rocker thing was Sonic Underground which, while drawing some elements from the SatAM series, was pretty 'meh' overall. I'd still rather watch it than Adventures, though.

[TheFeniX]

You're probably the only person who preferred the goofy slapstick weekday Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog series to the more serious Saturday morning Sonic the Hedgehog series, or at least the only one I've ever seen. Even when I was a kid, I thought the SatAM series was way more appealing, and that was also the general consensus at my school back then. Also, the punk rocker thing was Sonic Underground which, while drawing some elements from the SatAM series, was pretty 'meh' overall. I'd still rather watch it than Adventures, though.

To be honest, I rarely watched either one, but my memory seems to be off as Underground wasn't out till almost 2000, 7 years later. But also seems to have come along around the same time as rebroadcasts of the two originals.

All I can really remember is most of my morning around that time was taken up watching Exosquad. I might do myself a service (or disservice) and pull up the original series (both of them) and see for myself. I did this for Captain N 2 years or so back... there were no survivors.

[Grumman]

the things is that Hollywood wants in a way "safe" grimdark, that one of reasons you'll never in a million years see a WH40K live action movie cause it's not "safe" as any sacrifice must in the end pointless as "in the grim future there can be only war", where as Hollywood wants movies where the hero saves the day in the end.

Hollywood does not want movies where the hero saves everyone, everywhere, for all time, because Hollywood likes sequels. Stopping one threat and having your happy ending is perfectly viable, even in 40k.

[Lord Revan]

the things is that Hollywood wants in a way "safe" grimdark, that one of reasons you'll never in a million years see a WH40K live action movie cause it's not "safe" as any sacrifice must in the end pointless as "in the grim future there can be only war", where as Hollywood wants movies where the hero saves the day in the end.

Hollywood does not want movies where the hero saves everyone, everywhere, for all time, because Hollywood likes sequels. Stopping one threat and having your happy ending is perfectly viable, even in 40k.

of course it loves sequels but really how often in Hollywood movies you get the "we won the battle but the war is far from over" you get in modern Hollywood at least without implying that the rest of the war is an afterthought. If you want happy ending in something like WH40K you got to earn it, that's what makes it unsafe, in safe movies you known that main hero will survive no matter what or at least his death will have significant meaning (I like taking down the main antagonist with him), at no point do you feel that any stay bullet could end his life.

[Alferd Packer]

Whenever I see Megan Fox in a movie, this is what I think of.

Which is probably unfair, but still. Dull surprise.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

So ... yet another Turtles property. That won't be confusing at all ... what, with Teen Titans: Redux a TMNT series currently running on Nickelodeon. The trailer looks like yet another generic Michael Bay explosion-fest with Megan Fox in it (and, boy, are some Turtles fans profoundly butthurt unhappy about the choice to cast her as April.) Although it did pick up when the Turtles (as ugly as these new ones are) appeared. This movie will probably stand or fall on whether or not the performance of the Turtles will rise above the mindless explosion-fest and Hollywood angst the trailer is otherwise promising.

One thing I loved about TMNT growing up is that the show was very light-hearted, but was serious when it needed to be.

The '80s cartoon was pretty good about that during the first season or two, and then it was mostly silly until about the last couple of seasons, when it went surprisingly grimdark (relatively speaking, of course.) With that said, I'm not sure it's aged very well.