saw it last night. loved it.
i loved the focus on the theme of brotherhood and family. everyone knows the turtles as an ass-kickin ninjas and crimefighters... however, it's always been overlooked that at the same time, these guys are a family. Their master is also their father. Not only do these guys have to work together as a team, they have to put up with each other. That was definitely a nice touch.
the villains were pretty weak, but they served their purpose. Karai's speech at the end definitely opened up things for a sequel (and an appearance by an old acquaintance). considering my love of the comics, i knew who karai was already, but i'll just leave it at that...
the animation was awesome. the turtles themselves looked great. despite the grumblings about them being "too short" or "too scrawny", they looked fine to me. they moved elegantly, and conveyed emotions in all the right ways. after 14 years, it was great seeing these guys back in action on the big-screen.
obviously, i gotta give props to the crew for giving focus to the Leo/Raph rivalry. their relationship was an integral part of the original comics, and i was happy to see it revitalized on-screen (other than the new cartoon, which also does a good job at that). true, mike and don were basically supporting players, but they had awesome moments too. Mikey's jokes were actually funny ("I have nightmares about... birthday parties.") and Don had an excellent intro scene and served his 'intellectual' role very well.
overall, it was a strong comeback for the Turtles. While it doesnt look like they'll recapture their massive popularity from the '90s, the TMNT will always be a formidable force to be reckoned with. Bring on the sequel.
to quote Michelangelo from the first live-action film:
"Major-league butt-kicking is back in town."
i loved the focus on the theme of brotherhood and family. everyone knows the turtles as an ass-kickin ninjas and crimefighters... however, it's always been overlooked that at the same time, these guys are a family. Their master is also their father. Not only do these guys have to work together as a team, they have to put up with each other. That was definitely a nice touch.
the villains were pretty weak, but they served their purpose. Karai's speech at the end definitely opened up things for a sequel (and an appearance by an old acquaintance). considering my love of the comics, i knew who karai was already, but i'll just leave it at that...
the animation was awesome. the turtles themselves looked great. despite the grumblings about them being "too short" or "too scrawny", they looked fine to me. they moved elegantly, and conveyed emotions in all the right ways. after 14 years, it was great seeing these guys back in action on the big-screen.
obviously, i gotta give props to the crew for giving focus to the Leo/Raph rivalry. their relationship was an integral part of the original comics, and i was happy to see it revitalized on-screen (other than the new cartoon, which also does a good job at that). true, mike and don were basically supporting players, but they had awesome moments too. Mikey's jokes were actually funny ("I have nightmares about... birthday parties.") and Don had an excellent intro scene and served his 'intellectual' role very well.
overall, it was a strong comeback for the Turtles. While it doesnt look like they'll recapture their massive popularity from the '90s, the TMNT will always be a formidable force to be reckoned with. Bring on the sequel.
to quote Michelangelo from the first live-action film:
"Major-league butt-kicking is back in town."