14 comments on “Exploring TMNT – Episode 170”

1. Jr. on September 24, 2014 at 1:52 am said:

   Great review as always, Cecil! My brother and I went to go see this movie when it was in theaters all those years and I have to say that i very much enjoyed it. I was surprised to learn that not many other people liked it though. I mean, the turtles and their personalities are all intact, Foot clan is represented well and April and Casey are there too. I think maybe what threw people off was the absence of the Shredder and the fantastical nature of the plot. In my opinion, I think it was a little too outlandish even for a TMNT movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when franchises establish other villians other than the main ones but Shredder not being there sort of took out a little of the luster.

   The Turtles look great in this movie and that battle in the rain with Raph and Leo looks amazing. That being said, Im usually not a big fan of Imagi’s style. Have you ever seen their short animated Legend of Zelda video? Im so glad that they didn’t make that. Other wise, this movie is hugely underrated and Im glad youre not bashing this movie just because its “Cool” *cough*NostalgiaCritic*cough*

   Keep em coming!

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   • Cecil on October 3, 2014 at 9:36 am said:

     Thanks! With all the talk of the new Bay turtles movie, I kept seeing this one passed over. I wanted to give it some attention and I’m happy that so many others are on board with this being sadly overlooked.

     Considering people were ok with Krang and Dimension X, I would figure that immortal Mayan warriors wouldn’t be that much of a stretch. I think this just was released at perhaps a bad time?

     I don’t know much from Imagi beyond this movie. I thought they did an excellent job. Many other studios would have tried to make it more realistic and it would have cost 3x as much.

     I’ve never been one to go after something simply because it is what the general consensus believes. If I bash a movie, I feel it deserves the beating. If I defend a movie, I feel it deserves defending.

     I didn’t know NC went after this until people started telling me. Not surprised. I’m sure he screamed and yelled and shot his fake gun in the air because comedy.

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2. Roy on September 24, 2014 at 1:54 pm said:

   I saw TMNT in a nicely packed theater, and the film was pretty good. Maybe it didn’t go over too well because it was too dark, deep and sophisticated for an animated film (I’m no fan of Disney/Pixar. Give me anime or Ralph Bakshi’s work). Not a lot of people know that the original comic books had a dark, eccentric feel to them.
   It’s also a shame that IMAGI went bankrupt, after the awkwardly-Americanized “Astro Boy” crashed. You should make a video on how it’s hard to make an anime TV show/film appealing to mainstream American audiences. The tricks, sure (The Matrix saga), but the whole thing…yeech! (Dragonball: Evolution).
   Fun facts:
   In their original form, “Ninja Turtles” were a parody of Frank Miller’s infamous run on “Daredevil” (1979-1982). The Hand=The Foot; Stick=Splinter.
   Co-creators Kevin Eastman (owns the adult-oriented Heavy Metal Magazine http://www.heavymetal.com) and Peter Laird (appeared in the “Howard The Duck” film) met when Kevin was working as an short-order cook to pay off his art school bills and Peter was a newspaper reporter, visiting said restaurant for a story in Maine. They both shared a love for B-movies and comic books, and the rest is history.
   I’ve met Eastman at the New York Comic Con (http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com) from 2007-2009. Nice guy.
   Well, that’s it. Good video. Keep it up and remember…”Doughnuts don’t wear alligator shoes.”
   P.S.: I watched the Factual Feminist video you favored on YouTube. You should do one too, since you have a great knowledge of video games. Despite being a billion-dollar industry, video games are still a subculture. Some people don’t get that while trying to change it by force and, sadly, it’s brought up a lot of ugliness.

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   • Cecil on October 3, 2014 at 9:59 am said:

     Thanks!

     I think this may have just been a case of bad timing. I did know about the Daredevil connection because as a kid in the 80s who used to hang around my local comic shop, it was talked about quite frequently. Especially when the cartoon blew up and how the initial wave of people were upset because they ditched the darker feel of the comic in favor of a more light hearted approach. (although almost all of those people came around because the cartoon was just so much fun) I think the first movie did a great job of capturing both the darker nature of the comic and the humorous feel of the cartoon, without sacrificing either.

     I’ve been toying with doing a video about the whole video game debacle going on now. (I’ve had a few people tell me the same thing) I don’t know. I do want to weight in with my opinions and how I think the game media keeps deflecting the issues to continue the narrative that “gamer” is dead and the only ones hanging on to the label are straight white male losers who live in their parents basements…despite the fact that in the past few years as gaming became more and more mainstream it was shown that everyone, across all genders, races, sexuality, etc are playing games.

     I’ve been to PAX (as well as numerous other gaming events) and seen thousands of normal, well adjusted folks from all walks of life. (not these basement dwelling racists that the game media keeps trumpeting) I’ve met some very nice people and had great conversations based on nothing more than our like of gaming. I’ve made great life long friends because of games, many of which I wouldn’t have met under any other circumstance.

     Are there going to be assholes? Sure! But name one large group that doesn’t include some bad apples. How many sports fans go out and riot after their team loses? Does that make all people who like sports mindless violent jerks? Why is gaming being painted in the wide brush when every other hobby isn’t?

     Anyway, like I said I don’t know. I could go on and on, as I sometimes do. The backlash would be ugly. I’m sure I would be attacked for videos like Catwoman where I dared to call Alex Borstein fat, despite the fact that she has made jokes on Family Guy far worse than anything I said (I think she is very funny but was horrendously miscast) and I’m sure things I’ve said in the past would be taken completely out of context. Or who knows, I might just be another voice yelling into the wind.

     I think there is plenty of room for all in gaming. Its like you said they are trying to change it by force. You don’t like the God of War series? That’s fine! There are lots of other games you can play but don’t tell me I can’t play it because you don’t like it.

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3. Joshnorm on September 24, 2014 at 3:23 pm said:

   I thought this had nothing to do with the Orginals so I never saw it. Now I feel foolish and will go check it out adap

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   • Cecil on October 3, 2014 at 10:03 am said:

     Hope you enjoy it!

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4. sunrise089 on September 25, 2014 at 2:55 am said:

   Your summary and the dialog from the film all makes it seem appealing Cecil. The visuals, to me, very much do not. I don’t think I can recall a worst looking or more video-game like CGI look in the mainstream animated film. I’m sure it was an intentional style, but the lanky models bouncing around just look silly to me.

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   • demonknight on September 25, 2014 at 4:57 pm said:

     It doesn’t look very good, but it looks better than the current blocky CGI TV show. The only time the turtles have been nailed outside of the original cartoon and comic is the first movie.

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     • Cecil on October 3, 2014 at 10:04 am said:

       Wow, maybe that is part of the issue. I think it looks great but a few people have been talking about how much they didn’t like the animation.

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   • Cecil on October 3, 2014 at 10:04 am said:

     Really? I thought it looked terrific. Oh well, to each their own.

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5. Cristiona on September 27, 2014 at 3:30 am said:

   No, no, no. I’m sorry, but I’m an anonymous nobody on the internet and the only opinion that matters is mine!

   More seriously, I didn’t hate it. I thought it was kind of average, actually. It had some great moments (especially scenes with Raph), but the whole thing felt kind of average. *shrug*

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   • Cecil on October 3, 2014 at 10:11 am said:

     LOL so many people think that by reciting their beliefs in all CAPS that means their is the most important.

     Understood. You’d be shocked at some of the movies that people rave over that I think are just average. Not everything can appeal to everyone. 🙂

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6. Viewer on September 27, 2014 at 1:00 pm said:

   What’s really sad is how they decided to restart the franchise by coming up with an “interesting” new story (and failed) instead of just doing what we all wanted from day 1 – making a movie based on a cool story from the comics or even the show. The story was generic, the characters were poorly introduced (how about we actually get to see April becoming a ninja, maybe even as an arc for such a Marry Sue character who finally gets to hold her own, instead of just making her a ninja, or how about we get to see how the family broke up, instead of making the whole film a cold opening where they’re already at war with each other for no apparent reason). The writer had good ideas that were poorly implemented and left the movie feel hollow. I hate it now even more, considering that the new show is actually fun and well set up.

   Anyway, nice vid. I guess I see why you like it. Any thoughts on the Bay movie or the new show?

   By the way, who’d have thought back in the day that a show that you enjoyed as a kid will (in a different iteration) still be on even decades later for your own kid to enjoy it? Crazy, right? 🙂

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   • Cecil on October 3, 2014 at 10:15 am said:

     I thought they succeeded but I understand why you feel that way.

     Haven’t seen the Bay movie yet. Love the new show.

     I think the turtles have been one of the very few things that has endured time and different iterations mostly well. How many franchises over the years have been restarted/booted/updated/etc and most often will divide the fans or fail outright? Comics seem to be one of the few things that can do that.

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