Plot: What’s it about?
I think if I could go back in time, I’d make sure to procure some items that would eventually become valuable. If you’re talking comic books, had I been thinking when it was 1986, I’d have purchased every copy of Issue #1 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Ok, so maybe it’s not Action Comics #1, but it is (or was, I haven’t checked lately) one of the most sought-after comic books of the last quarter century. Admittedly I’ve never been too big a fan of the TMNT, but I can’t deny that they’ve made an indelible impact on pop culture. Warner released a movie in 1990 that showcased the turtles in action, and since Hollywood loves to grab from the past, the year is now 2014 and we’ve got a new version of the now, dare I say it, “classic” tale of the turtles who would later become ninjas (and teenagers). The movie was critically panned, so of course it took in nearly $200 million at the domestic box office. You know what that means – yep, we’ll be seeing and hearing “Turtle Power” in a year or so. Accept it. Deal with it. Face it. It will happen.
Plot wise, it’s really not that hard to follow. I suppose the filmmakers are assuming that anyone who sees this at least has some passing knowledge of the turtles. We get a brief glimpse of them as little baby turtles and we also meet April O’Neil (Megan Fox), an up and coming reporter who has ambitions beyond her current assignment. It would seem that a band of neirdowells called “The Foot Clan” is terrorizing the city and April and her trusty cameraman, Vernon (Will Arnett) are trying to crack the case. The clan’s leader, Shredder (Tohoru Masamune) is to blame and also happens to be the arch nemesis of the teenage mutant ninja turtles. Of course we need a white collar criminal and Eric Sachs (William Fichtner) fits the bill as he once employed April’s father who just so happens to be, well, dead. And so it goes that April and the turtles are battling with Shredder in an effort to save the city. But can they? Will they? Duh da duuuuuuuumm!
There are certain movies that make me check my brain at the door. Thankfully my brain doesn’t house a lot of information, so it’s a rather easy check. I sat back and watched what was going on, occasionally nodding and cracking a smile when I saw the turtles in action, but this really wasn’t my cup of tea. Then again, I’ve never been a die hard fan of the TMNT, so I guess that would help a bit too. Yes, it’s nice to see Megan Fox again, but I’ve still got my old Blu-ray’s of the Transformers movies, those are a little easier on the eyes for me. TMNT delivers pretty much everything you could ask for. It’s not really that intellectually challenging and it’s not supposed to be. It’s fun. It’s stupid, but it’s stupid fun. Get it? There’s not a lot else to say and in case you needed to know, Johnny Knoxville of Jackass fame, does a fine job with his voiceover of Leonardo. ‘Nuff said.
Video: How’s it look?
The movie aside, I have to say that this is yet another pristine example of Blu-ray. I can’t imagine four teenage mutant ninja turtles looking much, if any, better if I was looking at them with my own eyes. Granted they’re not real so it’ll never happen, but you get the idea. The 2.39:1 AVC HD image embodies what we’ve come to expect from a new to Blu-ray film. I know I say this often, but there’s really nothing that can get around the fact that when you’re looking at something like this it just looks so crystal clear and amazing. Detail is second to none, the skin on the turtles’ looks so lifelike it’s scary. Megan Fox has aged a few years, but her features look nearly as good as ever. The backgrounds maintain a nice, surreal look and everything else looks sublime. Amazing.
Audio: How’s it sound?
This is now the third, count it, the third title of the year to feature a Dolby Atmos mix. And I still don’t have the capability to review that, so I instead listened to the Dolby True HD mix that it “defaulted” to. I can’t imagine the Atmos mix sounding much better than this, as this is about as robust as it gets. Each channel was lively and engaged, LFE were mighty active and vocals (yes, even those of the titles with Johnny Knoxville in the lead) sounded rich and pure. Surrounds were robust and active as well adding depth to the scenes (and they needed it). No complaints here, it’s an amazing-sounding mix.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Digital Reality – What? You mean these turtles aren’t real? This 20 minute feature shows how the turtles were “brought to life” so to speak. It’s amazing.
- In Your Face! The Turles in 3D – For those that don’t know, this movie is available in 3D as well, but the movie was shot in 2D and later “converted” to 3D. This simply shows how some of the shots were planned out and so forth.
- It Ain’t Easy Being Green – Essentially a talking heads (er…shells?) feature with the four actors and some of their experiences on the set an on location in NYC.
- Evolutionary Mash-Up – Odd. This segment features a history of turtles. And a history of ninjas. Left out was the history of teenagers…
- Turtle Rock – Composer Brian Tyler is interviewed and gives a few points of interest on his work for the film.
- Extended Ending – Ha! In your face! You thought it was over? Nope, they had to eek out the ending just a bit more. You’re welcome.
- “Shell Shocked” Music Video – Performed by Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J., Moxie, and Ty dolla $ign. Yes, “dolla $ign.”
- Making of “Shell Shocked” – The above, but how they made it. I suppose it was worthy of its own feature? Hmmm…
- Ninja Masks – Four in all, each with their own color. I tried one on. I didn’t turn into a ninja, a turtle or a teenager. Still, nice to have. Sorta.
- DVD/Digital HD Copy
