johnromanosbooks

Visually, this movie is entertaining. I put it on in the background for my son so he can look up every time something exciting happens. Plot-wise, it's hard to keep interest. The book is a classic but they just didn't capture the magic here. They rely too heavily on "roller coaster" scenes because it would otherwise be hard to stretch this story to a full length movie. Ironically, those are the only scenes I watch now, just to see the snowy landscapes and listen to the quiet. There are also a lot of things that don't make sense just to create a reason for the kid to move around the train and get in trouble. The conductor takes the girl to the back of the train to walk along the roof to get to the front?? Sue, why not? Moreover, the acting tries to convince you that the stakes are high but they're just not. A lost FREE ticket gets you thrown off the train?? And the conductor acts legitimately pissed about it. It feels like the writers and producers got too caught up in the excitement of the new motion capture technology, and skimped on a plot that would actually do the source material justice.

If you're going to watch an old, low budget crime movie, "Beatniks" isn't the best, but it's genuinely entertaining and has kept me coming back to it about once a year for the last couple decades. The dialogue isn't great but the acting is decent enough, and when it's not, at least it's comical enough to enjoy. I think the low rating is mostly due to people complaining about the false advertising in the title. If you can get over that, the only horrible thing about this movie is the video quality. But it's not unwatchable by any means.

The plot is about the leader of a gang who gets "discovered" by a talent agent while singing to his girlfriend in a diner. At first he's only in it for the money, but he soon realizes that maybe he can really make something of himself. Now he has to decide whether to be loyal to his gang, or move on to stardom. But will the gang let him go so easily?

This unique reimagining of the TMNT franchise has an appealing aesthetic and enough action that can satisfy both kids and adults, but the "wow factor" wasn't there. After so many iterations, I'm fine with my turtles looking different and backstories being changed. And I could care less about any race/gender swapping. It doesn't matter. If you want the classic vibe, watch the original movies or the 1987 cartoon.

But here's what didn't work for me. There were so many mutants that I was excited to see, and aside from Super Fly and Mondo Gecko (who I love), no one got much screen time. I was so excited to see Leatherhead and he (she?) had only about 2 lines as I recall. Bebop and Rocksteady only has a slightly larger role and didn't even play off each other. And I know there are a lot of stories that don't have Shredder as the villain. However... I missed Shredder! I just did. (And no Casey Jones either??)

The plot is another generic "no one knows who the turtles are. Then when they try to go up to the streets, they're mistaken for monsters. Then they win the hearts of NYC by defeating some supervillain" story. Nothing new. We've all seen it before.

Finally, it took me a while to get past some things. Like all the turtles had teenager voices but Donatello sounded like he was 10. And of course, most of the dialogue is inundated with the "awkward realism" that everyone thinks they need today. It's fine in small doses but they're really on it too much and skip necessary and much more original dialogue.

In the end, I was bored. It just never came together for me. I'll love them forever, but as with the 2007 animated movie, I probably won't be revisiting it.