Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, long known from their underground comic and later three movie releases, return for a full CGI release. After the disastrous third movie it was believed by many that the series was at an end as far as movies were concerned. Well, that has proved not to be true. TMNT has shown that there is still life out there for the turtles.
TMNT starts off with an unusual premise. Lenoardo (James Arnold Tylor), has been sent to Central America by Splinter (Mako) in order to learn more of the ways of a true leader. However, his stay continues much longer then anticipated and even the arrival of April O'Neil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) can't bring him back to New York. Leonardo is convinced that he is not the leader Splinter wants him to be and so remains in hiding even though the brothers back home have fallen into a slow decline of moral and direction.
April's business in Central America soon brings a new threat to New York and the rest of the world. Billionaire Max Winters (Patrick Stewart) is intent in bringing back four strange and unique statues of an ancient civilization back to New York City. What April doesn't realize is that Winters himself is a 3,000 year old immortal warrior who, in an attempt to conquer the world, opened up a portal that not only froze his siblings into the statues he now seeks but also released 13 aliens into the world. Winters has been waiting for to end his own immortality and release his siblings from the prison he placed them in so long ago. The portal itself can only be opened up every 3,000 years and now Winters has his chance to end what he started so long ago.
Lenoardo returns in time to find that the siblings of Winters have returned to life even though they remain statues. The turtles soon not only face the generals (as the statues are called) but also the aliens Winters seeks along with the Foot Clan which is now led by a mysterious Karai (Ziyi Zhang). The help of April and Casey Jones (Chris Evans) unites the turtles and allows them to win perhaps their most important victory. Winters is free from his immortality and his siblings, who attempted to betray their elder brother and conquer the world themselves, are defeated.
The only problem that I had with TNMT was the constant feel that I was watching a Saturday morning cartoon. The CGI seemed little better then something one would see on a television channel show which is disappointing. The conflict between Leonardo and Raphael (Nolan North) is predictable and adds little to the overall story. The idea of April herself fighting with the turtles seems somewhat strange if one remembers her past role in the series as a reporter and nothing else.
In the end TMNT is still a movie that long time fans, such as myself, and newer fans will enjoy. Hopefully we will see more of the turtles in the future.
7/10
2 out of 2 found this helpful