‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Review

Longtime Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans were let down by the second installment of the resurrected phenomenon.

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows’ disappointed fans.

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Photo courtesy of Stephanie Schieder.

Succeeding Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Out of the Shadows, directed by Dave Green is sure to leave both fans and critics alike in utter disappointment. While it was named one of this summer’s blockbuster films, reviews show that Out of the Shadows will most definitely not go down in history as a successful comic remake. Longtime Ninja Turtles fans seemed to rush and see opening night premieres, but soon enough are likely to completely forget the movie ever happened.

Being that the proceeding film told the backstories of characters Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael, Out of the Shadows conveniently was able to dive right into the action. A little too much action. With lines few and far between from the scarcely dressed news reporter, April O’Neil (Megan Fox) and her cameraman, Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), the majority of the movie is just CGI fighting. This easily makes it seem like you are watching someone play a video game.

“Most of the time sequels don’t exactly live up to the expectations of the original film, but in this case, I really didn’t enjoy either of them,” said moviegoer, Rachel Hanrahan.

In terms of storyline, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows follows the same hero’s journey presented in most sci-fi action films. On a positive note, the plot goes much more into depth on the Turtles themselves, contrary to the first film, which seemed to focus primarily on April and Vern. It is a known fact that the sci-fi genre tends to continue on to creating third, fourth and sometimes even fifth films under the same title. For the fans’ sake, let’s hope each installment gets better and better.

The title, Out of the Shadows, makes sense as the Ninja Turtles spend significantly more time out of hiding in their battle against The Shredder (Brian Tee) and his evil henchmen than in the previous film. There really are no surprises throughout the plot, yet some parts were relatively entertaining. The main problem is the lack of comic culture coming from modern CGI technology and the screenplay.

Now, to a less picky sci-fi action fan, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows meets expectations. This film is currently playing in theaters everywhere, in both standard and 3D showings. Visit fandango.com for more information and show times. Don’t forget to check out AMC Starplex in Ridgefield Park and their reclining seats.

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