>>REVIEW
TMNT
STARRING Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chris Evans, Patrick Stewart and Kevin Smith
DIRECTED BY Kevin Munroe
Opens Friday, March 23
Check listings
The heroes in a half-shell are back and they are meaner and greener than ever. It took four major motion pictures to get it right, but the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are finally as cool on the big screen as their legions of avid fans could have ever hoped.
TMNT begins with the assumption that we all know these characters, avoiding yet another origin retelling. Instead, the film begins a few years after the events of the third and final live-action movie and moves forward, bringing depth to the well-established characters. The action picks up right from the start and doesn’t slow down until the final credits.
The story opens with Raphael, Michaelangelo, Donatello and Leonardo following their own paths, until trouble in New York brings them back together, as the brothers re-form their family they also get involved in a series of events involving ancient warriors, monsters, a master of industry named Max Winters and, of course, hordes of evil ninjas.
Like everything about the film, the turtles are a little older and wiser. There are still enough one-liners and catch phrases to keep the kids giggling, but unlike the first three films, the jokes enhance the story instead of overpowering it. Owing more to the original comic books and recent cartoon series than the first three movies, these Turtles are far more ninja than teenaged.
The computer-generated effects are gorgeous, instead of four identical, emotionless rubber suits we get distinct characters wrought with personality. Other than Pixar’s The Invincibles, this may well be the best-ever big screen cartoon action. The fights are crisp and entertaining, always serving to move the plot and develop characters while keeping action fans more than content.
Featuring the voice talents of Sarah Michelle Gellar as the Turtles’ human friend April O’Neil, Chris Evans as the vigilante Casey Jones and Patrick Stewart as Max Winters, the cast all add a little extra something to their characters, giving them a life beyond the animation. Veteran actor and frequent cartoon voice, Mako, creates a wise and eccentric version of the Turtles’ sensei Splinter that will surely become an instant favourite for kids and parents alike.
While it will no doubt sell scads of video games and action figures, the latest instalment in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise is more than just another money-grab comic book adaptation. TMNT offers enough style and substance to put a smile on the face of anyone familiar with the characters and win over quite a few who aren’t. |
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