'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles': What are critics saying about it?
-
Molly Driscoll Staff Writer
The pizza-loving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have returned to the big screen, but is the newest iteration of the story a satisfying movie?
The film, which is in theaters now, centers on four turtles who are expert fighters and are trained in martial arts by their rat mentor Splinter. Actor Johnny Knoxville voices the turtle Leonardo while actor Pete Ploszek plays him; Jeremy Howard of 鈥淗ow the Grinch Stole Christmas鈥� portrays Donatello; 鈥淭he Hunger Games: Catching Fire鈥� actor Alan Ritchson plays Raphael; and 鈥淪hameless鈥� actor Noel Fisher plays Michelangelo. Actress Megan Fox portrays reporter and Turtles ally April O鈥橬eil, while 鈥淭he Lego Movie鈥� actor Will Arnett plays the part of Vernon Fenwick, April鈥檚 cameraman. 鈥淭urtles鈥� is directed by Jonathan Liebesman, who was also behind such movies as the 2012 film 鈥淲rath of the Titans.鈥澛�
鈥淭urtles鈥� hit theaters today, but so far its critical reception has not been good. The movie currently holds a score of 34 out of 100 on the review aggregator website .听
critic Sandie Angulo Chen wrote that 鈥渟ome 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'聽devotees may be appeased by Paramount鈥檚 fairly faithful film reboot of their beloved reptilian superheroes,鈥� but she believed that 鈥渕ore are likely to be disappointed to discover that the talking Turtles have been reduced to sidekicks to the actual focus of this film 鈥� Megan Fox鈥�. When the film moves past Fox to focus on the Turtles, the heroes in a half shell are undeniably impressive in ninja mode鈥�. And the Turtles themselves are charming enough, even though there鈥檚 not much time invested in their personalities 鈥� while this reboot is fun, it鈥檚 also forgettable and occasionally infuriating.鈥�
reviewer Mark Olsen also found that the movie focused too much on Fox鈥檚 character, writing that 鈥渢he turtles often feel left in the background of their own movie.鈥� He was also impressed with the look of the turtles, writing that they are 鈥渓ively and pretty lifelike,鈥� but that 鈥渢he biggest problem with the movie is it can never quite decide who it's for or why it exists."聽
Meanwhile, critic Claudia Puig was even less impressed, calling the film 鈥渃harmless, dull and derivative.鈥�
鈥淧erhaps this version 鈥� will hold some shred of appeal for folks who fondly remember watching the animated anthropomorphic reptiles on TV in the '80s and '90s, or for young kids,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淏ut most will find it frenetic, overblown and un-exciting鈥�. The four classically named chelonians are devoid of much personality, making them tough to tell apart.鈥�
