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Monday, June 6, 2016

#JustaQuickiePlease: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows Review

    If you are a loyal fan of the original 80's flicks, then this could easily be interpreted as a GCI enhanced homage to its cinematic predecessors.   Feeling like a literal live action take on an extended Nickelodeon animated episode, David Green brings the audience an unapologetically cartoonish, and formulaic fan film that hits every adolescent and nostalgic geek note with a ninja's precision.   The plot is so simplistic that anyone over the age of seven will lament the predictability while those who fall under that emotional and mental maturity will be delighted beyond description.   For us grown ups, it is a discomforting thing, that four ten foot tall, computer generated turtles have a noticeable and superior acting prowess to the remaining, very human, cast.  Amell is either miscast or utterly restrained, as his reboot of Casey Jones falls disappointingly flat.  Green tries unsuccessfully to force him into the comedic relief role as opposed to the action dynamic that he should have been.  That apparently was a necessity, seeing how Arnett, who, I presume, was originally meant to fill the humor quotient, comes up empty with his annoyingly stale performance.   Fox's portrayal is so thoroughly lackluster that any critique would actually lend it undeserved credibility.  It is evident that this is a "phoned in" apology to Bay to repent for her sins after the whole Transformers debacle.   On the plus side, the action is incessant, the effects stunning, and the infamous reptilian adolescents are as intriguing as ever if you like that sort of thing.  It is exciting fare, much like a rollercoaster ride, requiring little substance but containing enough fabricated thrills to justify the price of admission.  2 out of 5 Kernels: Again, if you are seven, every prior opinion becomes quickly negated the moment Michaelangelo devours his first slice of pizza.    

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