Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie is a continuation of the series of the same name. The film follows a mysterious stranger named Casey Jones who arrives from the future to warn the mutant brothers of an impending invasion of the most dangerous alien force in the galaxy — the Krang.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Story
In the year 2044, the world has ended and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles attempt to reverse the apocalypse caused by the powerful alien force Krang by sending their student Casey Jones back in time to get the key and stop the doorway that releases the Krang.
In the fight for the key, the Turtles lose their mystic powers. When Casey meets the younger Turtles, the Krang have already taken the key and start unleashing destruction onto the planet. The Turtles, along with Casey, their friend, April O’Neil, and their dad, Splinter, team up to save the world. But soon Casey realises that the Turtles he is working with are nothing like the Turtles he has known most of his life, especially his master, Leonardo. Leo is reckless and impulsive, and has little regard for what his teammates have to say. Raphael, the older brother, struggles with the heavy responsibility of keeping the team safe while Leo takes immature and rash decisions that land them in trouble.
But everything changes when Raphael gets kidnapped. Now it’s up to Leo to turn over a new leaf because the whole world rests on his shoulders, and so does his brother’s life.
Performances
Being an animated film, it boasts a talented cast of voice actors including Ben Schwartz, Kat Graham, Josh Brener, and Haley Joel Osment, all of whom did more with just their voices than what most actors can usually do with all their senses. The dialogues were clear with good voice modulation such that even subtitles didn’t seem necessary to understand what was happening as the movie progressed.
Positives
Apart from the performances, the film can be praised for its engaging animation. The visuals are vibrant, well edited and add to the immersion.
It is a great continuation to the original series. However, if you haven’t watched it, the film doesn’t feel disjointed. You can still understand and enjoy the entire plot.
Special appreciation needs to be given to the artists responsible for character designs. They have done an exceptional job in representing life-like emotions on the faces of all the film’s characters, including the non-human ones.
With a lot happening in its short run-time, the writing is filled with witty jokes and punchlines, almost giving it a Marvel-esque quality. The humor is also well-timed and exactly what the film needs when the action thickens.
Negatives
The only negatives that can be talked about the film are the fast-paced action scenes that make up most of the movie.
The events in these scenes are not very clear and can sometimes get mind-numbingly boring as it fails to hold the viewers’ attention for long.
Often, it’s the dialogues right after the action scenes that help in updating the viewer on what exactly happened. For a superhero action movie, this becomes a major drawback.
Verdict
Filled with witty humour, hilarious banter, and endearing portrayals of brotherhood, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie is, overall, enjoyable.
However, action scenes aren’t exactly its unique selling proposition, something that most would expect from a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. In this regard, it falls short. But the film makes for a good watch for a long-time fan of the franchise.
Rating: 3/5
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