Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Reboot)
 

Live action. This news has been around a while. I remember hearing about Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes starting development a while back.

For no real reason, I thought of it tonight and was reading up about it. There are really no new developments other than that the Iron Man screenwriters are working on a new script and it's slated for 2012.


Thoughts?

Fanboys seem fairly paranoid that he's going to direct as well and make it like Transformers.

Personally, I don't know where they should go with this, but I think it should be one of two ways:

The original first movie is great. Underrated even. If you've read the early comics, you will know that it follows the original storylines very closely, and upon reviewing at an older age, I find it holds up. It's "dark" and "gritty" (overused terms) and really works at capturing the tone of the story and New York that I love in those books.
On top of that it works in several small aesthetic elements of the cartoon, which had to be done, but work well because of how reasonably they are applied.

The sequels obviously went total cheese, but I think the first is the perfect marriage of the comic to the cartoon.
So the way I see it, is that it would be best if the reboot goes hardcore in one direction or the other.
They should either go balls out, Sin City style graphic novel movie style. (Which is highly unlikely.)
Or, they should make it very high budget movie (like Transformers) and go all out with the cartoon stuff. The Technodrome, Krang, Rocksteady and Bebop, those drill things, Dimension X, huge action sequences. Pretty much like Transformers*

I actually think the latter might happen, since the nostalgia thing clearly sells nowadays and the cartoon is something they probably want to cash in on in the style of Transformers and G.I. Joe.

Not sure how I feel, because even though I love the cartoon I grew up on, I've grown to appreciate the original comics even more as an adult.


*quality negotiable.

I'd like to see them go even closer to the Mirage Studios comics.

That's one of the things that made the first live action movie "darker." While it still contained a lot of conventions from the cartoon and the Archie (I think) comics, it still borrowed a fair amount of flavour from the originals.

Yeah the original movie was great but I dont know. Making transformers look real is easy since they have no faces.

Yea def, in fact the plot is nearly 100% composed of various plot points from the first 10 or so issues of the original comic.
I just re-read them recently and compared. Pretty interesting how true it really is.

A few examples that really stuck out to me:

- Opens with their supposed first mission.
- Their entire backstory to a T, as well as Shredder and Splinter's.
- Raphael first meeting Casey Jones on his own, and having several fights with him before he met the rest of the Turtles.
- Splinter being kidnapped while they were off with April.
- Turtles turning to April for a place to crash after said kidnapping.
- Raphael arguing with Leo and leaving.
- April having a Volkswagen mini-bus and an antique shop.
- The Foot attacking them in April's antique shop and Casey Jones coming to the rescue.
- Then they escape and go hideout at a farmhouse in the boonies before making their grand return.
- Rooftop battle with The Foot and Shredder where he falls off and "dies."


Probably even more. I want to get my hands on more volumes.

The only way they could get any closer would be if they were to completely ditch the semi-comedic Turtles, and go with Frank Miller-esque ninjas, and maybe even film it in black and white. And I'd obviously like them to re-arrange or use alternate plot points from the comics rather than rehash.

I would be all for it, but I don't think the studio would. Especially since it's Nickelodeon who now owns the rights.

I think it would be a bigger hit than they probably think, given the fact that the demand for comic films is high, and the majority of childhood Turtles fan are now adults.
In a perfect world, they'd make a modestly budgeted movie like that, and their likely big budget nostalgia trip.
I think they'd certainly both find their audience

I'm pretty sure they can make the Turtles look real since Jim Henson's shop already did it in 1990.
As real as a mutant turtle would actually look, I think.

They could probably go even further to make them look real. Not in a computer though. That would suck.

Either way, it needs more Usagi Yojimbo, and Ace Duck.

Seriously though, a Usagi Yojimbo movie should be made based on his comics.

As someone how hasn't gone to see a movie in theaters since taking my brother and his friend to see Scary Movie 4(I almost fell asleep during), I think I'll definately go see this should it be anything like the 1990 one. Matter a fact, I'll go watch it now.

I'd be the first mother fucker in line for that. Him and Panda Khan would wreck some shit.

Oh, Definitely.

While I LOVE the series and an intruiged by a new movie, the old ones are so classic I don't know if I could get behind this. So conflicted

The 2nd and 3rd aren't really classic. They're pretty bad. I don't want to speak too ill of the 2nd because I loved it so much as a kid. It's a fun kids movie, but nothing more.
And the 3rd is really quite abyssmal.

I do, personally, view the first as a classic, but unfortunately I think it's pretty underrated and forgotten. I don't think starting over is really blasphemous.
There are plenty of new directions to go.

I'd welcome it just as much as I did the new Batman films. I love them, as well as the Burton films. Neither really impacts my enjoyment of the other too much.

I can't see how they don't make this geared towards kids. It would be hard for any reboot to top the original TMNT movie from the 1980s.

I already thought TMNT was rebooted like this one!!

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Technically, that's a sequel to the 3 live action movies. Either way it wasn't as successful as they wanted it to be and they're going to go back to live action.

It would lame as hell if the Turtles themselves were CGI though.

http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/oG4cPRvBGgw/hqdefault.jpg

Nightwatcher was the best part of that movie

If Corey Feldman isn't in this new movie I riot.

Haha, It's aka Raphael.. Yeah it felt like he invented his own alter ego superhero flick despite he wanted to go solo without Leo and company. :p

It's not really a sequel to the movies.

It relies more heavily on the newer cartoon, though it does include elements from the movies. I'm not sure if the intent was to "bridge the gap" or not, but it's not really a sequel to the movies.

I liked the new movie, though I understand a lot of people didn't. Loved the "Sibling rivalry" between Raphel and Leonardo, which evidently comes from the fact that in the new cartoon, Raphael was supposed to be the leader (but for his temper). Though it amused me that the big bad in this movie was played by picard, when the movie so heavily paralled Gargoyles (Where the big bad was the second in command from Star Trek, and there were like 50 other Trek members in the cast).

Could have done without Leo going on Walkabout, or Raph's alter ego, but they did a lot right. And I like it when Casey Jones gets a strong role.

It's in continuity with the live action movies. They didn't make that as clear as they could, and it's clearly cartoonized, but it's supposed to be a 4th installment to that series.

Michael Bay? Great mediocre writing and explosions.

Or at least that's what it said on the special features and some stuf I read online. They obviously present it in a way that it stands on it's own as a "reboot" at the same time, too. So I can see how people wouldn't notice. I didn't until I heard about it this week during my recent Turtles kick.

Then there's also the whole thing where they show the trophy case at the end that includes the movie versions of Shredder's helmet, the ooze canister, and that time travel lantern thing from the 3rd movie.

Anyone seen that Cartoon movie where the original Cartoon TMNTs get transported into the New Cartoon, and eventually the Comic book universe?

It was actually pretty good, though it kind of shit on the OG for being too goofy and the new shit was all SERIOUS

Really, he just wanted to do shit even though they weren't supposed to.

Then they did a shitty job.

The story, personalities, and interplay fall in line with the cartoon, not the movies.

There are elements that reference the movies, yes, but they're kind of drowned out by the other 95% of the movie.

It's the fourth turtle movie...If you ignore 2.5 of them. I mean, it's cool they said it, I guess, but seriously.

Also, thought the elements from the shrine were a nice touch, but at the point you can only really finger a connection with minutia that might as well be an Easter Egg....

Yeah.

That is because TMNT was created to be serious.

I agree. I was just throwing the info out there. It's technically supposed to take place some years after and be the same characters, even though they don't act it.
Also, by then wouldn't they no longer be teenage? It should just be MNT, right?

It's interesting to see how different the first 5 or 6 episodes of the original cartoon are compared to the rest of the series.
That's because they were the "pilot miniseries" to get it picked up, and it wasn't fully controlled by Playmates Toys yet.
I'm pretty sure they eventually started writing the show to advertise new toys.
I mean, it's still goofy, but it's not nearly the same. They actually portray Shredder and Krang as competent.

I've never seen any of the new cartoon aside from that movie special. I hear it's more serious.

do kids even know who the turtles are anymore?

I would say, for the most part, not really. And I'm pretty sure that's what Michael Bay and Nickelodeon/Viacom are trying to change, because it = $$$

Yeah my boys know the turtles without me even mentioning them.

Couldn't be worse than Daredevil.

Daredevil wasn't that bad.

Sheesh.

I didn't mind Daredevil, it wasn't as good as I though it would be but not terrible.

It's certainly middle of the pack for comic movies. There are so many that are far worse than it.

If you are familiar with, and love the Frank Miller era Daredevil books, it is certainly dissapointing, as the nature and tone of Daredevil is something that could work on the level of Batman Begins. I fully support a reboot of much higher quality.

But at the same time, it's a competent and passable movie. It's not a favorite, or something I love watching, but I don't hate it.
I can enjoy it if I'm in the right mood when I come across it.

Honestly, my only problem was Jennifer Garner as Elektra. She just didn't have the look or presence to play the character.

I definitely had other problems. Basically the overall approach and presentation. But I certainlty don't blame it on Affleck like everyone seems to.
Jennifer Garner is definitely not Elektra though. I don't know who is.

I never saw the Elektra spinoff.

Reboot got shut down by Paramount with some places saying its just a year delay and others saying its been canned entirely. Official reason given was "script issues" for the potential film.

http://www.screwattack.com/news/ninj...eboot-put-hold

I hope Michael Bay gets the boot, before they consider resurrecting the reboot idea.

Go with Bay whose movies printed money or online people who just don't like him? Hmmmmm...

Seriously he wasn't going to direct. And one of the original comic writers were in on the production.

I do think it's interesting that the TMNT that most people cherish was in itself a bastardized version of the original. So aside from the original movie (peep the late great Jeritron's analysis above), the original fans were pissed on for decades.

That's why I'm 'whatever' about whatever version is getting cooked up.

heart skipped a beat seeing this thread :(

Turtles 1 & 2 have been on Hdnets movies all month.

Casey Jones is maybe the coolest character of any movie or life ever. Love that guy.

The April O'Neil from the first movie Judith Hoag isn't what you would say classically hot, but I dig her.

I liked Judith's portrayal more, because her characteristics are more in tune with the comics, and I love that. She was a major babe.

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Someone managed to find Bay's script that was scrapped by the studio and basically would have been a huge mess which is why it got scrapped to begin with.

The alien origins was meant to occur near the end of the film as the big surprise of the film instead of near the beginning to establish the reboot. The Turtles wouldn't have been the main characters while Shredder and the Foot Clan are just regular Black Op type soldiers with the twist of Shredder reveals later he is actually an alien.

Also the Turtles are basically like Superman and never are meant to be as a group.

http://www.screwattack.com/news/scra...cript-horrible

With all the shit people gave this project from the beginning, I have doubts about how legit this is.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/7e0d454bf...8xtpo1_500.jpg

the turtle actors in their motion-capture suits and the foot clan on-set.

http://geektyrant.com/storage/0998-p...=1368047106952

megan fox and will arnett as april o'neil and vernon fenwick

the "teenage mutant" is back in the title:

http://images2.cosmicbooknews.com/ph...0015.jpg&w=600

and the statements about them being aliens have been retracted... other than megan fox, this isn't shaping up as awfully as it could have even a few months ago.

Now I see what it takes to get Mitch to post nowadays.

Deer lord make this passable. Not great, just passable. Megan Fox is terrible casting even if she's playing herself. Points for the yellow jacket, I guess. Seeing the turtles after effects should be interesting.

Screw the turtles, make a movie about those mocap suits!

Can't be that bad if Will Arnett is in it.

I miss live action turtles, glad their mutant again.

Can't help but notice only three of the mo-cap suits are in that picture, with the actors shackled.

Yeah. Raphael is missing from that one. The colour bands just above the right elbow give it away.

I reckon the shackling is to make them walk in a way that would be more suited to a turtle, somehow.

Seems silly, considering they would have to do martial arts at some point.

More likely three were caught by the Foot in that scene.

...Spoiler.

Yeah, no way are those restricting their motion to be more like the CG characters.

Other photos showed the Foot holding them captive like animals so.... yeah. End of this, fella.

Well they are turtles.

Why have they never made a Ninja Sea Turtle?

New pics:

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...zzvq7h2jpg.jpg

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...zzvx27ljpg.jpg

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...xjhqk4jjpg.jpg

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...6ut2g6zjpg.jpg

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...6ut90d2jpg.jpg

Not sure how I feel about the costume direction. It does give them a more grittier realism, but I mean, it's a movie about mutant Turtles.

As for the Turtles themselves, they're too bulky. We're talking Gears of War bulky.

I like it. All of it.

Looks badass.

Samurai turtles. I like it.

Maybe it's because I played a ton of Japanese games that had ninjas wearing those armor effects, but I do not see how they resemble samurai. I get that that the armor pieces look like what you saw with samurai, but they weren't exclusive to them.

Ironically, Shredder's consistent design is explicitly samurai, but people regard him as ninja.

It is something to note though that all the Turtles seem to have their own theme applied to their costumes, so it makes sense to give Leo a more samurai look.

Shredder's armour is sick! Though the mask reminds me of Shao Kahn & Kilokahn. Yes.

Wish I got a close up of Mikey, my favorite, but yeah, lots of bad assery above.

That's probably it. I'm going by the Ninjas from the original movies being in pajamas and probably some other pop culture moments where samurai had those sorts of costumes.

is splinter in this? curious to see how they made him look.

He looks like a big rat with a long stache.

Taking my nephew to this.

ah, I was hoping he'd be a gerbil instead.

Looks incredible! The Turtles are pretty terrifying as well, which I guess they would be in real life.

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At least they're not aliens...

why oh why oh why...

Love it.

Love the costume design, but they looks pretty hyper-realistic. No way around that though, seeing as how theyre big ass Turtles.

Good or bad, lets be honest, we'll all see it.

It looks like generic action film #4 but with the Turtles thrown in. I get a feeling I will be dragged to see this.

Well yeah it's the fucking Ninja Turtles!

Thanks to my girl I am sure I will end up seeing it. She is a huge original Cartoon TMNT fan. But she was also fairly young when that show started airing. I discovered the Turtles about a year before the cartoon started. And prefer the b/w comic book version. Though the Fox Kids show was good.

YES I dig it.

Not sure about Foot Clan 'terrorists' but Shredder's mask look badass. Fox looks... okay in this. And the turtles rock.

No, it's you.

And I don't see anything that screams Bay. Not a single explosion.

It will be terrible and I will pay money to see it

#Raphael

#Michaelangelo

#Pizza

I like how Donetello and Michaelangelo look different in the face.

Michangello's face looked really bad but the trailer seemed a bit decent and still have low expectations for it.

Watched it again, might just be Donetellos expression. It would be cool though

I meant it looked like they had different characteristics than each other.

Looks pretty cheesy but I will smoke one and watch it

Sounds and looks like every trailer ever these days.

Also like how you say I don't speak for everyone while proclaiming things as if you're speaking for everyone.

Okay.

Yeah well, he hires Megan Fox since he has a thing for hot babes in action movies. :P

Good thing, Michael stuck to the Green Ooze origin story instead of the outer space visitation plotline..

And it's almost similar to the one Kevin Nash was wearing in TMNT 2: Secret of the Ooze.