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TMNT
(2007)
Cowabunga,
dudes! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return in a digitally
animated film that's loads of fun and has a great voice cast.
Writer/director Kevin Munroe makes his feature film debut with
an entertaining animated sequel to the live action films of
the early 1990s. The movie is crafted to appeal to audiences
of all ages, and it compensates for being light on plot with
loads of action and an overwhelming sense of fun. It may be
nowhere near as adult as the original comic book, but Munroe
strikes a reasonable balance between being kid-friendly and
older-fan-oriented. The material is treated with respect but
the film never takes itself too seriously, resulting in an
hour and a half of pure enjoyment. Isn't that all you really
need from a film about wisecracking mutant turtles fighting
monsters?
The story begins with Leonardo (James Arnold Taylor) living
in a Central American jungle and protecting villagers from
harm. After his human friend April O'Neil (Sarah Michelle Gellar)
tracks him down while seeking a rare artifact, he returns
to New York City to reunite with his brothers Donatello (Mitchell
Whitfield), Michelangelo (Mikey Kelley), and Raphael (Nolan
North), and their mutant rat sensei Splinter (Mako). Although
it's not a happy reunion at first for Leonardo and Raphael,
soon all four brothers find themselves fighting not with one
another, but against monsters and living statues that are connected
in some way to mysterious tycoon Max Winters (Patrick Stewart),
with the fate of the world in the balance, of course.
The digital animation is generally impressive, a few quibbles
about the design of the human characters aside, and it's used
to its full potential with a number of eye-popping action
sequences. Simon Murton (Riverworld) contributes some
impressive production designs, including a realistic and noirish
New York City and an art deco skyscraper owned by Winters,
that bring the story's world to life. Klaus Badelt (Pirates
of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) adds a
solid score that's appropriately heroic.
An animated film is only as good as its voice cast, and it's
a great one here. Taylor, Whitfield, Kelley, and North capture
the personalities of the Turtles, while Stewart's mellifluous
voice is spot-on for the world-weary Winters. April O'Neil
is more of an action hero in this installment than in the
earlier films and cartoons, so Gellar's voice is perfect for
her. Japanese actor Mako (who died shortly after recording
his lines) brings both dignity and humor to Splinter. Chris
Evans (The Fantastic Four's Human Torch) as vigilante
Casey Jones, Ziyi Zhang as Karai (the new leader of the evil
ninja Foot Clan), John DiMaggio (Futurama's Bender)
as Colonel Santino, Clerks writer/director and comic
afficionado Kevin Smith as a diner cook, and Laurence Fishburne
as the narrator also make decent contributions.
Turtles fans of all ages should be suitably entertained by
what is, ounce for ounce, one of the more entertaining comic
action films to come along in awhile. I had a smile on my face
from start to finish.
-Danielle
Ní Dhighe
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All contents ©
2004-2009 Thoughtsonfilm.com |
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Director:
Kevin
Munroe
Writer: Kevin
Munroe, Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
Starring: Chris
Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patrck Stewart, Mako, Kevin Smith,
Zhang Ziyi, Lawrence Fishburne, James Arnold Taylor, Mitchell Whitfield,
Mikey Kelley, Nolan North
Distributor: Warner
Bros. Pictures
Runtime: 86
min
Rating: PG
Release Date: March
23, 2007
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