First thing’s first, I was not one of those 80s kids who thought that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were all that. The whole thing escaped me. So when 2014 saw the reboot of the franchise on the big screen, I was not the only one who was disappointed in the Jonah Liebesman film. Longtime fans and critics were in agreement that this wasn’t necessarily the film they expected to reignite the franchise.
Yet, the film did quite well at the international box office and knowing that they had something on their hands that could resonate with audiences over many years, Platinum Dunes pushed forward with a sequel.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows is a marked improvement of the first one and for fans of the comic book, the Decade of Decadence animated series or even the first movie series, this is the TMNT movie you have been waiting for. Director Dave Green has stepped in and made a film that keenly knows its audience. There is a joy that is seen in every frame that knows this film is what it is… geared towards eight to young teenage boys and men who were once that age who adored the story of four mutated turtles who are gifted in the ways of the ninja.
This time out, their dreaded enemy Shredder (Brian Tee) – who was captured at the end of the first film – is being transferred and we discover that Tyler Perry’s Baxter Stockman (a gifted and brilliant scientist) is part of a larger plan to bust him out of prison, so he can continue his evil ways. Our heroes learn of this plan and swing into action. Unfortunately, our baddie gets away and our second cinematic adventure begins.
Stockman and Shredder are not alone in their evil-ness this time out, they’re joined by an alien master who seeks to wipe out the earth, as well as two comic villainous sidekicks that fans will adore seeing on the big screen, Rocksteady (Stephen Farrelly) and Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams).
Something the first rebooted film had going for it that is built upon in this one with a better script that more fully plays out the main characters, is the leaps in CG animation. The 80s films found the four turtles in the most ridiculous looking costumes. This time out, they’re completely CG with voice actors filling out the personality and emotion. Noel Fisher (Michelangelo), Jeremy Howard (Donatello), Pete Ploszek (Leonardo) and Alan Ritchson (Raphael) are perfectly cast and there is much more for them to work with from an emotive point of view in this second film.
Also back is Megan Fox’s April O’Neil and Will Arnett’s (also seen this week in Popstar: Never Stop Stopping) Vernon Fenwick. Fox and Arnett are also given more to do and are seen as a bit more flushed out characters than the first time around. A nice addition to the series is Stephen Amell (TV’s Arrow), but unfortunately, his talent is wasted on a character that seems one-dimensional and should be so much more. Perry is fantastic as one spoke in this villainous wheel and it’s nice to see the actor get out of his comfort zone and try something completely different than what we’re used to witnessing him in.
As you can tell, yes, this is a gross improvement over the last one… but alas, this is not a film for The Movie Mensch. This is a film for boys and those who adore the TMNTs who once were boys — and maybe even a few girls too, let’s be real. It seems quite childish at times in terms of the humor, but the action is top notch, the heroes are ones we can cheer for and overall — in terms of who the target audience is for this series — this time out, they have hit a home run.
Grade: B-