Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016) User Reviews

Go Go Technodrome.

[thisseatofmars · 6/10 · 14 October 2016]

Mindless, superhero, brain candy, zoom. Bad jokes, great effects, explosions go boom.

My neck muscles are tighter than piano wires and I've sweated enough this week to fill a swimming pool. At the end of a long week of mad work, sometimes you just want to sit down and switch off your brain.

So, thank you, turtles. I like it when you hit stuff.

Is this a dumb movie? The obvious answer is yes, of course it's dumb, it's more superhero schlock: kiddie-fare enjoyed by 30-somethings.

But I don't know. Any fight scene with martial arts is a bit like a magician's sleight of hand. It's too fast to follow completely, but if done well we can see sophistication in the movement, and a fight is a bit of a story in itself. There's the setup, escalation of conflict, then boom, resolution. The best parts of this movie are not of the turtles talking but when things go all smashy-smash-smash. Smash.

Smash.

Where the film drags is with its human characters, who have way too much screen time. Casey Jones is a 30-something who talks like a 12-year-old ("Someday, I'm going to be a detective!") and Shredder, regrettably, is mostly without his mask and doesn't throw a single pie. Megan Fox is wearing less makeup this time around, but in "acting," less is more. Baxter Stockman is likable, but doesn't turn into a giant fly.

But it's inoffensive, fun to look at, and a nice thing to shut your brain off to while recovering from a long week of sweaty haste.

A So-So Popcorn Movie

[griffolyon12 · 7/10 · 25 June 2016]

As a fan of the heroes in a half-shell, I guess I'm just gonna have to accept that this is about as good as this iteration of the Ninja Turtles will get. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is better than its 2014 reboot, but only by a teeny bit.

Out of the Shadows finds the turtles trying to stop the evil Shredder from bringing an alien from another dimension to Earth in order to take over. Along the way, the turtles make a new ally in Casey Jones (played likably by Stephen Amell), go toe-to-toe with two new mutant minions of Shredder (the fan favorite characters Bebop and Rocksteady), and may have run across a mutagen that could potentially turn them into humans.

There is a lot going on here and it's actually a miracle that the movie makes sense for most of its runtime. While there are a few plot holes here and there, there are none quite as gaping as the multiple ones that the first movie had. On top of that, there are some genuinely thrilling action sequences in the movie, with the standout one involving the turtles in their tricked out garbage truck trying to stop Shredder from escaping the 18-wheeler that is transporting him to a different prison.

When it's all said and done, once the original Ninja Turtles theme song plays over the end credits, you realize you actually had fun with Out of the Shadows. While neither of the two movies in this particular iteration match up to the first two Ninja Turtles movies from the Nineties, Out of the Shadows will entertain.

I give Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows a 7 out of 10!

Disappointing and dorky

[rgerstne · 5/10 · 4 September 2016]

I was pretty disappointed with this movie. My disappointment started off with April needing to download some information from this scientist but she has to follow this other guy to get close enough. Well, she could have just followed behind him nonchalantly, but no, she has to put on this skimpy school girl outfit while walking and pretend to be part of this other group of cheerleaders or something. Well, her pants seem to just magically disappear in one scene to the next. It was pretty pointless and senseless, and it was just a scene to say, hey look how hot she is.. groans. Which brings me to my next point of how terrible Megan Fox's acting is. They just seem to throw her in there for mostly eye candy and nothing else. Why do they keep putting her in movies??? But it doesn't stop there. The entire movie was well, dorky at best. The pace was a bit fast even though the movie was really long. Also, how the hell did Donatello access an alien spaceship and get the name of the leader?? That doesn't even make sense. The language would be completely foreign and, well, too alien to even decipher if it were even able to connect to it somehow. Also, there isn't enough rhino or pig DNA in us to make a pig/man or rhino/man, it's just not possible. Nothing in this movie makes sense. This movie is just too kiddy and cartoony but even the original cartoon series made more sense then this crap.

I decided to give this 5 stars because it has good graphics and is kinda funny sometimes. If all you are looking for is cheap thrills and cool CGI action scenes, then you may enjoy this. But if you like a movie with substance, look somewhere else.

Cowabunga!

[Rooster-Reviews · 7/10 · 30 May 2016]

TMNT 2: Out of the Shadows is a return to form for the turtles in a half shell, delivering a "radical" film full of energy, humor, and of course, pizza. This movie has a lot riding on it. Not only does director Dave Green have to right the wrongs of the first movie, but on top of that introduce new characters to the mix. First let's start with the positives. The actors playing the turtles shine again, playing off of each other brilliantly, making them all distinct and likable characters. Bebop and Rocksteady are great additions to the series,and feel pulled out right of the 80s cartoon. The CGI design and quality is noticeably improved, and the action sequences are well shot and fun to watch, especially one involving a Brazilian river and a tank. Megan Fox thankfully isn't given as much screen time as the first one and becomes a good side character that helps out when the script calls for it. And I have to mention the Kraang. They absolutely nailed it. Brad Garrett did a good job even though Pat Fraley is still my favorite. My only complaints are I wish the movie was longer, which would of helped give the film more room to breathe. I also felt Casey Jones and Shredder weren't used to their full potential. Despite this, I still found a ton of fun and respect towards the original 80s cartoon, and ask you to give this 2nd outing a chance, because nostalgia aside, this is, in my opinion, the first great TMNT movie. Grade: B -Rooster Reviews

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)

[enriqueiglesia7 · 7/10 · 31 May 2016]

The key to adapting a comic book franchise into a modern blockbuster, you might think, is to stick closely to the source material. Certainly if you want to avoid a very loud and very angry fan backlash. Go back to the comics and give the fans what they want. In the case of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, that's not really the case.

There are a good few of us who really love those original Mirage comic books, but a larger group of Turtles fans want an adaptation of the vastly different cartoon series from the 1980s. They want characters like Krang and Bebop and Rocksteady. As illogical as it might sound, you have to make a faithful adaptation of an unfaithful adaptation. And that's exactly what director David Green and his Turtles team have done for this new movie sequel.

Following the events of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continue to live in the shadows, bound to their underground lair by day, moving in the shadows at night, hiding from the very people of the city they risked their lives to save. Following the Turtles' failure to thwart a daring jailbreak, Shredder is on the loose again, this time with new allies. The Turtles must once again stop the villainous Shredder to protect the city, and the world, that don't know they exist from a new intergalactic threat.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows is a massive upgrade from the first film. There are so many improvements. The Turtles' appearances; sized down a bit and given a few cartoonish adjustments, they look so much better (Splinter, voiced by Tony Shalhoub, is also given just minor alterations but looks greatly improved). The film has more action sequences, and they're bigger and better. It has a better script. It has a better story. The score is better.

The Turtles get more screen time (a concern of expense in the first film; perhaps the budget has been upgraded too), which is a massive boost. Building on one of the successes of the first film, the character work here is great. These are good versions of the Turtles. Michelangelo, played by the brilliant Noel Fisher, is dead funny. Jeremy Howard got Donatello bang on in the first film and here, given more to do, he impresses again. Raphael is not only helped by some adjustments to his face, but he's given some comedy in this sequel and it warms you up to Alan Ritchson's gruff would-be action hero a treat.

The stand out Turtle performance, though, is Pete Ploszek's Leonardo. Pete just is Leo. This film does right by the Turtles. We get to spend time in the lair with them just being the Turtles. This is a lesson learned in the first film; when your characters are good, let us watch them. The Turtles each get character moments and proper, set up and paid off story arcs.

Stephen Amell's Casey Jones does a bit too much telling instead of showing (he tells us he's crazy but there aren't too many moments on screen to back up his claim, for example), but Amell's performance is likable, energetic and kind of wired; it works. Will Arnett wrings laughs out of every moment of screen time he's given as cowardly cameraman Vernon Fenwick and David Green's film wisely puts him to work. I know you're not supposed to praise Megan Fox on the internet but I like her April O'Neil. Fox is surrounded by large characters with big personalities yet her April never looks like she can't hold her own.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows is a good looking movie. Every set is stylish and filled with detail. It's colorful and full of cool vehicles and character designs. The bright colors and pristine look compliment to the cartoonish feel of the film and characters.

A couple of the action sequences don't meet the standard set by the others. The film opens on a fairly disorienting one and a Casey Jones fight sequence doesn't seem to have been put together quite right. For the most part, though, the action set pieces are terrific. They're big, exciting and filled with character. The plane sequence in particular is very entertaining.

The obvious highlight, the stand out by a mile, better than everything else on screen, of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows is the bungling duo of Bebop and Rocksteady. They don't so much light up the screen as come crashing through it, high fiving each other and destroying the front few rows of seats in the cinema.

The pair steal every scene they're in thanks to an alignment of excellent writing, top notch CGI and pitch perfect casting. The chemistry between actors Gary Anthony Williams, who plays Bebop, and Stephen 'Sheamus' Farrelly, who plays Rocksteady, contributes massively to a wonderfully funny screen team.

For those of us who've watched the previous 948 hours of . . .

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 15 June 2016]

. . . unique TMNT content, OUT OF THE SHADOWS is not exactly chock-full of new revelations. Even casual fans have long tired of the TMNT Origin Story, in which a hot coed named April off to her freshman year at college is given a dorm-warming gift of four ordinary baby terrapins, catches a seemingly fatal case of salmonella poisoning from them, and is only saved when the Reptilarium under her hospital Death Bed is attacked by an escaped but starving radioactive medical research lab rat which bites each of the tiny tortoises in a thwarted attempt to scarf down turtle maximum rare. Instead, the rodent and quartet of amphibian brothers are super-sized, endowed with a whole raft of mutant powers, and blessed with the ability to speak fluent American. Their first order of business after this miraculous transformation is to discover an antidote to salmonella, so that April can be saved to become their liaison with Humanity, fulfilling the same role that Renfield does for DRA(ULA. However, SHADOWS is a pretty tame TMNT outing, with none of the characters needing to use the franchises safe word--"Cowabunga"--until almost an hour (59:30) has elapsed. We do learn here for the first time that "Notsomuch" is the brothers' Transylvanian-sounding surname.

Better, but not quite good

[ericstevenson · 6/10 · 30 July 2016]

It's weird to think that with something like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", you might lower your expectations. If something's really popular, shouldn't you make your expectations higher which is why everyone complains about "The Phantom Menace"? Anyway, this movie was just okay, but I will give it props for being an improvement over the original. This is a movie where they just want to put in all the popular characters for the fans. For the most part, it worked out. We got Baxter Stockman, Bebop and Rocksteady, Krang, and Casey Jones. Even though I haven't seen the newer TMNT shows, I still know who all those guys are.

The effects haven't improved much, which is what really weighed this down. A lot of this is stupid action, but the franchise itself was never meant to be that intelligent. Still, the bad seems to outweigh the good as I found the dialogue predictable and it was pretty annoying to hear that tired cliché of people being scared of something they don't understand. The original Ninja Turtles movies just seemed to capture the spirit more. I'll give this movie for once again, having all these characters. They're mostly in character even though Krang should have had more screen time. It's certainly more servicey than a lot of other TMNT media. Maybe I really should get into the newer shows. **1/2

This is not even a movie to watch when sick.

[sethtrickshoot · 2/10 · 8 September 2016]

You know the feeling. Fever and ill. You think OK, lets watch some easily digestible movies. I choose the two new Turtle movies. I was pleasantly surprised while watching the first one. It actually was pretty true to the original comic even it it wasn't as dark. Then this one was up. And what an awful followup. i actually regret wasting my time watching this.. and i have the fever! For crying out loud. Why... i mean.. Shredder isn't even a big part of this movie. In the first he is a skilled warrior and in this he is but a legman.

No this isn't OK. i don't want to live in a world where the Twilight saga is a better alternative then the Turtles?

What happened? I was actually going to watch batman vs Superman now, but i cant take any more crap. I don't care how bad ass you are. if you see an alien who wants to strike a deal with you about world domination then first give it more then 2 secs of thinking time. seriously. Was this movie written by an 10 year old?? Oh yeah i guess so. its a Nicolodian jam! Thank you for destroying yet another childhood IP.

Spoiler warning: This movie sucks!

/Seth Out!

A Franchise Halfway Out of its Shell

[slicedbread117 · 7/10 · 4 June 2016]

2014's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles gave us a new look and feel for the beloved franchise, and it disappointed greatly. Now two years later, a second chance to win over the hearts of die hard Turtle fans has arrived in the form of Out of the Shadows, a sequel while better than the first, still falls short of becoming a special TMNT film.

While the Turtles were far and away the highlight of the first film, their grittier design and lack of proper development was no doubt a downside. Now, I must admit, where in the first film I honestly could not stand the look and feel of the Turtles, I have begun to come around to, not necessarily enjoying, but tolerating their massive Hulk-like looks, and this is because Leo, Raph, Donny and Mikey are all super fun to watch, with more chemistry developed throughout the cast members and a much more classic Ninja Turtle vibe to the Turtles in this film. Eating pizza, cracking jokes, awesome ninja action and just generally acting like teenagers are all major points in the development of these characters, and with Out of the Shadows, there is some more of that old school TMNT feel between the four brothers. Even if there is an alarming lack of literal action scenes involving our favorite mutants, the Turtles are once again the best part of the movie, as they should be.

There are more positives to be excited about, including the additions of villains Bebop and Rocksteady and occasionally, the Turtle's sidekick Casey Jones. Bebop and Rocksteady are fun villains, humorous, energetic and bring more setting-appropriate antagonists into the fold. I had mixed feelings throughout the film about Stephen Amell's portrayal of Casey Jones. He was funny, bad ass, and even if it was brief, sported his iconic hockey mask and stick, much to my delight. However, Amell occasionally is too bland and lacks that cocky personality you'd expect from the character, and never develops a meaningful connection to the Turtles, something that the classic 1990 film was able to do extremely well in comparison.

The movie's plot is much goofier than the first film, which holds many positives, but also brings unwanted ridiculousness. TMNT is supposed to be silly and wacky, a point I complained about in the first movie, and to that aspect, Out of the Shadows does succeed. Anyone expecting an Oscar winning story from TMNT would be kidding themselves, and the more lighthearted story is welcomed to this franchise which often suffers from being far too serious. On the other hand, the dimension- crossing, world ending concept that the film presents is just too much to handle in a movie about turtles that are ninjas, it just doesn't seem to fit. For once in the duration of this franchise, I would love to watch the Turtles fight some crime on the streets, a simpler tale that doesn't have to include the end of days.

What I will never be able to wrap my head around is what goes through the mind of Michael Bay whether he's in the director's chair or producing, but his presence is once again felt greatly in this film, and that is easily its greatest downfall. The pace of the film feels like it's on speed, giving no time to care about or really dive into what's happening on screen, and the major use of Bay's trademark slow motion and explosions don't fit whatsoever in this film. Heck, the logo at the end even assembles exactly like the logo for Bay's Transformers franchise. Director Dave Green is able to make small changes to improve the quirky tone of the film, but Bay is felt right from the start and it doesn't do the film any good.

The cast is decent for the most part, led by Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, and Alan Ritchson as Mikey, Donny, Leo and Raph respectfully, with Fisher stealing pretty much every scene he's in as Mikey. Bepop and Rocksteady are in good hands with Gary Anthony Williams and Stephen Farrelly and even the overlord Krang is done quite well by 3-time Emmy winner Brad Garrett. Tyler Perry is surprisingly great as mad scientist Baxter Stockman, charming to watch in his science quests and his hilarious evil laugh.

On the other side of the coin, we have some poorly cast actors and poorly written characters. Megan Fox, thankfully, is in less of the film this time around, but when she is, she's the worst April O'Niel we could have possibly gotten. Her character is horribly developed, and her portrayal is even worse. Will Arnett isn't much better as Vern, he's largely unfunny and put in action scenes with Fox that should've been used on the Turtles and Casey Jones. It's terribly unfortunate that TMNT mainstays like the big bad Shredder and the Turtle's master Splinter are extremely underused as well.

To say that Out of the Shadows was a total flop wouldn't be fair. Even if by a small margin, Out of the Shadows is an improvement over the first film. There are still some major fixes I wish could be made to help improve this franchise which got off to a very rocky start two years ago and is crawling its way to improvement. I can only hope that the inevitable third installment propels the series upwards into a love I and so many others have for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles name.

6.5/10

Worst writing I've ever seen in a motion picture. Makes Origins Wolverine look like Mark Twain

[TheEtherWalk · 1/10 · 18 July 2019]

This has honestly some of the most nostalgia-bait character insertions, laziest plotting and the most ear-splittingly bad lines I've ever heard... seriously every time someone said something I literally said to myself "Wow that's the line they went with?" You know they were probably deciding between 5 or 6 different options for each one of these lines and they somehow went with the worst possible jokes and takes of said jokes that they could... Beebop and Rocksteady throwing out dick jokes in the middle of this thing just completely ruins any chance that this thing had of having a half decent tone... but let's talk about the plotting, and one scene in particular stands out in my mind which is the scene where Krang and Shredder meet... the way Shredder got there is nonsensical enough but then the scene is literally this: "Hey Shredder. I'm Krang. Let's team up and defeat the Turtles. We need this this and this MacGuffin" "Okay sure!" Like I'm only slightly paraphrasing here... Krang has almost zero introduction and I'm pretty sure a small child could have written something more interesting... these 'filmmakers' should be ashamed of themselves

TMNT 2 Out of the Shadows honors the "cartoon spirit"

[kevin_newdirections · 8/10 · 5 June 2016]

TMNT 2 is silly and flamboyant enough to work as a live-action cartoon movie. It embraces its crazy plot (the story operates in a world where mutant turtles have been taught martial arts by a mutant rat, 'nuff said). However, the film suffers a lot of what we can call "convenient circumstances" — unaddressed plot holes are deliberately ignored by forgetting events and characters being conveniently placed at locations to advance the plot without explanation whatsoever. Also, it may be nitpicking but there's no attempt to explain how these turtles become experts in crafting CIA-level tech.

The level of humor in this film is clearly catered to a young audience. For adults, you may get a healthy dose of nostalgia if you were once that kid who were really into the cartoons, otherwise you'll find the script stale. The fun interactions between the brothers are still present but what gives them more depth here is when they start to experience teenage anxiety – issues of belonging and identity. I'm keeping it vague so as not to spoil anything, but yes, they actually have a subplot this time! Sadly, things aren't sustained as the film rushes through, ending it in favor of a big climactic action sequence.

Speaking of action sequences, the movie never strays away from the basic Michael Bay blockbuster formula (he's the producer, of course): over-the-top CGI-heavy destruction, one action set piece after another. If the first TMNT movie offers a fun-filled chase down a snowy mountain, the most adrenaline-pumping action sequence here starts with skydiving and ends with a waterfall jump. The film also takes the liberty in ripping-off previous blockbusters – a retrofitted garbage-slash-war truck (Mad Max), a via inter-dimensional sky portal alien invasion (The Avengers) and a police car chase/prisoner escape scene (The Dark Knight and Fast and Furious). And as if to acknowledge the debt, Raphael mutters to himself, "What would Vin Diesel do?"

Remarkably, there is an improvement in the CGI department, more specifically with the look of the ninja turtles – less gritty, more friendly-looking. The voice actors are not to be faulted in giving better distinction to their characters' personalities –the leader (Leo), the muscle (Raph), the brains (Donnie) and the wild one (Mikey). And just to make sure that viewers won't be confused again, they are re-introduced twice in the film (which is odd). Megan Fox, as the main human protagonist, however still fails in-I can't believe I'm about to say this- effectively engaging the audience. She fares better as an anti-hero or villain (Jennifer's Body). Her sex appeal is even pushed to a breaking point during an inexplicable costume change scene to a sexy school-girl outfit to keep the males awake. Will Arnett's character Vern, sidelined as an comic-relief is a good choice for he does little to advance the plot. Stephen Amell obviously got the role of Casey Jones due to his physical work in "Arrow" and the fact that they needed someone equally attractive as Fox. He does his best, especially in action scenes, but him joining forces with the turtles is rushed and poorly done. Shredder, recast with Brian Tee, returns as a human and not some sort of a transformer is still lackluster as a villain. Super-villain Krang who looks hideous and remotely realistic could've better served with a more fleshed-out backstory. Of all the villains, arguably the comical mutant duo, Bebop and Rocksteady, steal the show.

There is no doubt that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is better in nearly every way than its predecessor. It is turtle-focused and it re-wires the franchise to the right direction. I am not all "Cowabunga!" for this sequel (the plot still rots my brains), but if you're looking for two hours of frothy entertainment and 'Bay'-esque action sequences are your guilty pleasure, bring some pizzas because you're in to a one (s)hell of a ride.

Full review: http://goo.gl/xoNRno

Enjoyable fun 3d movie for kids

[mailsst-29721 · 7/10 · 3 June 2016]

I don't usually watch kids movies, but I had a ticket for an advanced screening of this movie and found it very enjoyable to watch. The actions are fast paced. And, unlike some other 3d movies, the 3d effects are well utilized. Keep in mind that this is a kids movie, the acting is a bit goofy. The plot is simple and well explained. The problems the characters face are easily resolved.

On to the criticism, I don't find Tyler Perry's acting convincing. And, even though it is an Alibaba film, the Asian characters in this movie are very light weight, including the villain Shredder. I'm not familiar with the TMNT franchise, but his role is quite weak.

The moral of the story is accept yourself and don't change who you are, which is drowned by all the action sequences. But, who cares. This movie is fun.

The sequel that nobody asked for...?

[Drumavarium · 4/10 · 4 September 2016]

First of all I guess most people didn't ask for a sequel of TMNT, come on. Or at least, no one was excited about another one. But if you decide to produce/direct a new one, why is this a copy/paste from other movies?? Was it necessary?? The sound effects are EXACTLY THE SAME from all Transformers movies. And also they called Jablonsky for the music, which of course is EXACTLY THE SAME from Transformers. And the best and most innovative idea: "a portal". LOL! Looks like the portal must be a cast member from these type of movies. New ideas? Anyone? Michael Bay, I assume you were too involved, stop doing this. Lack of compromise and a bunch of lazy people have produced/directed this movie, which as you see, wasn't necessary.

Enjoyed The Ride

[stevendbeard · 7/10 · 3 June 2016]

I saw "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:Out of the Shadows", starring Megan Fox-Jonah Hex, Hope & Faith_tv; Will Arnett-The Millers_tv, Jonah Hex; Stephen Amell-Arrow_tv, The Tracey Fragments; Laura Linney-The Big C_tv, The Exorcism of Emily Rose; Tyler Perry-Alex Cross, the Madea movies; Stephen Farrelly, aka Sheamus-WWF Raw_tv, The Escapist and Gary Anthony Williams-The Soul Man_tv, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

This is the sequel to the 2014 TMNT movie with some returning faces and some new ones, too. Megan returns as April and Will, her faithful camera man is back, but with a little less camera work-in fact he doesn't do any-since he has taken credit for taking out Shredder from the first movie and become a local celebrity-it was the turtles' idea because they need to stay in the shadows to continue their do-gooding without interferences from frightened humans. Stephen A. meets the turtles while transporting Shredder-he is a cop-and ends up trying to fend off a jail break-unsuccessfully, of course. Tyler plays a mad scientist working with Shredder and he really loves his part-he is funniest when he gets excited about his work. Laura is the new police chief and Stephen F./Rocksteady & Gary/Bebop are 2 henchmen that get experimented on by Tyler-they are changed into a rhinoceros and a wart hog, respectively. There is also a new bad guy named Krang; he is from another dimension and wants to conquer Earth-don't all bad guys? If you like the TMNT, you should enjoy this installment. I did. The turtles have come a long way since their 1984 comic debut in Mirage comics-I mention this because in the movie, there is a car with license plates paying tribute to this trivia fact; It says, 'Mirage84'. It's rated "PG-13" for sci-fi action and violence and has a running time of 1 hour & 52 minutes. I enjoyed it enough that I would buy it on DVD.

Sadly, just what I expected

[Wizard-8 · 10 December 2016]

I don't know why to date I have watched all the various Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies when I have found all of them to be negative viewing experiences. Maybe I am a masochist.

Anyway, I will say one thing for this particular entry - it has a lot more plot than you would expect. Unfortunately, in the end it turns out to be TOO much plot; there are so many characters and story details that none of these things are adequately written. For example, take the movie's main villain Krang. Believe it or not, in the first 88 or so minutes of the movie, he only makes ONE appearance. Also, his background is so poorly sketched out in the movie that if you are not familiar with the character from other TMNT stories, you'll be lost.

More time is given to the movie's protagonists, but you'll wish that it was a lot less. The Turtles here are pretty obnoxious for the most part with their dialogue and behavior. And when they get into battle, director Dave Green often has the action go by in such a frenzied manner that it's somewhat hard to properly process what is happening.

The movie looks pretty good, slick and expensive, but I would have willingly sacrificed pretty production values for a more down to earth approach, following the original (and aimed at ADULTS) comics more closely. Though that will probably never happen in a future entry, if there is one, given that the box office take of this movie was somewhat disappointing. To sum up, you'll be better tracking down those aforementioned original comics instead of seeing this movie.

A lot better than the first one!

[dmitri_faleev · 7/10 · 3 June 2016]

Sure it didn't have an amazing story, but the one it had works for the kids. Teamwork and brotherhood message is simple and great. I, on the other hand, came to see the characters and was not disappointed! The turtles, Krang, Rocksteady, Bebop were awesomely done! Shredder got the short end of the stick in this one, though it looks like he'll be back for the next one.

I felt truly let down by the first movie so the expectations were low. I expected 1 or 2 cool scenes with the villains and that's it. Instead Rocksteady and Bebop were pretty much in the entire movie. Even Krang got serious action. The turtles did what the do best - be ninja turtles. The fight scenes were excellent!

If you like the characters and a fun movie then go see this one! Don't expect an amazing story or award worthy acting though

Back in form

[anish-25809 · 7/10 · 4 June 2016]

Well,I never thought I would say this for a Michael Bay film,but this movie was actually fun! I know it has been held in low esteem by critics,but when I walked into the theater with extremely low expectations,what I got was a movie which was actually funny with a plot which somehow made sense.The voice cast is quite energetic,which is exactly what is required for this kind of movie.

I have always liked the TMNT quite a lot,and this movie is a nice way to get them back in form after a horrible predecessor.Even though it is marred by problems such as some implausibility and some jokes that fell flat,it is all quite forgivable.

Overall,TMNT 2 has a fair share of flaws,but it makes for a fun time at the movies with a good voice cast.

Fun film for the kids and die hard fans!

[zdedyomix · 7/10 · 3 June 2016]

This film is to Secret of the Ooze what Star Trek Into Darkness is to Wrath of Khan as far as relationship goes, but this is miles better than Ooze. So if you liked Into Darkness and are a die hard TMNT fan then you will have so much fun with this film. Better than the first by far, more turtles and action, still faithful to their personalities, less human characters.

Bebop and Rocksteady, Casey Jones, a REAL Shredder, and my god, Krang is amazing in this. The trailers were all also cut very well and do not reveal much at all. Bringing Bebop and Rocksteady, Krang to life honestly should not have worked in live action, but it did. Check this one out with friends or the kids.

A Stupid Cash Grab

[iquine · 3/10 · 14 December 2017]

Whatever initial arguable charm the first reboot had has vanished. Think Transformers with Turtles. The plot: who cares? It really doesn't matter as of course there ends up being a threat to the whole planet, ubiquitous car chase scenes, a couple close combat turtle fights and of course they manufacture a way to get Megan Fox into a mini skirt. As was proclaimed in Sandler's Billy Madison, I am now dumber having watched this.

Good for kids

[jaesqueda · 7/10 · 5 June 2016]

This movie is good for children: visual effects, good music, funny dialogues, and get some characters from the main story about TMNT, but in my personal opinion, i enjoyed more the first saga (90's). Good points about this movie are the defined roles about turtles: Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Donatello. It includes new characters, and do emphasis in cinematic characteristics about New York: Liberty's statue, parade, pizza, police, & basketball. Megan Fox like April is a good election, too. The message that i recovered on this movie is "workteam". If you are looking for a good movie to see with children it's a good election.

Soul destroying drivel......

[FlashCallahan · 1/10 · 25 September 2016]

It was inevitable that the sequel would be imminent out within a couple of years to keep the memories of the first film fresh in people's minds.

But my memories of that film were of this reboot being a complete waste of time, but with a decent set piece involving snow, and nothing more than a Michael Bay produced cash machine with no soul.

The turtles face a new challenge when Shredder escapes from custody and joins forces with Baxter Stockman, a mad scientist who plans to use a serum to take over the world.

Along for the ride are Bebop and Rocksteady, two dimwitted henchmen who provide plenty of muscle.

Luckily, the turtles have their own allies in April O'Neil, Vernon Fenwick and Casey Jones, a hockey-masked vigilante......

As the pizza-loving heroes prepare for battle, the notorious Krang also emerges to pose an even greater threat.

And this time it's pretty much the same, apart from the fact that there isn't a decent set piece in its ridiculously long running time, in fact, you'd be hard pressed to call this a actual film as it has not coherence, no narrative, it just goes from one place to another, and for a film focusing on giant Ninja Turtles, it's one of the most boring experiences I've had at the cinema this year.

It's a CG nightmare, with soulless, hate worthy characters spouting and idiotic script to lifeless looking CG characters with attitude.

It's as if Bay has just made one long commercial for toys, cars and clothing, and we've had to pay for the pleasure.

But Bay has really outdone himself with this one, it's actually worse than Age Of Exhaustion, and by looking at the box office for this, people are becoming tired of his action movies.

Really, if you were a fan of the Turtles back in the day, seek out Secret Of The Ooze, at least it has Vanilla Ice in it.

Enjoyed This Way More Than the First Reboot Film

[3xHCCH · 8/10 · 1 June 2016]

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles began as comic book characters in 1984, later spinning off to have its own cartoon series, toys, video games, and of course, films. There was a cartoonish film trilogy in the 1990s. Recently, Michael Bay produced a franchise-reboot as a live action-computer-generated motion capture film. I did not particularly like this very dark 2014 film, rating it only a 5/10. When trailers came out for this sequel though, I already saw that it looked like it was going to be a way better movie than the first one.

The turtle heroes, along with old pals April O'Neil and Vern Fenwick, and new friend Casey Jones, spring back into action as Shredder was busted from incarceration. The arch-villain had inter- galactically nefarious plans as he conspired with mad scientist Dr. Baxter Stockman to bring into Earth an evil Dimension X being called Krang and his Technodrome in his wild dream of world domination.

The way the turtles looked in this new film was way better executed. In the first one, they all looked too big, ugly and unwieldy. Their appearance now is more accessible, more in tune with their personalities. Even if the storyline will have their team tested, this was a truly excellent ensemble work among the four actors behind them, imbuing each one with individual charm. They are: Pete Ploszek (as conflicted leader Leonardo), Alan Ritchson (as muscle- bound rebel Raphael), Jeremy Howard (as brainy scientist Donatello) and Noel Fisher (as childlike spirit Michelangelo).

Also similarly excellent were the CG artwork, performance and the on screen chemistry between the two comical evil side characters, warthog Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and the rhino Rocksteady (Stephen Farrelly). They definitely stole their scenes from right under the main bad guy Shredder (Brian Tee), who felt rather lackluster among the other colorful characters of the film. The pinkish brain-like maniacal alien super-villain Krang was portrayed with gruesome glee by Brad Garrett.

The unconvincing and hammy acting of Megan Fox (as April) and Will Arnett (as Vern) were fortunately buoyed up the excellence of the CGI and story around them. Tyler Perry was an over-the-top nerd as Dr. Stockman, uncomfortably funny. Veteran acting nominee Laura Linney was uncharacteristically stiff as police chief Rebecca Vincent. The best live performer of the film was TV's "Arrow" Stephen Amell as Casey Jones. His graceful physicality (with a hockey stick and skates) and smart-alecky sense of humor made him stand out.

The look of this new film is so much better than the first one, literally "out of the shadows" where the first one wallowed. There were brighter colors, a lighter mood, a more fun throwback general feel about it. The previous one was too dark and intense, and took itself too seriously, to its own detriment. With this one, we had our beloved Turtles back to the unpretentious way we knew them in our youth. Serious critics may be hard on this one, but I really enjoyed 112 minutes with it, right up to the classic TV cartoon theme song over the closing credits.

Fun movie to watch - Mostly for kids

[moelsawy · 6/10 · 30 May 2016]

So I just saw the second instalment of TMNT and thought I'd give you a bit of how I felt after the movie. It was very much a Michael Bay movie. And before anyone jumps at me to say David Green directed it not Bay, I know, but he's an executive producer on it and it has Bay written all over it. He's known to recycle his movie styles/ effects and I swear it has the exact same score as in the Transformers!? Anyway, I thought it was a fun movie, much like the first one. Me and my friend both left the cinema saying pretty much the same thing. A fun movie, but a pretty forgettable fun movie. I don't know what Bay's interest in Megan Fox is, but for some reason he keeps using her and she is pretty bad in this, though more tolerable than in the first movie. Imo nothing more than eye candy for the viewers, which is visible from one of the very first scenes of her in a school girl outfit. The story line was very Avengers like, we've seen it a million times already, so like I said before, fun to watch, but almost instantly forgettable. Bebop and Rocksteady looked cool, though I would've maybe liked a bigger fight between them and the Turtles. Krang looked awesome and even sounded cool, it's typical Krang really, so was happy with that. Stephen Amell as Casey Jones I guess did the best he could with what he was given, though I couldn't help thinking he was going to pull out his bow and arrow every time he was on. At one point he says "my only goal is to" and I almost blurt out 'to save this city'!! OK, so now to what I enjoyed the most about the movie, the Turtles themselves. I enjoyed all of their portrayals. They all did a very good job in bringing out their personalities in this movie. From Michelangelo's humour to Raphael's bad- assery to Donatello's smarts and Leonardo's command. They were very identifiable characters and I like seeing their chemistry on screen. Overall I give the movie a 6.5 for keeping me entertained, yet I think it's one for the kids more so than the adults.

Nothing to like

[adam-haden · 1/10 · 12 September 2016]

Got to give Michael Bay credit for this, he has completely outdone himself on this occasion. He has made some pretty terrible films, and I didn't think he could do worse that what he done before, but this is a truly terrible film. That takes skill.

But seriously, there is nothing at all to like about this film. The plot, what there is, is basic and predictable. Its an attack on the senses, the action sequences, which is pretty much the whole film, are so idiotic that its almost impossible to keep track. The end scene left me dizzy, as well as giving me a headache. The acting is appalling, and the speaking parts make very little sense with the Turtles talking gibberish and contributing nothing to the story.

tmnt out of the shadows: better than the first one in every way possible

[xfalconx-05827 · 7/10 · 3 June 2016]

when a new tmnt TV series comes out, some get excited, some don't because they think their childhood is ruined, it has always been like that, throughout every single iteration, every single cartoon and of course, the movies. when the tmnt reboot hit theaters 2 years ago, a lot of the people didn't like it, whether it was the direction, the cgi turtles, the plot lines etc, but of course kids loved it, it was a box office success and here we are, in a sequel, and man i am happy that the first was a success. tmnt out of the shadows is many steps towards the right direction, it is GI Joe retaliation compared to rise of cobra, the empire strikes back of the turtles, the dark knight of the franchise and the winter soldier to the first captain America movie, it is one of these movies that are so much better then the original, not that the original was great to begin with. the tmnt lore has so many stories, so many goofy over the top characters, combine with it heart and brotherhood relation and you got a timeless franchise that will always work. this movie unlike its predecessor which was afraid on going full ninja turtles, actually does, it goes to the extreme actually, it is not afraid of showing a giant rhino and a giant warthog, it is not afraid of showing an over the top mad scientist, an alien talking brain or evil actual ninjas kicking the hell out of people, in fact it celebrates it which means if you grew up in the 80s and you are a fan of either the 80s show or the new nickelodeon one, you are going to absolutely love this, if not then go f@#k yourself, it is a love letter from the creators, or maybe it is a scheme to play with our nostalgia, but who cares? the first movie was more like Megan fox and the turtles, this one starts with the turtles, and ends with the turtles, they are the heart and soul of the movie, (april O'Neil, Vern, Casey Jones and all other humans are side characters) these turtles are THE best turtle incarnations ever on the big screen, even beating the 1990 movie, the turtles are spot on, they look real, they have a soul, they are bad ass, the characters are spot on and every thing about them is just perfect, they face struggles and it is actually believable in this one unlike the first, the new bebop and rocksteady are also spot on, their bro-manse relation ship is absolutely fun to watch, they are there to have fun and they feel like they jumped from the old cartoon, their cgi is also well done and again, they just feel perfect, I'm not talking about the other last act of the movie character because it might be a spoiler, but i liked him and even if the final act seems like its done so many times before, it is still fun because you got the turtles. shredder is there but this is not his movie at all and he is more like a secondary character. and now for the bad: if you are not a fan of the turtles, or you are more like the dark, edgy turtles fan then this is not for you, this is a silly, over the top movie that feels more like Saturday morning show on the big screen, kids will love it and their nostalgic parents will love it as well, it requires for you to know and recognize these characters because other wise you will repeat this sentence with yourself throughout the entire movie: what the actual f*@k is going on? this time this movie chose a side, they chose their audience, you know what you are getting from now on and I'm happy about that. and i must say that i definitely look forward to watching more sequels and i hope that this is a hit. this movie is impossible to rate, because if you are a fan then this is planetary alignment for you, if not then stay away, i gave this a seven because i know that is not for everybody, and i can only say that i liked the movie a lot..... cawabonga.