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Reviews
TMNT (2007)
Just enough to keep me a fan. And proud of it.
I've read a lot of reviews on this movie, in fact spent far too much time figuring out whether or not to go see the thing, whether or not the kids would enjoy, etc. etc. I've realized that no movie is worth such trials, it's true, and yet here I am writing a review because I feel compelled to do so.
I've read a number of reviews by long-time fans (I'd put that in quotes but I don't want to be TOO offensive) who truly expect that the modern Turtle will hearken back faithfully to the days of monochromatic yore, where the bandannas only changed color with contrast, where the blood was dark (and there was much of it), and where the stories ran darker still. They are, sadly, fools to expect such things.
It is safe to say that the Fox Cartoon of the early 90's came close to thoroughly dispelling the Turtles' ability to remain suspense novel entertainment (I'd use the term Adult Themed but that has other overtones too heavy to number and name); and, while not entirely successful at doing so, the parental versions of highly offended individuals who must shelter all children from such atrocities as the live action movie (the closest we'll likely ever get to the comic for the time being) certainly were. And the 2 movies that followed were entirely forgettable because of that, Vanilla Ice notwithstanding.
However, that being said, the animated movie that we see today is much closer to the comic than the fans will allow you to think. It's true that it ISN'T as high paced as one might expect and neither is the dialog as flashy or as intense as it once was (though if you read back it was never of the English Lit level we would all like you to believe it was to begin with), and I will be the millionth guy to also tell you that, should a TMNT movie be done R rated and Sin City style, I'd be the first dude on the block lined up with a credit card flashing to see it.
On the other hand, for a cast of characters taken from B-Movie suspense plots filled with action and intrigue to an A-List group of kids product lines, I believe the movie succeeds on many levels. I love the family dynamic and feel, honestly, that this is one movie that required a bit more time to flesh itself out. If anything, I was far more interested in what was happening at home for the Turtles and not what was happening on the surface. I think it successfully begins bridging the gap between kids entertainment and adult fantasy fiction. I think that, if they're given the second chance, you'll likely see the fleshing out they deserve. The story's been done many times over, as have most animated movies, it's true, but it feels fresh enough to work and, further, I think it's one of those tentative efforts that begs the far, far better sequel, the one that satisfies all but the worst of the fanboys and girls. At that point, those folks are being snobs for the sake of being snobs.
The animation is truly TOP line, with exquisite detail and lighting, the colors are appropriately grim and there are enough "nicely done gents" tip-of-the-hat moments that make one applaud the work of boys and girls of Imagi Studios. It is worth going for the animation alone, especially if you happen to be of the sort who sat with jaws unhinged throughout The Incredibles or perhaps even Ghost In The Shell.
But like I said. For me the family dynamic shows that, underneath the hype there's some hope for the franchise, adding that dimension of realism and humanity that keeps it from being the 1.75 hour long commercial it so easily could've been.
Not that it wasn't, mind you, of course it was... but it was pretty well done all the same.
Also, it should absolutely be noted that my kids (son, 9, and daughter, 6) enjoyed it immensely and neither of them are easily amused. That, in and of itself, is a feat that deserves attention!
So one vote for the Turtles. Here's hoping they get their chance at the sequel. I think it'll be worth the wait.
For now, go see TMNT and suspend your need for intellectual sustenance. Candy bars can be good for you, too.
:)
I Married a Strange Person! (1997)
Graphic nuance, subtle explosions, how to kiss.
Genius. Pure, sleight-of-hand-animated, single cel by single celled organ... genius. If only more people could refer to their movies as "labors of love" and truly mean LABOR as in... giving birth. The blood couldn't be more ever-present.
Five things for me: the themes of government over individuality (that is to say that money and might makes right), the theory of what I REALLY want to do to my in laws (if I had them), how to hum a happy little tune of some random order all the while, what's really going through a guy's head during sex, and how DID you get to be so cute?
Please note that the complexity and intellectuality of the most important things were presented in a descending order. The movie moves a bit more erratically, though with a lot more color and sound.
Watch it. If only to say you did. If only to turn to someone else the previous day and say, "I watched this flick last night. I don't know if I'll sleep properly for a week but I've got to own it."
It's like being the guy who drinks something out of a cup that's been sitting out for three days, gagging furiously and then looking to your roommate and saying, "Man, this stuff tastes like s#!t. You've got to try it!"
Only in a good way.
The movie looks gorgeous, is captivating as only lovingly tendered sick humor (with a certain political morality) could be, and is easily one of the most originally sketched visions in motion picture history.
Enjoy. Bill Plympton is the man.