Comic property reviews: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movies

In the first quarter 2011 of Gaming Insurrection’s The Strip, we took a look at all three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies. Read on to see how we feel about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.

Before we start, a little bit of explaining:

How we grade
We score the properties in three categories: Casting (or voice acting in case of animated), plot and similarities to its source material. Each category receives points out of the maximum of 10 per category and 30 overall. The percentage is the final score.

A screenshot from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Turtles make an interesting discovery in their lair in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles./Photo courtesy of TMNT.com

TMNT movie origins great way to start franchise

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”

New Line Cinema, 1990

Pulling from the comics to tell its origin story, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles does the franchise proud in its first stab at the movie business. With a few changes to some key elements, the movie Turtles still manage to convey the never-say-die attitude of the teen amphibians. Crucial fights and subtle humor are thrown in with great character development.

The casting is superb mostly. Judith Hoag was excellent as the plucky April O’Neil, and her pairing with Elias Koteas’ Casey Jones was enjoyable and believable. Shredder was menacing and imposing as well as his bodyguard, Tatsu (a movie only addition). The costuming looked great and so did the Turtles. Jim Henson’s Creature Factory pulled out the stops to make the suits for the Turtles, and it shows. Our only quibble with the characterization was the inclusion and creation of April’s boss and his son. They weren’t wholly necessary to the story, and while they set up interesting subplots for the core group, they didn’t really add to the movie. In fact, it seems they dragged it down in parts.

We particularly enjoyed the fact that by the time the first movie was released, the cartoon was in full swing, thus making the movie possible. While the movie works to distance itself from the cartoon quite a bit, it still retains elements from it to draw in the younger crowd. Subtle nods to the franchise’s two origins (comics and cartoon) are featured throughout, helping the movie firmly ground itself as a sci-fi kung-fu flick. This is a must-own for the children of the ’80s crowd who remembers the days when Turtles fought with honor.

Like the comics: 7/10

Casting: 9.5/10

Plot: 9/10

Overall rating: 8.5

New character Keno joins the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in their quest to take on Shredder again in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze./Photo courtesy of TMNT.com

One liners’ add hilarity to Turtles’ movie sequel

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze”

New Line Cinema, 1991

What’s not to like about the sequel to one of the most successful independent movies of all time? Not much. Everything that made the first film a year earlier successful is back, though with a few changes. First, there’s no Casey Jones. And the actress playing April was changed. And there’s the addition of Ernie Reyes Jr. as the Turtles’ friend Keno and villains Tokka and Razhar. But other than that, the Turtles are still the Turtles.

There’s more action and more one-liners. And the return of Shredder makes it a little bit more believable that he’s a major villain for the Turtles than the comics would have you believe. It’s not very plausible that Shredder would be a one-note villain who only appears in a movie to try to kill the heroes, so it’s obvious that his role was increased here, tying in the various games AND cartoon.

Character development was handled in the first movie and not too much is dwelled on here. We wish more was written about Keno and why he was so proficient in martial arts and insistent upon helping the Turtles. His lack of explanation sticks out like a sore thumb in an otherwise excellent tale for the Turtles. Also, is it too much to ask that Vanilla Ice should have been toned down? True, he doesn’t show up until the end, but really, Ninja Rap? It was odd and disconcerting as a child seeing him and that hasn’t changed in the 20 years since movie’s release. He does absolutely nothing for the film, and his cameo is beyond stupid. But, at least the Turtles got to dance.

Overall, watch the sequel if not for a laugh at the now-ancient fashions of the day, but for the ramped up humor that comes from creating a sequel for a TMNT movie.

Like the comics?: 5/10

Casting: 8/10

Plot: 7/10

Overall rating: 6.5

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles try to return home to their time in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III./Photo courtesy of TMNT.com

Boldly go where no Turtle should really ever go

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III”

New Line Cinema, 1992

A hackneyed plot and poor special effects make the third TMNT film the worst in the bunch. There isn’t much that could save the franchise from going downhill with the third movie. The plot of the Turtles time traveling literally doesn’t make much sense, and the first time that Lyndsey saw it in the theaters, she claims to have spent 20 minutes trying to make sure she was in the right movie.

The acting is garbage, the story is utter nonsense and has nothing to do with the TMNT universe, and there’s no mention of previous villains or characters that made an impact on the Turtles’ adventures. The bright spot in it all is the casting and return of Elias Koteas as Casey Jones. He, despite some ham-fisted acting, is a beacon of hope in a movie that is far from shimmering.

There is nothing here that really resembles the TMNT universe save the abandoned train system home that the Turtles found in Secret of the Ooze and Jones. We had trouble understanding the point of adding the scepter and why even some of the strange plots from the cartoon universe weren’t expanded on, such as the Utroms or Rocksteady and Bebop. If the movie can introduce samurai that we’ve never heard of, the least the writers could do is include mutants that we have heard of. This is one sewer tale that should have stayed underground.

Like the comics?: 0/10

Casting: 2/10

Plot: 2/10

Overall rating: 1.5

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Top 5 list: Best Shredder quotes edition

Oroku Saki. Villain. Genius. Comedic mastermind? The 1987 animated version of the Shredder was crucial to the mood, tone and popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Whether it was James Avery’s classic quick delivery or the timing of a well-placed oral jab to those Turtle boys, Shredder always seemed one step ahead in his plans and his verbal jousts. Here are five of the best one-liners from “guy who never has to look for a can opener.”

“Tonight I dine on turtle soup.” – The penultimate quote has made its way into the 1987 animated show, the comic and the games.

“Sayonara you shell-backed simpletons.” – This insult, thrown out to the Turtles as Shredder was getting away for the millionth time, made Lyndsey pause a VHS and ask her mom: 1. What is a simpleton? 2. What does sayonara mean? and 3. Why is Shredder so awesome? Educational and inspiring.

I borrowed your Alien Express card. I never leave the Technodrome without it.” – Referring to co-conspirator Krang’s ability to pay for technology, Shredder evoked modern advertisement to explain how he gets away with borrowing stuff and never paying for it during the seven seasons he wreaked havoc on New York City.

“Creatins” “Blasted turtles” “Fools” “Wretched reptiles” “Idiot(s)” – Shredder’s favorite words to describe his help, his nemesis and his help. In that order. Watch a video of his quotes on YouTube and these will show up quite often.

“Blast that grotesque ganglion!” – A nice way to refer to Krang. Shredder was capable of big words that required viewers to think. It’s nice to have an intelligent super villain who could make you laugh while hatching world domination plans.

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Strip Talk #05: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were animated heroes, advertising juggernaut all rolled into one

Lyndsey Mosley, editor-in-chief

The Teenage Mutant Turtles have dual personalities, quite frankly. They are among the few, if not the only, animated characters to have multiple versions within the consumer’s grasp that make them seem like the same old Turtles dressed up in the same old stories with different looks to them.

No one can dispute the juggernaut that was and still is the TMNT. Sure, they’re nowhere near as prevalent as they once were. Nowadays, you can’t walk down the street screaming “Cowabunga, dude!” without getting laughed at or possibly being evaluated for Bull Street or Patrick B. Harris. No, you can’t say you love being a turtle anymore without accusations of being stuck in a 1980s timewarp. But there was a time in America where it was hip to be a lean, green, turtle-loving pizza-eating machine. Those were the days when TMNT was king.

The franchise seemingly came out of nowhere with the comics book in 1984. It was as if there was nothing and then there were the Turtles. They were serious, starkly drawn characters who would fight and kill just as soon as they would be teens on the streets of New York looking for a little action. These are the classic times of the TMNT, where you could get a little blood mixed in with the culture of a gritty 1980s New York City scene rife with crime. And then it all exploded.

Cheesy on the one hand, wildly popular and inappropriate on the other, the 1987 animated show hit the scene and made mincemeat out of nearly every other franchise. The Turtles gained individual characteristics and with them came an increase in popularity that hadn’t been anticipated. The show took off with witty writing, superb voice acting and plots that made a lot of sense. The show worked hard to establish a base with children, though the seemingly innocuous writing is even risque for cartoons these days. Where else can a villain call a heroine of the show a bimbo?

Both pieces of the TMNT tale left a lasting impact. There’s a generation of grown folks that sang along with the opening theme of the ’87 show. Millions of “children of the ’80s” sink back into a coma of nostalgia now and then as they remember getting home from school, throwing off an acid-wash denim jacket, fixing a snack and plopping down in front of a TV to watch the four green dudes from Brooklyn take on a ninja master who “never has to look for a can opener” before tackling multiplication and long-division problems.

I am a child of the ’80s and I was once upon a time a pre-teenage mutant ninja turtle.

Lyndsey Mosley is editor of Gaming Insurrection and one of the biggest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans on the planet. She can be reached by e-mail at gicomics@gaminginsurrection.com.

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Comic property review: “Punisher War Zone”

Photo courtesy of ComicBookResource.com

Third time’s a charm for Punisher

“Punisher War Zone”
Marvel Knights, 2008

If you can ignore the fact that this is the third attempt at bringing Frank Castle’s tale to big screen, you will love Punisher: War Zone. This is really what every Punisher film so far should have been: Gory, over-the-top action punctuated by the loss that Castle suffers.

With his family and humanity lost to senseless gang violence, Castle has to go the route of the Punisher. There is no other way and Lexi Alexander does an excellent job digging into the motif of Castle’s desire to lose himself in death. Using quick action shots, detailed costumes and a penchant for showing the worst ways to kill a man, War Zone achieves the effect that should have already been achieved by two previous actors: Death by Punisher.

War Zone’s Castle, Ray Stevenson, has the look of a man consumed with rage and revenge. He wears Castle’s raw emotions on his face well, and he makes an excellent dark anti-hero mired in a cesspool of a city.

Dominic West (who was also in last quarter’s review subject 300) is also excellent. Villains have become his strong suit and Jigsaw is a testament to his ability to take a character, immerse and make himself unrecognizable. Doug Hutchinson is a surprise standout as well. Having impressed us in his previous soap opera roles, he plays mentally insane well here. The other characters are rather stereotypical but they don’t necessarily get in the way of the story.

Overall Punisher: War Zone should have had a better draw in the movie industry. It received a bad rap because of its late-to-the-party status and drama surrounding production, but it really is a good adaptation of a comic book franchise and deserves to put ahead of the other attempts to bring the Punisher to the big screen.

How we grade
We score the properties in three categories: Casting (or voice acting in case of animated), plot and similarities to its source material. Each category receives points out of the maximum of 10 per category and 30 overall. The percentage is the final score.

Casting: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Like the comics?: 10/10
Overall rating: 9

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Otaku #03: Death Note Vol. 2

Death Note Volume 2 fills out its pages with interesting twists

Brandon Beatty, contributing editor

Previously in Otaku, I reviewed the manga Death Note, which tells the story of high school ace Light Yagami who finds a death note, a notebook with the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it.

Light, learning of the death note’s powers, decides to use it to kill off criminals. However, when criminals worldwide start dying simultaneously, the authorities send in L, a legendary detective to track down the killer. In volume two, the battle between Light aka “Kira” and L rages on when Light uses Kirchro Osoreda, one of his reserved criminals to lure out Raye Pember, a member of the FBI team sent to Japan at L’s request to investigate members of the NPA’s Kira Task Force who are suspected of leaking information on Kira. When Osoreda dies and Pember’s identity is known, Light quickly hatches a plan which results in not just Pember but all of the FBI agents in Japan dying simultaneously. As a result, L is forced to not only reveal himself, but also to rely on the remaining six members of the NPA task force, including Light’s father.

Death Note Vol. 2/Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

At this point in the story, I’m still in awe of how Light has evolved from a model high school student to an individual of pure evil, who believes that his actions are shaping a better world. He proves this when he kills Naomi Misora, Rayes’ fiancé and a former FBI agent who was close to revealing Light as Kira. As volume 2 continues, L, now going by the name Ryuzaki, is not out of the battle yet by providing the task force with fake police IDs in addition to making his hotel room the secret HQ for the Kira investigation.

Suspicious that Kira can still access classified information from the NPA, Ryuzaki increases the psychological warfare by placing a hidden camera and listening devices in the final two homes Pember was investigating where the Yagami family are suspects. Light, in the final pages of volume two, discovers that he is under surveillance and hatches a plan to counter Ryuzaki’s efforts using Ryuk to find the cameras. Readers picking up the second volume of Death Note will not be disappointed, since Tsugumi Obata has kept the plot fresh from the start of the series. His writing has ensured that Death Note is more than a regular who-done-it mystery.

The master talents of artist Takeshi Obata will not disappoint manga otaku. He regularly successfully mixes supernatural and physical elements with few hitches. The stage is set. Two chosen people are fighting in a battle destined to be one of ages. Who will win? Stay tuned as we continue to review a supernatural mystery manga that’s taking the world by storm.

Contributing Editor Brandon Beatty can be reached via e-mail at gicomics@gaminginsurrection.com.

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Strip Talk #04: ’80s and ’90s themes are the soundtrack of my life

Lyndsey Mosley, editor-in-chief

I don’t throw the title “child of the ’80s” around often. The definition is someone, like myself, that was born between the years 1975 to 1986 that remembers the pop culture of the era because they lived through it. Myself? I am a quintessential child of that time. I remember WWF, Transformers, G.I. Joe, My Little Pony, Cabbage Patch Kids, Rainbow Brite, Jem and the Smurfs well. I got up on Saturday mornings to watch most of those shows and when I got home from school it was TMNT, Ducktales, Darkwing Duck and the USA Cartoon Express all the way. So, why are we rehashing all of these titles? Simple: They had some of the best intro themes of all time.

Don’t get me wrong, the ’90s had some great stuff, too. X-Men the Animated Series, Fox’s Spider-man, Doug, Goof Troop. All are great shows with excellent introductions. So what is it about this these two periods of animated television? Was it because I was young and in-tune to music through chorus at school? Possibly. But more likely it’s the fact that this was the golden age of animation, a time when good cartoons were routinely introduced with flair, savvy and a well-sung introduction that told you everything you needed to know about the show.

That’s the crux of why this was such a good time for animated television. Take, for example, Transformers. Everything you ever needed to know about the Autobots and Decepticons, their battles and their affiliations were told in 30 seconds through singing. Same thing with Ducktales, Powerpuff Girls and TMNT. Sometimes you didn’t even need singing to tell the story. X-Men’s instrumental intro famously showed the principal cast and the fight of mutant kind.

As a child of the ’80s it was hard not getting up to see many of these shows every morning while getting ready for school. Now, it’s hard as an adult not to tear up when I hear the instantly recognizable themes of my childhood past. Thanks to YouTube, I’ve found I’m not the only one wishing for the return of the golden age of cartoons. The ’80s and ’90s were the gold standard for hooking an audience into a show that may or may not have shapeshifting robots, teenage mutant ninja turtles or racecars, lasers, airplanes to spin in Duckburg. I look forward to the day when I have a child old enough to understand and appreciate the era that mom learned about good animated television.

Lyndsey Mosley is editor of Gaming Insurrection and a proud self-proclaimed child of the ’80s. You can contact her via email at gicomics@gaminginsurrection.com

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Marvel character highlight #04: Juggernaut

NAME: Cain Marko

AFFILIATION: Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, X-Men

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Unstoppable force once moving, superhuman strength, endurance and immortality through the gem of Cyttorak.

BACKGROUND: Cain Marko became part of Charles Xavier’s family through the marriage of his father and Xavier’s mother. Cain bullied Charles at any opportunity because of several factors, including the fact that his father was abusive and because Cain was jealous of Charles’ success and intelligence. Later, Cain joined the army and was sent to Korea. It was here during an expedition that Cain stumbled upon the Gem of Cyttorak, an artifact of a lost civilization. Upon reading the inscription, Cain was transformed into a living avatar of the gem. He was lost in a cave-in shortly after that took years for him to dig his way out of. The gem, however, sustained him. He has no need of food, water or oxygen. He is immortal and once moving is an unstoppable force through the magic of the gem. He is not, however, a mutant. According to classified documents on the X-Men adversaries, Cain is a mystical being and avatar of a god. He has menaced the X-Men since though in alternate universes such as the Age of Apocalypse, he has been part of the group that he hates with all of his being. Juggernaut is also known as a freelance worker for hire, sometimes teaming with Black Tom Cassidy or working with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

RELATIONSHIPS: Charles Xavier, stepbrother. David Heller (Legion), uncle.

FIRST VERSUS GAME APPEARANCE: X-Men vs. Street Fighter

APPEARANCES IN OTHER MEDIA: Marvel vs. Capcom (arcade), Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (arcade), X-Men Legends (PlayStation 2/Xbox), Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Wii/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3), X-Men the Animated Series (television), X-Men: The Last Stand (film), X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (PlayStation 2/Xbox), X-Men: Next Dimension (Xbox/PlayStation 2/GameCube), X-Men: Evolution (television), Wolverine and the X-Men animated series (television), Spider-Man & The X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge (SNES), Uncanny X-Men (NES), X-Men (arcade), Marvel Super Heroes (arcade).

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Top 5 list: Best mutant powers edition

Superman/DC

Superman
Invisible force field aura

As the Man of Steel can attest, his force field is just that: a coating of steel. It takes a lot to harm the blue-and-red savior of Metropolis and mostly what can hurt him is not of Earth. His natural Kryptonian invisible aura has saved his life on more than one occasion.

 

Nightcrawler/Marvel

Nightcrawler
Teleportation

The blue devil-looking X-Man of Marvel teleports himself and others by accessing another dimension. Just the fact that he can access this “other place” negates the supposed rotten egg smell that is associated with his ability. Bampf, indeed.

 

Dr. Manhattan/DC

Dr. Manhattan
Time and molecular shifting

Created by a physics accident in 1959, Dr. Manhattan is one of the world’s most prominent superheroes. He’s also able to  see the past and the future relative to him, and he can create or destroy on a molecular level. Blue-skinned, hot and genius-minded, Dr. Manhattan is DC’s Cronos.

 

Apocalypse/Marvel

Apocalypse
Molecular shifting

Even though the Marvel villain has altered the future and the past on many occasions, Apocalypse is still awesome. His ability to shift his mass and size at will makes him one of the world’s most dangerous if not unbeatable foes. His mutant ability has also allowed him to live for more than 5,000 years.

 

Charles Xavier/Marvel

Charles Xavier
Mind reading

The smartest man in the world and an omega-level mutant, Professor X ’s intelligence and mind-reading ability make him a great ally for peace and a beyond-dangerous foe if he ever went evil (read: Onslaught).

All photos courtesy of the Marvel and DC Wikia sites

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Marvel character highlight #03: Sentinel

NAME: Sentinel

AFFILIATION: Sentinel program

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Mutant tracking

BACKGROUND:  Scientist Boliviar Trask, as a way to stop the perceived mutant threat to humanity, created the original Sentinels. Trask received government-funds to research his work into eliminating mutants and this was the Sentinels prime objective. Trask was invited to debate Professor Charles Xavier, one of the world’s strongest mutants, in a televised debate on mutant-human relations. Trask remained unconvinced of the lack of threat most mutants posed and revealed his Sentinels to the world. The robots then kidnapped Trask and took him to their leader, Master Mold, where Trask was directed to create more.

Eventually, after Trask was given a mindscan of the X-Men who came to rescue him, he realized that mutants were peaceful and that the Sentinels had to be destroyed.

Trask then sacrificed his life to stop the Sentinels and Master Mold in a massive explosion. Other Sentinels have been created and reprogrammed by numerous people including Sebastian Shaw of the Hellfire Club, Bastion, Cassandra Nova and Apocalypse.

RELATIONSHIPS: Boliviar Trask (creator), Larry Trask (creator), Bastion, Nimrod, Master Mold (leader)

FIRST VERSUS GAME APPEARANCE: X-Men: Children of the Atom

APPEARANCES IN OTHER MEDIA: X-Men: The Last Stand (film), Marvel vs. Capcom (arcade), Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (arcade), X-Men (arcade), X-Men the Animated Series (television), Spider-Man the Animated Series (television), X-Men: Evolution (television), Wolverine and the X-Men animated series (television), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (SNES), X-Men Legends (PlayStation 2/Xbox), X-Men: The Official Game (PlayStation 2/Xbox), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (PS3/Xbox 360), X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (PlayStation 2/Xbox), X-Men: Next Dimension (Xbox/PlayStation 2/GameCube)

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Top 5 List: Most useless villains edition

Every villain has a uselessness level. On a scale of 1 to 10, if you make good on your master’s plans and actually accomplish the death of a superhero, you’re closer to 1. If you can’t get the job done, you’re moving a little higher on the scale. And trust us, both comic powerhouses have a few on the higher end.

Locomotive Breath/Marvel

Locomotive Breath (Marvel)
Fought: War Machine
Useless level: 6
With a name like Locomotive Breath, it’s only a matter of time before you have put up or shut up. He did neither and that’s why he only appeared in two issues before disappearing back into obscurity. He may have been an Eternal but, really, his name stops any serious discussion about misdeeds cold.

DeSaad/DC

DeSaad (DC)
Fought: Superman
Useless level: 1
As the right-hand man to Man of Steel arch nemesis Darkseid, DeSaad actually did some pretty nasty deeds in the name of evil and his master’s wrath. If he’d only broken off a little sooner, he could have avoided the beatdown Darkseid liked to inflict for failure. Otherwise, DeSaad was a bad man that played both sides of the coin when it came to the chance for more power.

Quintesson/Marvel

The Quintessons (Transformers)
Fought: Autobots and Decepticons
Useless level: 3
More annoying than useless, the Quintessons were actually dangerous. They served as the judges, jury and executioners for the warring factions that used to live on Cybertron. If you want to see the extent of their usefulness, watch the 1986 animated movie. They weren’t too bad there and actually served a purpose such as condemning everyone to die.

Silvermane/Marvel

Silvermane (Marvel)
Fought: Spider-Man
Useless level: 4
Silvermane is actually kind of cool. He employs a bionic body, aging and de-aging abilities and takes on Kingpin for control of his criminal empire. Because of his age, he takes on his criminal name. Not bad, old-timer. Not bad.

Edgar Plunder/Marvel

Edgar Plunder (Marvel)
Fought: Captain America
Useless level: 7
OK, the name is a keeper but he was still useless. If you’re going to fight Captain America at least have the sense to do something amazing. But he hasn’t. He’s done nothing remarkable other than have an impersonator that was killed by the Punisher. Boring. Who hasn’t been killed or threatened by the Punisher?

All photos courtesy of the Marvel and DC Wikia sites

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