TMNT (film)

TMNT

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Kevin Munroe[1]
Produced by
  • Thomas K. Gray
  • Galen Walker
  • Paul Wang
Written by Kevin Munroe
Based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
by Kevin Eastman
Peter Laird
Starring
Narrated by Laurence Fishburne
Music by Klaus Badelt
Cinematography Steve Lumley
Edited by John Damien Ryan
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
Running time
 87 minutes
Country United States
Hong Kong
Language English
Budget $34 million[3][4]
Box office $95,608,995[5]

TMNT is a 2007 computer-animated fantasy action film based on the comic book characters the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Written and directed by Kevin Munroe, the film features the voice talents of James Arnold Taylor, Nolan North, Mikey Kelley, Mitchell Whitfield, Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kevin Smith, Patrick Stewart, Zhang Ziyi and Laurence Fishburne (who provides narration). It was the last film that Mako Iwamatsu made before his death and was co-produced by the Turtles' co-creator Peter Laird for Warner Bros. Pictures.

TMNT was the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film made with computer-generated imagery (CGI), created by Imagi Animation Studios, as well as the first feature film in the franchise in 14 years. TMNT co-creator Peter Laird stated it takes place in its own universe separate from the previous films, which was supported by its depiction in Turtles Forever.[6] However director Kevin Munroe says the film exists in the same continuity as the other films, which was supported by the memento wall at the end of the film.[7] The film sees the four Turtles (Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo) grow apart after their final defeat of the Shredder, when strange things are happening in New York City as ancient creatures threaten the world and the Turtles must reunite to save it.

TMNT premiered theatrically on March 23, 2007. It was a commercial success, grossing $95 million worldwide for a budget of $34 million, but received mixed reviews from film critics. Its release coincided with tie-in products including toys, comics and video games.

Plot

Three thousand years ago, an Aztec warlord named Yaotl and his four generals discover a portal opening into a parallel universe which is said to have great power. Yaotl becomes immortal from the power, but his four generals were turned to stone. The portal releases 13 immortal monsters (such as the Bigfoot, the Centaur, Lethargo the Mapinguari, Aracknor the Jbafofi, Succubor the Popobawa, the Jersey Devil and the Sea Monster) that destroy his army as well as his enemies. In the present, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have grown apart. After defeating the Shredder, Master Splinter has sent Leonardo to Central America for training. Donatello works as an IT specialist, Michelangelo works as a birthday party entertainer called Cowabunga Carl and Raphael works at night as a vigilante nicknamed Nightwatcher. April O'Neil operates a company that locates and acquires relics for collectors with the help of her boyfriend, Casey Jones.

During a business trip to Central America, April runs into Leonardo and tells him that the turtles have drifted apart. She returns to New York with a statue for her client, Max Winters, the richest man in the city. Upon arrival she calls Casey and tells him that she spoke to Leo and tells him that Leo's not coming back. However a little later Leo does return, and April and Casey deliver the statue to Winters. Winters hires Karai and the Foot Clan to search the city for the thirteen beasts before the portal opens again. Raphael encounters Casey, who reveals his knowledge of Raphael's double identity and joins him in hunting criminals.

Winters, who is actually the still-immortal Yaotl, reanimates his generals with his company's advanced technology, but they remain made of stone. Leo returns to the sewer, meeting Splinter. Splinter forbids the Turtles from fighting until they can act as a team again. While training, the Turtles encounter Bigfoot, one of the thirteen beasts battling the Foot Clan. The Turtles engage Bigfoot, going against Leo and Splinter's orders. When Raphael visits Casey, they encounter Vampire Succubor and witness its capture by the Foot Clan and the Stone Generals, who spot them and knock Raphael unconscious. Casey takes him back to the apartment while April calls the Turtles for help and reveals the identities of Yaotl and his Generals. After being revived, Raphael suggests they pursue Yaotl, but Leo forbids him to go until Splinter gives out the order and so Raphael goes out to investigate alone as Nightwatcher.

Leo, Donny and Mikey return to their sewer home to plan their next move, where Donny discovers the reopening of the portal will be directly over Winters' skyscraper headquarters. Splinter informs Leo that his team is incomplete, and that he knows what he must do. After eleven monsters have been captured, General Aguila questions Yaotl's actions. The Generals conspire betray Yaotl, wanting to remain immortal. Raphael encounters Jersey Devil, one of the remaining monsters but drives it off. Leo has been following him, wanting to put an end to the Nightwatcher's vigilante acts, but when Raph is revealed, they battle. Raph breaks Leo's twin swords and seems as though he is about to kill him but runs off instead. Immediately after Raph flees, the Generals ambush Leo, who is shot with a poison dart and too weak to fight them. Raph hears him scream in the distance as he's taken hostage and doubles back in pursuit, but he fails to get there in time. He takes Leo's broken swords back to Splinter and explains what happened.

The Generals intend to substitute Leo for the thirteenth missing beast and Raphael decides to make amends for his past mistakes by rescuing Leo. As the portal opens, Yaotl discovers his Generals' treachery, while Splinter and the Turtles, accompanied by Casey and April, fight their way through the Foot Clan cordon and breach the tower. Yaotl reveals the truth to the heroes: he wants to be free of his curse of immortality. The Generals reveal that they wish to preserve their immortality, but also to use the portal to bring in more monsters to conquer the world.

Having refused to betray Yaotl in exchange for serving the Generals, April, Casey and the Foot Clan work together, searching for the final monster while the Turtles fight the Generals. Splinter and Yaotl fight off numerous monsters emerging from the portal. April, Casey and Karai arrive at the tower with the last monster, the Sea Monster. The Sea Monster crashes into the Generals, dragging them into the portal before it closes. Karai warns them to enjoy their victory while it lasts, claiming they will soon contend with a familiar foe, which the Turtles suspect to be the Shredder. She and the rest of the Foot Clan depart. Yaotl, now mortal, honors the Turtles and Splinter, thanking them with his dying breath for fulfilling his lifelong wish. Splinter places Yaotl's helmet among his trophy collection, as well as Raphael's Nightwatcher helmet and Michelangelo's turtle costume, and the film ends with Raphael narrating that the Turtles will always be brothers.

Cast

Production

A computer graphics imagery (CGI) TMNT movie was first announced in 2000, with John Woo supposedly at the helm. That movie languished in development hell and Woo ultimately moved on to other projects.[9]

TMNT, executive produced by the TMNT co-creator Peter Laird, departs from the previous films' live action style and is the first CGI film in the series. Writer/director Kevin Munroe said that he wanted to do total CGI instead of live action and CGI turtles because it would be easier for the audience to "suspend disbelief for such an offbeat story" as there would be no break in the reality between CGI and live action.[10] Producer Tom Gray explained that the decision to depart from the live action series was due to escalating budgets for the three films, and with each film making less than its predecessor, a CGI film became a reality.[11] For example, the first film made $135.2 million on a budget of $13.5 million, and the third made $44 million on a budget of $21 million.[11] Orange Sky Golden Harvest's rights to the franchise had expired, and Gray said the question arose there over a CGI TMNT film in 2004.[11]

Munroe stated in terms of the story line that ideas were floated as extreme as the Turtles being in space, but eventually it just came back to New York City, and the theme of the family that had fallen apart.[11] When developing the screenplay, Munroe wanted to take on a less lighthearted tone or "less Cowabunga" and place an emphasis on dark elements as shown in the original comics to appeal to the mature audience. "I had a very specific tone because mixing that sort of action and comedy is a very specific thing. Most people were just coming and wanting to make it too funny. I think that version of the movie could do really well, but we wanted to do something where it sort of pushes the envelope a little bit more and says that animation is more than just comedic animals bumping into each other and farting!"[12] Munroe said that in design and in the rendering of the animation, he was after the feel of a comic book.[11] Karai was one of Munroe's favoriite characters from the comics and he "was the one who really pushed for Karai" to appear in the film.[13]

Development and pre-production for TMNT began in June 2005[14] at Imagi's Los Angeles facility and the CGI animation was produced in Hong Kong, followed by post-production in Hollywood.[14] In designing the New York backdrop, art director/concept artist Simon Murton stylized the familiar Manhattan skyline and urban landscapes: "We began with cinematic cues from certain black-and-white films from the 1940s and '50s. I really wanted to push the lighting and the environments to create the look and feel of an alternate reality."[15] The animators that worked on the fight sequences were inspired by Hong Kong action films. Animation director Kim Ooi explains said that because of CGI they were able to "push and stylize beyond the limits of live action."[15] Imagi used Maya with Pixar’s RenderMan for the production pipeline’s back-end.[3]

Jim Cummings was the only past TMNT actor to appear in this film, where he had previously contributed voice-work in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. The film also features three voice actors for Ratchet in the Ratchet & Clank series, Mikey Kelley and Kevin Michael Richardson from the first game, and James Arnold Taylor from the others, playing Michelangelo and Leonardo respectively. TMNT would be Mako Iwamatsu's final acting role. Mako was announced as the voice of Splinter at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 20, 2006. He then died the next day, aged 72.[16] A dedication to Mako appears at the end of the film's credits.[17] Although Iwamatsu is the only actor credited in the role, Greg Baldwin performs a substantial portion of Splinter's dialogue in the finished film; Baldwin had already mimicked Iwamatsu's voice when he took up the late actor's role as Iroh in the concurrently-produced cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender, and used this precedent to successfully lobby to join the cast of TMNT as Splinter following Iwamatsu's death.[18]

Marketing and tie-ins

At the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con, the TMNT panel screened an exclusive preview that contained a Splinter voice-over with facial tests, concept art, muscle and dynamic fight tests, and a few comedic scenes.[19] A sneak peek booklet containing storyboards, environment designs and character designs by comic artist Jeff Matsuda was also distributed at the convention.[20]

Several tie-in products were released in 2007. The McDonald's fast-food chain had the film-based toys to collect with the purchase of a Happy Meal.[21] A series of action figures based in the film's characters was released by Playmates Toys.[22] A novelization, adapted from Munroe's screenplay by Steve Murphy, was published by Simon Spotlight.[23] A five-issue prequel comic miniseries was published by Mirage Comics.[24]

Soundtrack

The licensed soundtrack Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Music from the Motion Picture was released by Atlantic Records in 2007.[25]

Video games

Three beat'em up/action adventure game/platformer adaptations of the film were developed and released by Ubisoft in 2007 for a variety of video game consoles. A mobile game TMNT: The Power of 4 was also developed by Overloaded and released by uClick that same year.[26] In addition, characters from the film are available in Ubisoft's 2009 Wii and PlayStation 2 fighting game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up,[27] while artworks from the film are available in this game as unlockable content.[28]

Release

The film was originally set for release domestically (USA and Canada) on March 30, 2007, which would have been the 17th anniversary of the release of the first TMNT film. The March 30 date was advertised in the teaser trailer[29] and early posters, but the release was moved up to March 23. A home media edition of TMNT was released on August 7, 2007, for the DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray.[30] In 2009, a box set with all four TMNT films was released to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary.[31] The DVD release contains several Special Features, including commentary on the feature by writer/director Kevin Munroe; an alternate opening and an alternate ending to the film; and interviews with some of the featured voice talent as well as the filmmakers.

Reception

Box office

TMNT ranked number one at the box office on its opening weekend, beating 300 (the top film of the previous two weeks), The Last Mimzy, Shooter, Pride, The Hills Have Eyes 2, and Reign Over Me. Weekend estimates showed that the film made $25.45 million over the weekend of March 23–25, 2007.[32] The film grossed over $95 million worldwide, including over $54 million domestically during its 91-day run in the 3,120 North American theaters.[5]

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes calculated a 34% approval rating, based on 115 reviews with an average rating of 5/10, and the consensus being "TMNT's art direction is splendid, but the plot is non-existent and the dialogue lacks the irony and goofy wit of the earlier TMNT movies."[33] Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score from film critics, calculated an average rating score of 41 out of 100 based on 21 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[34]

Claudia Puig of USA Today gave a negative review, stating that the film "is trying for a new image. But it takes more than an awkward title attempting to sound cool to overcome its mundane plot and silly dialogue."[35] Michael Ordona of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "despite the doll-like cartoonishness of the human figures, the filmmakers seem to expect us to take this animated romp seriously. Too seriously."[36] Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe called the film "a junk-food pastry. The plot is the wrapper. The action is the oily sponge cake. And the message - family, family, family - is the processed cream filling."[37]

Conversely, Todd Gilchrist of IGN gave the film a positive review, calling it "a fun, action-filled adventure that will satisfy longtime fans and generate a legion of new ones, whether it be by virtue of simple storytelling, solid CGI, carefully-choreographed action, or just the spirit and energy that only the Turtles can create."[38] Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post felt that the film "is technically superb and quite enjoyable as long as you don't bang your head against the plot, which will cause hot flashes, premature aging and fallen arches."[39] According to Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the film is "not so dark or scary as to keep most kids away" and it "has a cool, noirish sheen. There's an attention to detail in the visuals and sound design that pushes it up several notches above most kiddie fare."[40]

Accolades

The film received nominations for the Annie Award[41] for Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production and the Golden Schmoes Award for Best Animated Movie of the Year.

Award Category Nominee Result
Annie Award[41] Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production Sean Song Nominated
Golden Schmoes Award Best Animated Movie of the Year TMNT Nominated

References

  1. ↑ Armstrong, Josh. (April 9, 2007) Director Kevin Munroe on TMNT • Animated Views. Animatedviews.com. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  2. ↑ "2007 - Chinese Theatres". TCL Chinese Theatre. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Joe Strike (2007-03-23). "TMNT: The Turtles More Animated in CG". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  4. ↑ Martin A. Grove (2007-03-31). "$35 million budget puts TMNT on road to profits". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
  5. 1 2 "TMNT (2007)". Box Office Mojo.
  6. ↑ "Peter Laird's TMNT blog: Blast from the Past #654: April 1, 2005: Re: first pass and 2 other things". Peterlairdstmntblog.blogspot.com. 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  7. ↑ "Director Kevin Munroe revisits Imagi's TMNT franchise". http://animatedviews.com/. 2014-09-19. Retrieved 2014-09-19. External link in |publisher= (help)
  8. ↑ Topel, Fred (2007-01-14). "Smith's 15 Seconds of "TMNT" Fame". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  9. ↑ Brian Linder (2001-06-30). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Real Deal". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
  10. ↑ Anthony Breznican (2006-12-20). "Slow to return, teen Turtles are back!". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Heather Newgen (2007-01-25). "TMNT Studio Visit!". Super Hero Hype. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  12. ↑ Martin A. Grove (2007-03-20). "Turtles live again in CGI spinoff TMNT". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2007-03-26. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  13. ↑ Davis, Erik. (March 23, 2007) Interview: 'TMNT' Director Kevin Munroe – The Moviefone Blog. Blog.moviefone.com. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  14. 1 2 "Imagi Media Kit" (PDF). Imagi.com.hk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  15. 1 2 "TMNT Production Notes" (PDF). MovieWeb. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
  16. ↑ "More Sign Up for "Ninja Turtles"". WorstPreviews. 2006-12-22. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  17. ↑ Anne Neumann (2007-03-06). "Kevin Munroe on TMNT". Super Hero Hype. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  18. ↑ "Baldwin implicitly confirms his role as Splinter while answering fans' questions at an Avatar forum". Distanthorizons.proboards.com. 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  19. ↑ Omar Aviles (2006-07-25). "CON: WB Animation". Joblo. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
  20. ↑ "TMNT Sneak Peek #1". Searchlightcomics.com. 2013-01-07. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  21. ↑ "Mcdonalds Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leonardo Toy 2007: Toys". Amazon.com. 2013-02-19. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  22. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Playmates Toys. Archived from the original on December 29, 2008. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  23. ↑ "TMNT Movie Novelization by Kevin Munroe (Screenwriter), Steve Murphy (Adapted by) - New, Rare & Used Books Online at Alibris Marketplace". Alibris.com. 2007-03-30. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  24. ↑ "TMNT Movie Prequel (Mirage comic book) - 5 issues". Comicvine.com. 2007-03-01. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  25. ↑ "iTunes - Music - TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Music from the Motion Picture by Various Artists". Itunes.apple.com. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  26. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Power of 4 Review - IGN". Uk.ign.com. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  27. ↑ Ubisoft. "Official Site | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up™ | Ubisoft". Tmntgame.us.ubi.com. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  28. ↑ "TMNT: Smash-Up Cheats, Codes, Unlockables - PlayStation 2 - IGN". Uk.ign.com. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  29. ↑ "TMNT Teaser Trailer". Trailer Addict. 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  30. ↑ "TMNT Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  31. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary Film Collection : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". Dvdtalk.com. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  32. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Top Box Office With $25.45M Debut". Fox News. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  33. ↑ "TMNT - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  34. ↑ "TMNT". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  35. ↑ Puig, Claudia (March 23, 2007). "'Turtle' chortle, 'Mimzy' whimsy". USA Today. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  36. ↑ Ordona, Michael (March 23, 2007). "Ninja Turtles get seriously animated". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  37. ↑ Morris, Wesley (March 23, 2007). "'TMNT' has style, lacks substance". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  38. ↑ Gilchrist, Todd. "TMNT". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  39. ↑ Hunter, Stephen (March 23, 2007). "'TMNT': Testudinal Fortitude". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  40. ↑ Rea, Steven (March 23, 2007). "Turtles, a little soft in the shell, get back in the soup". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  41. 1 2 "35th Annie Awards". Archived from the original on 2010-08-15. Retrieved April 26, 2012.

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