There is something extraordinarily cynical about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
The issue is not that movie refuses to make sense. The issue is not that its characters are (at best) archetypes and (at worst) plot functions. The issue is not that the script is at once thin on detail and heavy on exposition. The issue is not that the direction is clunky and unfocused, lacking basic technique and cluttering up would should be fairly standard set pieces. The issue is not even that the computer-generated imagery is ropey in places, with a lot of detail on the four turtles but great difficulty bringing Splinter to life.
I like Mike.
The issue is that the move is completely unapologetic about any of these issues. It is not that the movie abandons plot logic to focus on character dynamics, or that it ignores character development in order to get to impressive set pieces. The clunky expository dialogue is not countered by witty banter or knowing irony. There is a sense that Out of the Shadows is a film comfortable with its own shoddiness. It isn’t that the film tries and fails, it is that the film barely tries at all. There is a leaden and lifeless quality to it all.
The issue is not that Out of the Shadows is a stupid dumb action movie, because stupid dumb action movies can be great fun on their own merits. The issues is that Out of the Shadows assumes that its audience is just as dumb as it is.
Turtle power.
Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: film, non-review review, review, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, teenage mutant ninja turtles: out of the shadows | 8 Comments »
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