THE FILM
The rather silly rebooted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise returns with a sequel, Out of the Shadows, a vast improvement over its predecessor and a fun, lighthearted flick. Out of the Shadows gives fans of the Turtles everything they love about the four brothers; jokes, fighting, teamwork, and pizza. The Turtles have a much bigger role this time around with much higher stakes. Stephen Amell soars as hockey-loving Casey Jones in a performance that’s far different than his role in Arrow. The action’s good, the pace is brisk, and I had a rockin’ good time. I’m giddy with excitement to delve into all the details and awesomeness that’s included with the Blu-ray for TMNT: Out of the Shadows.
The second installment of Nickelodeon and Paramount’s planned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy involves the Turtles coming into conflict with Dr. Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry), a genetic scientist working with the Turtles’ arch nemesis, Shredder (Brian Tee) to create a black hole that will enslave the earth. With the help of April O’Neal (Megan Fox) and her new acquaintance Casey Jones (Stephen Amell), the Turtles prepare for their greatest battle yet against Shredder, his henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady (voiced by Gary Anthony Williams and WWE wrestler Sheamus), and Krang (Brad Garrett).
All the mutant characters are great. Seeing Bebop and Rocksteady come to life on the big screen was a genuine treat, and I was over the moon with how terrific the character design was. They look fantastic and the voice actors have a good dynamic off each other. The Turtles, as expected, are a joy to watch; it’s hard to get them wrong. There’s even some conflict within the group, which made for a riveting diversion. Tony Shalhoub’s Splinter isn’t given much to do outside the mentor role, though he’s fine in his short amount of screen time. Lastly, Brad Garrett’s Krang was a real treat; this movie wouldn’t be complete without a talking brain.
The humans excel as well. Megan Fox is fine reprising O’Neal, though she isn’t much more than a plot device. Will Arnett provides some comedy relief in an amusing side-story that continues over from the first film. There’s also Tyler Perry, who does not seem to realize what movie he’s in. But it’s Stephen Amell who is the clear standout, delivering a light performance that lets him exhibit all the badassery that he’s known for, while simultaneously doing justice to the character of Casey Jones.
There’s a lot going on in this movie, but somehow everything works. Maybe it’s because I’m not as familiar with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lore as some, but I thought all the characters were really well done (Baxter Stockman notwithstanding) and all had incredible payoffs. I had an absolute blast with this one; not only does it improve on the first in terms of action, but the comedy is on point and genuinely funny. The sequence at the New York Knicks stadium is a prime example of the filmmakers upping the ante this time around.
SPECIAL FEATURES
– We Are Family (HD, 8:15) – The filmmakers discuss the development of the Turtles in the film.
– Whoa! Expanding the Turtleverse (HD, 14:19) – The filmmakers talk about expanding the Ninja Turtles cinematic universe by introducing new characters and villains.
– House Party (HD, 6:18) – Details the set of the Turtles’ new sewer lair.
– It’s Tricky: Inside the Van (HD, 4:08) – Shows us how the Turtle Van works.
– ILM—The Effects Beneath the Shell (HD, 3:04) – Details the special effects work done to create the turtles.
– Did You Catch That? Turtle Eggs! (HD, 3:02) – Shows all the little Easter Eggs you may have missed during the film.
– Deleted Scenes (HD, 4:54) – Four minutes of scenes not shown in the theatrical cut of the film.
Matt Goodman
via The Nerd Machine
http://www.thenerdmachine.com/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-out-of-the-shadows-blu-ray-review/
