Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows Movie Review

By: Lynn Barker

Whoever said turtles were slow? When their brotherhood and the world is threatened, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael and Leonardo ("Mikey," "Leo," "Raph" and "Donnie") come out of the sewer, kick major Shredder butt and risk exposure to humans to help save the day.

April O'Neil, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Casey JonesCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Shredder….Again

In the 2014 turtles film, the guys sent arch-nemesis Shredder (Brian Tee) to prison. Now, there is a plot to free him led by geeky scientist Dr. Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry). Reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox) is undercover trying to get info on the plot to break Shredder out of custody while he is being transported.

Shredder in costumeCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Break Out

Escorting Shredder and two minor crooks to another location is Corrections cop Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). Shredder’s minions manage to bust him out of the van carrying him despite the efforts of Jones and the turtles in their tricked-out garbage truck, to stop him.

Stephen Amell as Casey JonesCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

The Plan

Once Shredder sees thugs Be-Bop and Rocksteady (Stephen Farrelly and Gary Anthony Williams) he gets mad scientist Doc Stockman to turn them into a rhino and a warthog… with human pumped-up muscles to serve as his goon squad. His goal is to use a purple oozing liquid to power a device that will open a portal to another dimension through which he can bring an army for world domination with his cohort Krang (Brad Garrett) an alien squid-like brain-being living in a robot suit. First the goons must find three missing parts of the device and bring them together for the portal to open.

Bebop and RocksteadyCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Turtle Trouble

Meanwhile, the turtles’ brotherly bond is falling apart. Brainy Donatello (Jeremy Howard) discovers the purple ooze may have the power to transform the turtles into humans so they can be accepted by Mankind and live in the daylight. Group leader Leonardo (Pete Ploszek) tells him they don’t need to be human while tough-guy Raphael (Alan Ritchson) and young and silly Michelangelo (Noel Fisher) long to be “normal” i.e. human.

Turtles ready to rumbleCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Human Good Guys

Casey Jones, on the outs with his police chief (Laura Linney) for losing arch criminal Shredder, goes all vigilante wearing a hockey mask and carrying hockey sticks and launching flying pucks. He saves April from Shredder’s hoods when she steals the purple ooze and he meets the turtles whom he thinks are human-eating aliens. Casey, April and her egotistical cameraman Vern (Will Arnett) eventually team up with the turtles to fight the bad guys.

April and VernCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

End Game

With Krang importing a huge war machine piece by piece through the now-opened portal, will Shredder even matter? Will the turtles stop bickering long enough to help their human buddies save the planet? Will they come out of hiding into the light to do so? 

April surrounded by Shredder thugsCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows Trailer

Wrapping Up

There is an overload of action in the “Out of the Shadows” turtle movie but also a bit of emotional chaos, character conflict and warm and fuzzy feelings among the turtle bros to endear old fans and new. The CGI (motion capture) characters are very expressive and oddly believable. The turtles’ different character traits and skills are true to the comics and animated series. The plot is very cartoony involving purple ooze and a dimensional portal machine. Basic elements of the story we have seen in many films. It is nice to see, however, that the turtles’ cool, tricked-out garbage truck HQ is back and gets a real workout in the film.

Turtles on plane wingCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

TV’s “Arrow” Stephen Amell does a winning job of creating the Casey Jones character although altered to be more of a good guy, and there is just the hint of a future romance with reporter (who doesn’t do any reporting except one brief wrap up scene) April O’Neil still played by foxy Megan Fox who really has little to do in the film. Several time Academy Award nominee Laura Linney is really right on point as a tough police chief. Mega-dumb baddies Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE wrestler Sheamus) add some silly comic relief when we don’t get that from the turtles.

Rampaging Rhino RocksteadyCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

For a popcorn-munching action flick involving animal mutant heroes, “Out of the Shadows” is better than the 2014 turtles film and probably fun for younger kids and their dads who might have been fans in another decade. We go three stars

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows Movie Rating:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows PosterCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 "Mo-Cap" Featurette

Have Your Say

Are you a fan of the Mutant Ninja Turtles since a very young age or are they not your thing? Do you want to see the new film? Let us know below.