Potentially welcome return for the Turtles to the big screen provides some wonderful CG animation and grand design, but forgets to include a story any more significant than an average 30 minute Saturday morning cartoon.
Internal story mostly involves conflict between Leonardo, who has been training in South America for a year, and Raphael, who has become a street vigilante in his absence.
The other two Turtles – Michelangelo and Donatello – barely register at all as the plot reunites the team to take on a horde of robots and monsters threatening to destroy the world.
But these baddies lack the color and humor of the classic villains – characters like Shredder, Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady are sorely missed.
As a whole, the film rests uneasily between the dark nature of the original comic book and the kiddie/marketing feel that took over the franchise throughout its various forms on TV, film, and video games over the past twenty years.
For fans of the Turtles only, though they should enjoy it; besides the nice animation, however, there´s little crossover appeal. Onscreen title: TMNT.
