Turtles Forever

PLOT:

The 1987 Turtles are transported to another dimension while they are battling with the 1987 Shredder in the Technodrome. Hun is mutated into a gigantic turtle and joins forces with the 2003 Shredder. He battles the eight turtles but they escape to the 1987 dimention. Splinter is kidnapped and brought to the Technodrome. The eight turtles then return to the 2003 dimention are seek to rescue Splinter, but they are beaten. Shredder than reveals is master plan. He has discovered that there are not two dimentions, but several, including the movie versions and various tv and comic adaptations. He seeks to destroy all dimentions of ninja turtles by destroying the original “Turtle Prime”…aka the Mirage Turtles. Shredder vanishes with the Technodrome and the 2003 universe begins to erase. After a brief battle with Mutant Hun, the eight turtles travel to the Mirage dimention and meet the original turtles, who are black and white and much darker then even the 2003 versions and narrate their actions ala the comic books. The 12 turtles battle a gigantic Utrom Shredder who is eventually defeated when Bebop and Rocksteady inadvertinantly hit him with the Technodrome’s ray. All turtles then return to their original dimentions, leaving the Mirage Turtles to discuss getting some pizza.

Then, a brief live-action scene shows the original issue of the mirage comics being finished with the writers hoping it will sell.

REVIEW:

I grew up watching the Saturday morning version of the Tennage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the late 80s.  I had all the toys and collected the comics. When these new versions arrived a few years back, I was hesitant to embrace them on the grounds that they appeared to be more on the dark side of things, but after watching a few episodes, they are nowhere near as dark as I initially thought. However, watching Turtles Forever made me realize how different the turtles universes are.

When looking at the groups of turtles on their own, you’d never know that one set is taller, fatter, than the other, just that the 80s version is more cartoonish and have eyeballs and the letters on their belts. This is something that is pointed out ad nauseum throughout the flick.

The plot is actually one of the best I’ve seen in any action movie, animated or otherwise, in some time. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

honestly, the only thing I didn’t care for in this film was that they kept making the 80s turtles seems like they were nothing more than comic relief. Especially, when the film switches to the original, black and white comic dimension (where the turtles narrate in a manner and voicing reminiscent of the The Spirit).

Speaking of the voicing, would it have killed them to get some more of the original voices? I know that many of the current turtle fans don’t have clue as to what the original turtles sounded like, but it paine me to listen to them, almost as much as it did to watch them being treated like second rate sidekicks. I mean, at the end they literally run up and hug “current” Raphael the way little kids run up and hug their parents when they get home or something. This really disgusted and irked me and took away from the enjoyment and pleasure that I should have received from this meeting of the universes.

All in all, if you’re a true turtle fan, you’ll enjoy this feature. All the major characters from the universes are there, with the exception of Baxter Stockman, but that’s not really that big of a loss. Though, I would have loved to have seen how the mutated fly version would have reacted to the floating head…lol Can I recommend this? Yes, but proceed with caution if you’re a fan of the 80s era turtles. I know there are people out there that are going to say, “get ver it and move with the times”. Yeah, yeah, yeah…look, I understand the change and all, I just don’t think you should spit upon your legacy the way this film does. As matter of fact, they kind of do the same with the orignal versions, but that was done more with how they were drawn, rather than the script. I cannot in good faith say that I would be willing to watch this over and over again, but it was an ok flick for what it was.

3 1/2 out of  5 stars