To See or Not to See: TMNT 2

I’ll admit it. I never saw the remake of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when it came out a few years back. As an armchair fan of the cartoon and Nintendo video game, the remake never interested me. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, though, had one big thing going for it that brought me to the movie theater: Stephen Amell as Casey Jones (you have to give the ladies some eye candy too, amI right?!). While Amell might have gotten me in that seat, the movie itself was a bucket of fun that kept me in the theater.

The four brothers–Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael–have to fight a new foe in TMNT 2. Their enemy, Shredder (Brian Tee), has escaped from prison and is working with a genius scientist, Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry). Along the way, Shredder meets the super-evil alien Krang (voiced by Brad Garrett) who convinces Shredder to work with him to take over the world. With the help of April (Megan Fox), Vern (Will Arnett), and Casey Jones (Stephen Amell), the Turtles battle to save Earth.

Despite the sometimes strange CGI graphics of the turtles (mutant turtles apparently have enviable washboard abs) and the pretty ridiculous story, overall, TMNT 2 is a whole lotta fun. There are several comedic moments thanks to Amell, Arnett, and the youngest turtle, Michelangelo (Noel Fisher). The message of the film–that it is ok to not be the same as everyone else–does not come across as too sappy and was balanced with enough action to satisfy action-lovers.

So, when you’re looking for a breezy, action-filled popcorn flick that is perfect for all-age viewers, then TMNT 2 will do just fine.

Photo Credit: Paramount