The Return To Innocence

I love how so many older TMNT fans and similar people around the internet refuse to even give the 2012 a try. Come on, it's adorable. There are many things that annoy me already despite the series barely having started, but it's adorable. Also, this is, what, the third episode? Get off your high horses, people, enjoy what they gave you and gather your collective bitching for the full first season after it ends. *wide smile*

I know I should never, ever, EVER refer to YouTube comments for anything ever, but here is a lovely example of complaining, whining, bitching, and nitpicking by fans from young teen to older adult, and also the theme song, which I like (anything to forget Vanilla Ice; sorry, that made me remember Vanilla Ice, crap).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbgmel_Cc9A

Also, shut up, it's adorable.

I'm still wondering why the 2012 TMNT cartoon was not picked up by Cartoon Network; they both cater to a slightly more post adolescent demographic than Nickelodeon (also, I can't stand Nickelodeon in general these days, and I hear it got TMNT to desperately boost ratings, oy).

Also, I now understand why Rob Paulsen came back to play Donatello. Someone had to be there to show the adult audience the incredibly subtle in jokes and silent wink hints to the 1987 cartoon, like subtle eyerolls to the audience when another character does something silly. He doesn't break the fourth wall, but I admit, I watch Donatello's character closely just to see if the animators have done anything to remind us Hey, remember the 1980s cartoon? Remember when he was Raphael? Remember that he's the oldest voice actor here? Remember that Sean Astin is looking at him during each voice recording hoping he does Raphael justice? Which is bizarre since Astin's Raphael would wipe the floor with Paulsen's Raphael and then step on his head for fun? (Ohh, how the 1987 cartoon makes me cringe now, I can't even stand it).

I much prefer the 2012 team over the 1987 team but not as much as the 2003 team (and if I may blatant, if it hadn't started my obsession I would have the 1987 cartoon wiped from memory). Far more similar to the original comics and my beloved 2003 cartoon versions, and actually acting like teenage boys. Especially if Greg Cipes playing Michelangelo keeps doing what he's doing.

So, indeed, I find it extremely adorable in multiple ways, including "Aww, I'm seeing every incarnation put together without being completely annoying! Yay, fan nostalgia!"

Also, someone please please remind me WHY they thought it was a good idea to make April O'Neil a teenager? is Casey Jones even going to be in this thing? Do they even know the full original stories behind April and Casey? (No, wait, it's a kid's show, crap.)

But wait... they will have flashbacks to Splinter's life as human Hamato Yoshi - married to Tang Shen, with a baby daughter? Oh, this makes me sad. "While once friends with Splinter (Hamato Yoshi) in Japan, Shredder (Oroku Saki) and Splinter fight over the love of Splinter's wife Tang Shen. During their battle, a fire kills Tang Shen and Splinter's infant Miwa. Shredder learns that Splinter is alive and in New York after seeing Hamato Yoshi's family crest on a shuriken left behind by The Turtles."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles_(2012_TV_series)
That's heavy for a kids' show. In the original comics, Tang Shen was single and childfree and loved Yoshi, was murdered by Saki out of jealousy, and was originally the entire reason Splinter came to New York: Saki murdered Yoshi, Splinter's cage was broken, Splinter managed to leave Japan. But with Splinter and Yoshi being one and the same, it's even more heartbreaking. Particularly now that he was married to Tang Shen and they had a baby daughter. Who both died. In a fire. Caused by Yoshi and Saki fighting. No wonder Splinter adopted the turtles and is such a good father. I wonder if his beloved sons even know about his daughter. His infant daughter Miwa. No wonder he wants so desperately to keep them safe. Holy shit. Whoever came up with that plot point will have some questions to answer from sad parents. I'm not a parent and I'm sad. Augh. Sad!

Still should be on Cartoon Network. Followed by "Adventure Time" and "The Regular Show" so it can be extra trippy. Those shows were made by people on acid, I swear.
Alas, it appears that Peter Laird sold the TMNT franchise to Viacom and Nickelodeon, so that must be why Nickelodeon could air the cartoon. Sigh.

Adam came home a little while ago. After we prepared our dinner of tilapia and vegetable soup, he went upstairs and turned on the PlayStation 3. After a few minutes, I hear him yell, "Oh! Wow! Really? Yes! Hey, honey! Guess what?" I came into the den, and he pointed at the screen, and he said, "Look what just became available for the PS3!" I looked.

TMNT: Turtles In Time.

The noise I then made would most likely only be heard by dogs. It was followed by a slightly more audible "EEEEeeee YAY!" followed by a little dance.

See, I don't really play video games. But I used to. When I was a kid, I had a SuperNintendo, and then a SegaGenesis, and my very favorite game was the original Turtles In Time. I must have beat that game I don't know how many times. My love for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles never died, of course. But I missed that game. When Adam got his PlayStation 3, I kind of mourned the fact that the system didn't have a version of Turtles In Time.

Now it does.

*rubs hands in glee*



It did always bug me that Partners In Kryme sang about Raphael being the leader instead of Leonardo...

http://greenwillow27.livejournal.com/97885.html

REALLY?!

YES!

Dear Fox,
Please please for the love of all the cartoon gods, change the show back. Get rid of that Fast Forward crap, I beg you. I want my Turtles back the way they were back when it started in 2003. I hate you for changing it.
Although it looks like doing just that, so I hate them less now.

I saw it, finally. I hardly ever see a movie on opening weekend. Especially not one geared towards kids. I get twitchy being in a theater full of kids, don't ask why.
I am, as they say, a hardcore TMNT fan. Not as intense as some, but I will still squeal in delight when I see anything at all mentioning them. I will collect TMNT stuff and I really want a TMNT t-shirt and TMNT pajamas. And I even have a fanfic that I seriously need to finish; it's been years. *waves to Renet, whose website hosts said fic*

The movie needs to win an award based on visuals and animation alone -- the CGI was that good. The skin on the Turtles, the eyes, the expressions, the backgrounds, the landscapes. The way rain and light and shadows played on muscles. It was incredibly beautiful and I would watch it all over and over for those things alone.
The best visual scene, probably, is the fight between Leonardo and Raphael on the rooftop. Most fans talk about that scene a lot. They're right -- it's fantastic. All the battle scenes are lovely, pounding, and deep, but with that particular scene you can see and feel the intense, built-up sibling rivalry literally explode. And anyone who has followed the original comics canon, the first three movies, and the FoxBox animated cartoon, knows full well that a battle between those two brothers has been waiting.
However... it was not my favorite scene. My favorite scene had to be in the diner, where Raphael investigates the "disturbance" and finds the tiny gremlin-like monster raiding the diner kitchen and pantry for food. This, for several reasons. One, the diner cook is voiced by Kevin Smith (yes, that Kevin Smith), whose frantic ramblings are brilliant and makes me wonder if he ad-libbed anything. Two, the monster is freakishly adorable and I want it in plushie form. Three, the way Raph attempts to chat up the little thing had me howling ("Awww, look at you, ain't you cute! You wanna bucket there, lil fella? Yes you do, yes you do! Come on! I'm gonna dropkick you to hurty-town! C'mon, little guy...oww!"). Four, the music to that battle scene was set to was, of all songs, "Black Betty." Considering what the song is actually about, I have no idea why it would be chosen to contribute to the soundtrack of a kids' movie like this, but, hey, it's catchy.
Really, the only issues I had were that none of the humans looked at all physically realistic. April was a stick figure with a bobble-head. Casey looked like a toothpick. I know, I know, it's a cartoon. But it doesn't fit with my idea of the characters, so I had a hard time with it. However: Patrick Stewart? Oh, I bet he had fun. I still wish Michaelangelo's character would have shown more empathy and intelligence and less... bouncy brainless teenager attitude. I guess the only place I'll really get that is in the original comics and good fanfiction. This movie is less about deep character development and more about action fringed with plot. Which is fine in itself. We have the Mirage comics and FoxBox cartoon show for character development.
Overall? Yeah, I'd see it again, I'd absolutely buy the DVD, and if I had an XBox 360 I would get the game. A lot of it is hopelessly cheesy and corny. But hell, it's supposed to be. You think giant mutant turtles from a comic book are supposed to be taken in all literary seriousness? Don't answer that.