Nickelodeon's TMNT

Started by Previsionary, June 21, 2012, 04:29:19 PM

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Previsionary

Disappear when you least expe--

MJB


crimsonquill

Since we know that Michael Bay's Ninja Turtles is looming ahead they might as well have a kids show version which kinda keeps it old school '80s style.

I'm still not quite sold on it 100% until I see a pilot episode (which I'm sure will be revealed at SDCC 2012) but I'm sure we will get lots of feedback once the fans see it.

- CQ
"He said let there be light... CLICK! It was a lightbulb. And It was good."

oldmanwinters

I'm excited about it.  The animation character designs probably won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it does look better in motion than I expected.  Also, it's more colorful and stylized than I expected.  Should be fun to catch the premiere this fall.

Podmark

#4
Just saw the premiere. I really liked. It really emphasizes the Turtles as teens, and there's a lot of plots hanging in the air. A good start.
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XStream

I watched it as well. I thought it was good. Will try to catch it next week.
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Tomato

So, I saw this was out today and, having the weekend off, I figured, what the hell. And as someone who has never been exposed to TMNT before (long story short, I wasn't allowed to watch it as a child) I felt like the episode did a good job establishing the character's origins, their personalities/strengths, and some of the basics of their world. Now, I'm coming into this completely blind (about the only thing I know about the series other then what's been shown already is that shredder is the bad guy), and I'd rather keep it that way for now, but I'm interested in sticking with the series for awhile longer, at least.

Previsionary

I watched it. I haven't seen TMNT since the original 2000s version (before it went through 2-3 animation and story/tone changes). I thought it was okay. I'd give it another episode at the very least.
Disappear when you least expe--

detourne_me

i really liked it.
it was a new twist on the origin story that just hit all the right notes.
it's mixing in elements from all previous versions (the aliens from the comics, splinter's origin and mikey's mask/head shape from the 80's toons, raph's attitude from the 2000's, and so on)
and the design is just phenomenal in y opinion.  the individual details to each turtle are just great.
for example, I already mentioned Mikey's head shape and bandana as being more reminiscent of the early toons,  he's just super whimsical that way.
Raph has this battle damaged shell, and even his bandana is a bit rough,  it really suits his character well.
Donatello is tall and lanky like a stereotypical geek, but it also makes sense since he has the range with the bo, too.
and Leo,  having probably the most well rounded design, even complete with white wrist and ankle wrappings to show how much of a good guy he is.... actually isn't shown as the perfect prodigal son as he usually is portrayed.  he's going to have to grow into the leadership role.

yeah,  i'll be watching this!

SickAlice

Loved it, but I'm biased whereas anything that has Ninja Turtles on it makes me all joyful and have probably spent too much money in my lifetime on Turtle centric items (as well as I may be fostering a world record tapeworm from all the Ninja Turtles cereal and sugar pies I consumed in my life). I showed this to a friend and his kid whom does 3d animation for a living and he gave the quality the thumbs up. Like above I like how they're meshing and streamlining the popular parts of previous versions into a single version (much the same as the IDW comic is doing). This is totally a new era for the Turtles, and worth it. I would probably be coming out of my shell excited (sorry, sorry) if not for...ya know, Walking Dead premier soon on my mind.

Tomato

Well, if the opening episodes hadn't already won me over, this last one definitely did. Lewis Black as a potentially recurring villain? Awesome.

Tomato

So, I have some questions about the new/old series that I'm hoping some of the more knowledgeable TMNT fans here on FR will be able to help clarify for me.

As I've stated before, I'm coming into this fandom pretty much blind (Heck, I couldn't even keep the names of the four turtles completely straight until last week) but I'm quickly becoming a fan of this series, especially since it's one of the few shows my two year old foster brother will actually sit and watch. From everything I've heard here and elsewhere, it does a great job of boiling down all the different elements from the various versions of the series into one single, cohesive story. However, one fairly substantial change is in the character of April O'Neil, particularly with regards to Donatello.

Now for me, this being the only tmnt property I've invested any time in, it's not something that really bothers me at all. From the outside looking in, that's something that never made any sense: A 30-something woman spending a significant portion of her day hanging out with teenagers? Nope, not creepy in the slightest. I'm also not against Donatello having a crush on her: these characters are supposed to be teenagers, and yet I have been unable to find a single mention of any of the turtles being in any sort of relationship. I mean, I get the whole "ewww, girls have cooties" mentality of the 5-10 year old 80s show audience, but surely one of the many other, more mature adaptations would think to give TEENAGE Mutant Ninja Turtles some manner of relationship drama. I kind of get the whole cross species relationship taboo thing, but given that apparently female turtles are ZOMG HORRIBLE, it's not like there's that many options available on that.

That said though, I really don't know that much about all this. For all I know, the turtles HAVE had relationships before, and I'm just ignorant about the whole thing. I'd be interested to hear everyone's opinions on the matter. Also, as an aside... Venus De Milo and the whole Female Turtle issue. I get that the show she appeared in was rather terrible (It being made by saban pretty much guaranteed that) and that Venus is viewed as an extension of that abomination, but I just don't understand why the idea of a female turtle seems to be so detested by both many fans and series co-creator Peter Laird.

Podmark

Tom I'll give a few answers but while I've always been a Turtles fan I'm not an expert on all their incarnations.

Firstly I like the April/Donny dynamic and I'm interested to see what they do with it, especially if Casey Jones does appear later on as the creators have promised (Casey being April's traditional love interest in most versions). Donatello is traditionally the Turtle with the least going on so it's a nice change of pace.
The new show is also the first version that I've felt really played up the teenage element of the Turtles. The other versions were pretty light on actual teenage tropes and the Turtles could often be considered young adults.

For the comics my knowledge is limited and largely second hand. I think they've always avoided romance with the Turtles. There might have been something in Volume 4 but I'm not sure.

The original show largely avoided romantic interests as far as I remember. There may have been a one off here or there though.

The live action movies kept the romance to April and Casey, though I think there might have been a little bit of Turtle/human romance in the third film but my memory is hazy.

The live action The Next Mutation, which was the show that introduced Venus, really just toyed with the idea of Turtle romance. I don't remember it going very far. The show really was pretty poor but I actually did like the idea of a female turtle and I'd like to see it attempted again. I'm not really sure why people are so against Turtle romance but I do know part of it is supposed to be a last of their kind element - they don't want baby turtles.

The 2003 show I cant' remember doing anything romantic with the Turtles but did have Casey Jones and April get married by the end.


Hope that helps. Anyway I'm still enjoying the show and I look forward to meeting Baxter Stockman this weekend.
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#13
Anyone remember Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Adventures? It was my first comic book series that I followed. It started off retelling some of the cartoon episodes in the 80s but diverted into its own stories after half a dozen issues.

Anyway, Ralph had a girlfriend named Ninjara in that series. (Oh and it is also where you can find the much loved Turtle Wrestling Costumes).
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Tomato

So I'm still watching this (over and over and over... did I mention this is the fav show of our two year old foster child?) And I actually got to watch this week's episode when it aired for a change. Really enjoyed this one, especially compared to last episode (again, I don't have the nostalgia factor for whoever Baxter was, and the whole concept of a magical upgrade chip that pulls materials from thin air was downright absurd). We're finally starting to see more of April doing things, the whole arc with Metalhead was good, if a bit predictable.

About the only thing that bothered me when reflecting about the episode, is that the episode treats Donatello's staff as JUST a stick, and the dialogue implies that the notion of upgrading the staff beyond just a stick has never occurred to him before. But that contradicts what we saw in previous episodes... he's popped out blades and made it into a spear, or snapped it apart and used it as a triple nunchuck thing.

Yeah, I know, I'm overthinking it, but again, I've been watching these episodes nonstop lately.

Podmark

I'm really enjoying the show too.
The one thing that's been bothering me is the use of April, I feel like we skipped an episode with her. They didn't really do a story where she comes to terms with the Turtles, where they live, etc. and setup her status quo, how she's doing without her father etc. This episode helped that as we see she's very much in save her father mode, but this still bugs me.
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Tomato

Yeah, I agree with you on that. I think we're eventually going to have an episode which centers entirely on her (so far we've had each turtle get an ep centered on them) and I know some stuff already from the toy line, but they seem to have rushed past any real background on her in the episodes so far.

BentonGrey

Ehh...I'll post a longer piece on this later, but for the moment I thought I'd just jump in and give this show a quick thought.  It isn't really grabbing me, from the boring or silly looking villain designs, the painfully stupid portrayal of Michelangelo, to Donatello's fairly creepy crush on April, I'm just not really feeling the magic.  There are a lot of things I like about it, the animation, the Shredder/Yoshi dynamic, but for some reason it's just not doing it for me.
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Tomato

Well Benton, I don't know exactly what you're going to say about the show, but here's my counterargument to whatever negative things you have to say about it: Splinter. Splinter is the best mentor ever. Of all time.

I'm kidding obviously (to a point... Splinter is amazing though), but I do think overall the good outweighs the bad. I do wish they'd tone down Mikey's mikeyness a bit and donnie's stalker tendencies, but at the same time I love how they've played leo and raphael, Splinter has been pure gold in all of his scenes, and the interactions between the turtles themselves have been a delight. So while there is certainly stuff for them to improve, I don't mind watching these episodes over and over with our two year old. Better that then Spongebob *shudder*

BentonGrey

Haha!  Yeah, given those two choices, I think I'd choose the Turtles too. :D  For what it's worth, I agree with you 'Mato.  They're doing a fantastic job with Splinter.  I just watched the Stockman episode (very disappointed with what they've done with 'ol Baxter), and Splinter's interaction with the Turtles was priceless.  I definitely like this version of Splinter.  Raph and Leo both have potential, but I feel like the writers are hitting one note for both of them, and hitting it hard.  I'm liking what IDW is doing with these guys in the comics a great deal more.  Raph has anger issues, but he isn't a raging jerk ALL THE TIME.

I've got to say, I'm REALLY disappointed in the villains so far.  The design aesthetic for them is really awful.  I really miss the Playmate/Fred Wolf creativity.
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Tomato

The side ones are kinda hokey, but I like some of the core villains so far: Splinter, Kraang-droids, and the foot clan. The ones we've only seen toys of so far (dogpound is one of the better mutant designs, our two year old loves the toy) aren't too crazy either.

oldmanwinters

#21
Quote from: BentonGrey on October 29, 2012, 11:44:50 PM

I've got to say, I'm REALLY disappointed in the villains so far.  The design aesthetic for them is really awful.  I really miss the Playmate/Fred Wolf creativity.

Many of those classic Playmates/Fred Wolf character designs were actually born out of the minds of talented but lesser-known Mirage Studios talents like Ryan Brown!  Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman also had some input in the early designs as well.

Quote from: Tomato on October 18, 2012, 01:15:39 AM

That said though, I really don't know that much about all this. For all I know, the turtles HAVE had relationships before, and I'm just ignorant about the whole thing. I'd be interested to hear everyone's opinions on the matter. Also, as an aside... Venus De Milo and the whole Female Turtle issue. I get that the show she appeared in was rather terrible (It being made by saban pretty much guaranteed that) and that Venus is viewed as an extension of that abomination, but I just don't understand why the idea of a female turtle seems to be so detested by both many fans and series co-creator Peter Laird.

Here's all the TMNT-love interests that come to mind throughout their multi-verse adventures:

Fred Wolf Series:
Michelangelo & Kala the Neutrino (flirtatious)
Raphael & Mona Lisa (one-off appearance, nothing serious)
Irma seems to actually have the hots for Donatello in a joke in one episode, but not really.
There's one episode where three of the Turtles all have a crush on Irma on account of some kind of magic potion... or something.

Mirage Comics:
Leonardo & Radical hook up in their old age before Radical is murdered by her old rival, Carnage.
Michelangelo gets physically intimate with Regenta, an alien dinosaur princess.

Image Comics:
Michelangelo and Horridus are briefly together before she gets interested in other heroes.

Archie Comics:
Raphael goes steady with Ninjara the Fox for over half of the series' run, but they break up in the penultimate story arc.

Next Mutation:
Eh... they all seem to like Venus pretty well.

4Kids cartoon Series:
Donatello has a crush on April and is initially jealous of Casey Jones's advances toward her.

Tomato

So new episode aired today/yesterday (it's 11:30 pm when I started typing this, I'm on the cusp of tomorrow) and I have one thing to say: FINALLY.

Like Podmark, I've been waiting for them to get around to focusing on April. And while this was mostly just a Donatello episode with an April sub-plot (though it certainly featured her more than "Metalhead") there was a good amount of forward momentum: by the end of the episode, Splinter begins training her to be a Kunoichi (have I mentioned that every scene with Splinter in it is awesome? because really, that scene!) to help develop her empathic abilities. Unfortunately, that plot will likely be put on the backburner next episode, but this was enough to wet my appetite for more April sub-plot going forward.

Podmark

Yeah Splinter is awesome in this show. Easily the best Splinter ever.

I'm glad they gave us a semi-April centric episode, I'm finally starting to get a good handle on her.
I know you guys aren't keen on Donny's stalker-ish qualities but thus far I find them amusing and somewhat relatable. Hopefully they'll develop that dynamic one way or another before it goes too far. The flow chart cracked me up.
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Tomato

I was fine with that for most of the series (they were quirky and funny and that's always a plus) but "Metalhead" just took that awkwardness and ramped it up to uncomfortable levels. This one wasn't bad tho, loved the flow chart.

BentonGrey

This episode was actually pretty decent.  They had an excellent villain, a decent mystery, decent character moments, and some clever bits.  On the downside, Mikey is still apparently mentally handicapped, and while the Donatello/April thing wasn't quite as creepy in this one, they aren't backing off of it.
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detourne_me

#26
I think this approach to Mikey is just great.   He isn't just an idiot here (like he's been in previous versions) he's actually pretty aware of his position in the group. Yes, he does play up his mindlessness, but anyone with an immature family member knows that they do this on purpose. They feel like its their 'thing' so they knd of exploit it.
And exploiting someone's preconceptions in order to fit into some kind of role is certainly typical teenage behavior.

I like to keep in mind that since this is a new series, taking place during the beginnings of the TMNT, the turtles need the time to grow into the characters we all know and love.   This may seem one-notish at times (like criticisms of Raph's anger) but these teenagers are just starting to develop their personalities.

Look at Leo for instance. He knows he should be the leader, and he's holding up his cartoon heroes as paragons of justice.... His arc will be about learning that everything is not so black and white, and you can't just order your troops around because youre leader.

Tomato

Eh... I kind of agree with Det about mikey. He's still a bit too comical about it, but I agree that it's probably exaggerated to aggravate his brothers. My younger sister didn't go that far with it, but she was slower to get into reading and doing technical stuff because she always felt like those were "my thing." It's conceivable that mikey has done something similar to separate himself from the others, especially Donnie.

XStream

Just got caught up (If you hav missed the last three episdoes check out www.nick.com). And I am loving this show. Some of the minor villians simple designs have been disappointing, but I am enjoying the main characters. Looking forward to more.
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XStream

How about that epic fight with
Spoiler
The Shredder
!?

This show has really grown on me. And I have really enjoyed that my almost two year old daughter enjoys watching it with me. Finally, something we both enjoy watching... besides Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Silly Hook... ha.. ha.. cracks me up.
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