Tag:

Mozar

Usagi Yojimbo is just one character who would fit perfectly into the TMNT cinematic universe. Image Source: Fantagraphics Books.

6 Characters We Want to see in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3

by Justin W July 19, 2016

written by Justin W

Although Paramount has yet to announce any plans for another sequel, it’s still very likely that we will see a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3. Out of the Shadows may not have performed as well as its predecessor, but it has earned back its production budget. In addition to the box office earnings, reports are that toys tied to the film have sold very well. Merchandising may be just the fuel this franchise needs to keep going, even if many fans don’t want to see it continue.

Regardless of all these concerns, I figured that it would be fun to talk about the potential for a third film. The last time I wrote an article about characters I would like to see in a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, every single one of them found their way into the script. There are no guarantees that this good fortune will continue for another sequel, but there’s also no harm in hoping for the best. With that in mind, let’s take a look at six characters that would be awesome to see in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3.

Will Fugitoid make an appearance in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3? Image Source: Mirage Comics.

Fugitoid

I feel like there’s room in this film franchise to reintroduce some of the concepts that were used in the earliest issues of the comics.

What if April found a strange portal of some sort at the TCRI building which lead the turtles to another dimension? In this dimension, they would of course find Honeycutt and try to save him.

Imagine the bar room scene with Fugitoid in live action! Heck, you could even have some lesser known characters from the Ninja Turtles universe sitting around that bar.

This plot would also provide for the opportunity to meet the next character on the list.

Mozar

If Fugitoid is going to make an appearance, why not Mozar? Image Source: Nickelodeon.

Who would be chasing down Fugitoid? Well, among other characters, the Triceratons. This would be an excellent opportunity to introduce Mozar for the first time in live action.

Several fans have noted that they would love to see him make an appearance in the movies, and I think there would be plenty of room for him in a plot that included Professor Honeycutt.

We’ve already seen the Technodrome sucked back into a portal to another dimension, so it’s not too much of a stretch to see the turtles take this leap in a movie. We’ve also seen these characters introduced into Nickelodeon’s TMNT series, so they would already be familiar to the younger audience.

I can easily see both Mozar and Fugitoid making an entrance into the Ninja Turtles movies with this sequel.

Usagi Yojimbo

Usagi Yojimbo meets with the Ninja Turtles. Image Source: Fantagraphic Books.

With the news that Viacom may have acquired the rights to bring this character back to the TMNT universe, it’s entirely a possibility that we could see him in a future movie. I wouldn’t get my hopes up for this, but it would be cool to see him make some kind of an appearance.

Even if he’s just one of the patrons at the bar where they end up with Professor Honeycutt, it would be a nice nod to his involvement in the franchise. Even better, you could have him step up and defend the turtles in that scene, joining them in their escape from the Triceratons! I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty awesome to me.

Baxter Stockman (Fly)

Baxter Stockman could become a fly in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3. Image Source: Fred Wolf Films.

Of course, if they choose not to go the route described above, there is always a chance we could see more characters from the original animated series.

Out of the Shadows did a pretty good job of setting up the tale of Baxter Stockman, introducing audiences to his desire to be noticed.

What if Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 found Stockman getting a bit overzealous and transforming himself into a fly? That would be a pretty cool addition that I think a lot of fans would enjoy.

Heck, there might even be room for it in a movie that focuses on the turtles in another dimension, but I don’t think that would work very well.

Leatherhead

Could Leatherhead be in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3? Image Source: Mirage Comics.

In the Nickelodeon series, Leatherhead has established himself as something of a friend to the turtles. They have saved him from the Krang, and he has done whatever possible to help them as well. I would love to see this characterization continue in the film series, with the potential to lead into a Mutanimals movie!

Studios are very hot on the idea of franchises that can branch out, so this would be an excellent opportunity to introduce the character of Leatherhead and prepare audiences for a potential Mutanimals project.

Perhaps Slash will appear in the next TMNT movie sequel? Image Source: Nickelodeon.

Speaking of which, it would be cool if the next character on this list was also primed for the Mutanimals.

Slash

Yes, I think there is room for Raphael’s pet turtle turned dangerous mutant in this film franchise. He could easily become a member of the Mutanimals, helping the turtles to fight crime and take out big baddies like Krang or Shredder.

What makes this even more fun is that he has taken so many different forms over the years. For all we know, they could make Slash a big, oafish, powerful mutant. Personally, I’d like to see them stick closer to his characterization in Nickelodeon’s cartoon series, but anything is possible.

There are several other characters I could mention, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Like I said, the last time I wrote this kind of speculative article, every single character on the list was put into the film! I doubt that was intentional, but on the off chance that someone at Paramount is reading these articles, I’m going to keep things nice and simple. Speaking of which, if anyone at the studios is actually considering any of the ideas above, please don’t combine them all into one huge movie. I think there is room for all of these characters in a TMNT movie, but I’m not sure they should ALL appear in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3.

With that said, let’s hope that we hear something about their plans for this movie franchise sometime soon!

What do you think? Are any of these characters good choices for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3? Is it possible that Paramount/Platinum Dunes would consider adding any of them to their film franchise? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or via facebook/twitter.

July 19, 2016 1 comment

TMNT – “Earth’s Last Stand” Review

by Dan Spitaliere April 25, 2016

written by Dan Spitaliere

Source: TMNT – “Earth’s Last Stand”

“Earth’s Last Stand” might not be the season finale, but it sure felt like it, with an absolutely huge episode that brought the space arc of Season 4 to an end. This episode is big on action, big on heart, big on intrigue, and big on questions for the future of the series. It’s everything you wish a season finale could be.

We knew this episode was going to center around the Turtles last chance to save the Earth, but there were certain points to look forward to and question. Would the current Turtles and friends meet their past selves? Would they be able to save Splinter? Did Mozar really know what’s going on with the time traveling Turtles? Would it change the way they approach the Earth invasion? Would there be some crazy time travel consequences for all the changes the Turtles made? What would happen to the current crew when the reason their past selves traveled to the past is changed? The answers to these questions are: Yes, Yes, No, No, Who knows, Nothing yet. Interesting stuff, but let’s break it down!

Source: TMNT – “Earth’s Last Stand”

Our space faring crew made it into the Milky Way at the same time as the Triceratons, but it started to look like the Triceratons weren’t their only problem. Of all people, Fugitoid started to act really strange, not only confessing to building the black hole generator, but kicking the Turtles, Casey, and April off the ship when they started to question his motivations. April, in all her telepathic glory, could tell the professor was lying, but Honeycutt wouldn’t give them the whole truth. All while the Turtles witnessed their past selves get captured on Mozar’s ship. We even got a great space battle where Leo tried to take on the whole Triceraton army!

Source: TMNT “Earth’s Last Stand”

The past Turtles made it back to Earth just before the current team got dumped by Fugitoid. This led to the current team saving their past selves from the Triceraton scout team, followed immediately by them witnessing Splinter block Shredder’s killing blow. What we got next were two simultaneous fight scenes; one between Splinter and Shredder, and another between both groups of Turtles and the Triceraton’s and Mozar. This series continues to have some of the best fight choreography in animation and it was really exciting to see Splinter defeat Shredder, and the Turtles finally overcome Mozar and force him to retreat.

Source: TMNT – “Earth’s Last Stand”

The Triceratons returned to their mothership and we finally get to see why Fugitoid was acting so weird. This whole season we’ve all wondered why the black hole generator had to be put together in order for it to be destroyed. Even Leo asks this question when he is fed up with Fugitoid. It turns out that Honeycutt made it so only a combination of dark matter and fusion. The only way Fugitoid could get both of these things at the same time would be to use his ship’s dark matter engine, and his own robot body’s fusion core. Fugitoid was planning to sacrifice himself to save the Earth, and knew the Turtles would try to stop him if they knew his plan. Honeycutt went through with his plan, taking out the black hole generator and the Triceraton mothership with it!

Source: TMNT – “Earth’s Last Stand”

This show has a real heart to it and this episode really highlighted how well the writers know these characters, and how to put them in situations that really get the audience involved. Seeing the current Turtles reunite with Splinter (at least the past Splinter) was great, but the real star was Fugitoid. The scene with him offering himself up to save Earth was really touching.

Now we get to the status quo moving forward. I really want to question how there isn’t a giant time paradox, now that the past Turtles and crew left with past Honeycutt to go adventure in space. Sure, it’s convenient for the present Turtles to have a timeline to return to and not have to explain why there are two of everyone. But it does play a little loose with the implications of time travel. But we’ll save that for a Random Thoughts column one of these days.

Source: TMNT – “Earth’s Last Stand”

Instead, let’s ask some questions about where the rest of the season will go. Will the remaining Triceratons come to Earth to get revenge for the deaths of Mozar and his crew? How will the Foot move to challenge Splinter and the Turtles? After all, these Turtles have fought the likes of Mozar and Lord Dregg. They have fancy space weapons, and experience against some of the Great Cosmic Monsters. Are Shredder and his minions ready for that? How will NYC be different after two alien invasions? What are the Kraang up to?

Source: TMNT – “Earth’s Last Stand”

These are some exciting questions and they came from an exciting episode; a fitting end to the space arc of the season. There was a lot of ground to cover, but the episode never lost it’s pacing. I’m looking forward to having the Turtles back in the city and dealing with Shredder and the Foot, but it’s interesting to think of the possibilities moving forward. And what will happen to Fugitoid’s head floating all alone up there in space?

Do you have ideas for the questions we posed? What did you think of “Earth’s Last Stand?” How will the series move forward? Will the fact that there are two sets of heroes in this universe now impact future episodes? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Source: TMNT – “Earth’s Last Stand”

April 25, 2016 16 comments

Reviews TV/Cartoon Series

TMNT – “The Ever-Burning Fire”

by Dan Spitaliere April 17, 2016

written by Dan Spitaliere

Source: TMNT “The Ever-Burning Fire”

“The Ever-Burning Fire” looks like the penultimate episode of the Turtles space adventure, and as such has set us up for next weeks episode “Earth’s Last Stand.” Like most time travel stories, we’ve finally come full circle: The Triceratons have reassembled the black hole generator and scout Zog has notified them about the Kraang invasion of Earth. The end of the episode hinted at one major change however; Mozar seems to know that the Turtles we’ve been watching this season are time travelers. Not that the Triceratons have shown empathy at any step of the way, but Mozar now has even more motivation to destroy the Earth. He gets to kill the thorns in his side twice. “The Ever-Burning Fire” did a great job setting us up for the season finale, with ship to ship battles, a giant monster, and the return (and possible final appearance) of Lord Dregg.

Source: TMNT – “The Ever-Burning Fire”

The episode starts off with Mikey watching some “real Earth-style entertainment” and lamenting to Raph how much he misses home. It’s fun looking for the parallels in the cartoons the guys watch -as even the show itself has commented on how each episode they watch reflects their current situation- but it wasn’t clear what this one was saying. Maybe it was hinting at the giant monster they would face later? Or maybe it was meant to show the frustration that Mozar was feeling as he searched for “the formula,” or in this case, the final piece of the black hole generator? Either way, it’s interesting to see our heroes exhausted by the trip. While Donnie and Leo didn’t talk about their desire for home, their exasperation at the distance they had to travel to get to Magdomar speaks volumes. By the way, did anyone else catch those Andy Warhol style Fugitoid paintings in the TV room? Have they been there the whole season? Or how about Cudley the Cowlick as one of the Cosmic Monsters of the Universe? That’s two nice little references tucked away in the background.

Source: TMNT – “The Ever-Burning Fire”

The trip to Magdomar was wild though. The planet is a giant volcanic ocean, with craggy spires jutting out of it. This episode saw the fight for the black hole generator become a triple threat match, as the Turtles had not only the Triceratons to contend with, but the return of Lord Dregg as well. Seemingly nothing can keep him down, except maybe the cold vastness of space, but we’ll get there in due time. The generator piece was discovered on one of the largest islands, but it was lodged in place. Each of the groups would have to fight to get there first, and fight they did.

Except this triple threat would soon become a fatal fourway match, as the island itself turned out to be Tokka, one of the Six Great Cosmic Monsters of the Universe. This Tokka, unlike the original version in TMNT 2, was a massive monster, and a mother to boot. So while it was protecting the black hole generator piece, it was also protecting it’s child, a tiny little space turtle that Raph named Chompy Picasso. There was some good action, as stated before. The creators do take a lot of risks with this show. “Kaiju fight” doesn’t really spring to mind when you say Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and yet it works really well. Raph’s connection to Chompy, and by proxy Tokka, help the audience care about the big girl, and Dregg and Mozar are well supported as the villains they are. They even correct one of my biggest gripes of two episodes ago by making Mozar really threatening again. Not only does he cap the episode off by tricking Dregg and releasing him into the vacuum of space (a threat I’m happy he finally made good on), but he also commanded the Triceraton army to blow up a dwarf star! That’s brutal! Now with the black hole generator put together, it finally feels like it’s in the hands of the power hungry villain who would use it.

Source: TMNT – “The Ever-Burning Fire”

One weird thing to bring up; It sort of feels like the writers are bringing the show back a little too full circle. A little too Raph, if you will. I’m excited to see the Turtles return to Earth and NYC, but with the space arc wrapping up, Dregg seemingly taken care of (although who really knows), and the Triceratons presumably taken care of next episode, it sure does feel like they’re returning to the status quo of season 1. Hell, Raph even has a pet turtle again! I’m not sure if this is necessarily bad, it just feels weird. I love the Turtles in the city (I’m a native New Yorker, so I’ve always related), and I want to see the story with Shredder progress, especially since the Turtles know the lengths he’ll go for revenge. But I am worried that the progress each of these characters have made over four seasons might get taken back. Right now, that worry is unfounded, and the writers have done a great job so far, but we’ve written about how each Turtle series has started to slow down after its fourth season, and I’d hate to see that happen to this one.

Source: TMNT – “The Ever-Burning Fire”

“The Ever-Burning Fire” was an action packed episode, filled with space battles, last second rescues, and the series first appearance of Tokka! It also brought the season full circle, preparing us for the final stand on Earth. It is going to be interesting to see how it turns out, but this penultimate episode was strong, with the heart this series has become well known for.

What did you think of “The Ever-Burning Fire?” Do you think the friends and allies the Turtles have made throughout this season will come to help Earth this second time around? Will Dregg return to seek vengeance once again? Or will he momentarily help the Turtles to get revenge on Mozar? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

Source: TMNT – “The Ever-Burning Fire”

April 17, 2016 13 comments

Reviews TV/Cartoon Series

TMNT – “Revenge of the Triceratons” Review

by Dan Spitaliere April 3, 2016

written by Dan Spitaliere

Source: TMNT Episode 11

“Revenge of the Triceratons” brought back this seasons main villains, as Mozar and his crew ambushed the Turtles, intent on stealing their two pieces of the black hole generator. Based on the title, and the stakes at hand, you’d think this episode would feel full of tension and danger, but despite the arsenal of weapons the Triceraton’s launched at the Ulixes, and the ultimate failure of our heroes, none of it really landed.

It’s not because the episode lacked focus. The action was split between the space battle that Leo was leading, and the Skeevix Virus that April, Casey, and Mikey fought off. Meanwhile, the story was split between the Triceraton attack, and Donnie’s loss of faith in himself. Overall it was a solid episode and the character focus on Donnie is one we haven’t seen in a while, but a couple of weird decisions in the episode hold it back.

Source: TMNT Episode 11

The biggest problem is Mozar. The Triceraton’s are a fearsome foe, and one the Turtles still don’t really have an answer for. This is exemplified by the boarding party that came aboard the Ulixes. No one on the team could stop them. The physical attacks of the whole group were useless, and April’s gun had no effect. It’s not until a souped up Fugitoid (fixed by Donatello) hits the scene that they are able to even defeat one. As cool as it is to watch Honeycutt vaporize a Triceraton (again!), they’re simply no match for the brute force and strength of the Triceraton army. They should be scary. Up to this point, Mozar was a force to be reckoned with, quick to anger, and eager to not just defeat his enemies, but straight up torture them. The Mozar in this episode however, demoted for his previous failure to stop the Turtles, comes off as comic relief. He is still quick to anger, but it’s played for laughs, as his subordinates correct him on obvious matters and he lashes out in embarrassment. Even though he ultimately succeeds, there’s no reason for the audience to fear him. If anything, his success feels like a temporary setback for the Turtles, and the loss of stakes is a huge problem for the rest of this season.

Source: TMNT Episode 11

Next, Donatello’s inferiority complex was a nice story, and the writers definitely know how to write heart for their characters. But while the overcoming of this complex was uplifting, aided once again by his friends and family, the actual emotion itself didn’t feel earned. Up to this point, we’ve never seen Donatello struggle with space technology. Pretty much no one had trouble adapting, save for Raph’s motion sickness. So why all of a sudden is Donnie having a hard time picking up on this technology? Logically, it would make sense that all of the Turtles, Casey, and April, would have a hard time figuring this all out. Fugitoid says that Earth is 3,000 years behind on transdimensional physics! Yet Leo can pilot a space ship, they can all wield highly advanced technological weaponry and space suits, and just last episode two Donatello’s were using transdimensional portal guns and dismantling reality destroying bombs. It just feels weird that it would take 12 episodes for this problem to surface.

One more thing, when and why did Fugitoid develop that verbal tick? Has he always done that and I just noticed?

Source: TMNT Episode 11

You had to know that the Triceratons would get the pieces of the black hole generator. It’s hard to pass up recreating the conflict from last seasons’ finale and having the Turtles save Splinter and the Earth at the last minute, rewriting the past. That would be ok, if the path to get there was filled with danger and intrigue, and the stakes kept building higher and higher. The show was doing a great job of this, with a string of great episodes that showed the Turtles struggle, earn new friends, overcome crazy odds, and keep moving forward on their quest for the black hole generator. By comparison, this episode doesn’t stack up.

Source: TMNT Episode 11

“Revenge of the Triceratons” delivered on it’s title, but weird motivations and a back to square one reset hold this episode back from the greatness previous episodes achieved. It’s still a good episode, and really only a half step back, but it undermines the main villain Mozar and lowers the stakes of the season. The Turtles have experienced defeat before, but somehow, this defeat is the first that makes their eventual victory seem like it’s only a matter of time.

What did you think of “Revenge of the Triceratons?” Were you bothered by the things I pointed out? Did you see it in a different light? Did you enjoy the Gremlin’s reference and the surprisingly brutal ways the team dealt with them? Do you see the season headed a different direction? Head to the comments and let us know what you think!

Source: TMNT Episode 11

April 3, 2016 3 comments

News TV/Cartoon News

Six Celebrity Voice Actors Confirmed For TMNT Season 4

by Justin W July 13, 2015

written by Justin W

San Diego Comic-con has already revealed some fairly awesome news about our heroes in a half shell, but Nickelodeon’s press conference about the latest season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles offered even more bombshells to the fans. Last year, shellheads went nuts when they confirmed that fan favorite characters like Mondo Gecko would find their way into Season 3. This year, they have upped the ante by dropping a few names with their new list of characters for TMNT Season 4. The first name in particular is a big one, and it is attached to a character that die hard TMNT fans have been hoping to see for quite some time.

The Fugitoid

David Tennant is going to guest star as The Fugitoid. You read that correctly: Tennant, best known for his role as the Doctor on the hit television show Doctor Who, will be providing the voice for the much beloved character from another dimension. Considering that one of his most beloved roles was that of a time lord who traveled throughout time and space, this is a rather fitting role for the actor. After all, The Fugitoid is a scientist trapped inside the body of an android from another world; I think it’s safe to say that David will be able to handle the concept of the character quite well.

Lord Dregg

In addition to this fabulous pairing, Nickelodeon has also confirmed that Peter Stormare will be playing Lord Dregg, yet another character that long time fans will remember. In the later seasons of the original animated series, Dregg served as the main villain of the Ninja Turtles. Lord Dregg is yet another baddie from outer space who is hell bent on taking over the planet, so chances are that things will get pretty hairy for the turtles during the fourth season. Peter Stormare has starred in a long list of notable films including Fargo, The Big Lebowski and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. You might not recognize his name, but if you look him up on IMDB, chances are that you’ll recognize him. Stormare has done a lot of acting in his day, and there’s no doubt he can handle the role of Lord Dregg.

Captain Mozar

As if the addition of these two important characters and their notable voice actors weren’t enough, it was also announced that Michael Dorn would be playing the role of Captain Mozar, the Supereme Commander of the Triceraton fleet. Yes, the Triceratons are officially going to be in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You might want to take a second to catch your breath here, because this now makes three fairly significant additions to TMNT Season 4 – The Fugitoid, Lord Dregg and the Triceratons. If the name of the actor portraying Captain Mozar doesn’t sound familiar, you may want to check your geek cred. Dorn is best known for playing Worf, an important Klingon in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He has since made a pretty nice career for himself acting in dozens of other television series and films. Needless to say, he can handle the role of Mozar.

Zog

Speaking of the Triceraton, Lance Henriksen has signed on to provide the voice of Zog, a scout for the Triceraton Army. Henriksen is yet another actor who has been in pretty much everything. From Aliens to Terminator and back, this guy has awesome in his blood. Honestly, I think I might be more excited about this announcement than I am about Michael Dorn as Captain Mozar. Lance is an incredibly under-appreciated actor, and I can’t wait to see what he does with the role of Zog. But wait, there’s more!

Armaggon

Ron Perlman is yet another name that geeks will be familiar with, and he is apparently on board for the role of Armaggon, a robotic bounty hunter shark. Yeah, I couldn’t make that sound more awesome if I tried. Armaggon first appeared in the Archie comics, and now he’s going to make a return for season four of Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Boy, they really are bringing in anything and everything they can think of from throughout the entirety of the TMNT franchise! For those who aren’t in the know about Perlman, there’s only one name you need to read in order to explain everything: Hellboy. Hellboy is playing Armaggon. COWABUNGA!

Mona Lisa

To finish it all off (as if you aren’t already spent), it was also announced that Zelda Williams would take on the role of Mona Lisa. Fans of the original animated series will remember her as an amphibian friend of the turtles, although it isn’t clear what her origins or purpose will be in Nickelodeon’s TMNT. If the sketches are any indication, she could be an alien in this iteration of the story. Originally, she was a human who mutated into a lizard creature, but there’s no guarantee that they will stick with this concept. Zelda is known for her role as Kuvira in The Legend of Korra, another excellent animated series from Nickelodeon based on the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise. I think it’s safe to say she’s got what it takes to portray this fan favorite!

Phew! All told, that makes six celebrity voice actors who have signed on to voice some fairly significant characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Fugitoids, Triceratons and Robo-sharks, oh my! What do you shellheads think? Is this latest season of Nickelodeon’s TMNT series going to be awesome, or what? Let us know in the comments below.

July 13, 2015 11 comments

Fugitoid

Mozar

Usagi Yojimbo

Baxter Stockman (Fly)

Leatherhead

Slash

What do you think? Are any of these characters good choices for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3? Is it possible that Paramount/Platinum Dunes would consider adding any of them to their film franchise? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or via facebook/twitter.

The Fugitoid

Lord Dregg

Captain Mozar

Zog

Armaggon

Mona Lisa

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