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TMNT – “Monsters Among Us!” Review

by Dan Spitaliere
written by Dan Spitaliere

With fun fight scenes, a visually interesting time battle, and heightened stakes, “Monsters Among Us!” was a fun wrap up to the monsters story arc. While it did fall into the trap that many time travel stories do (their jaunt through time was largely pointless, save for befriending Frank), this episode paid off by trimming down the important bad guys and centering the battle against Dracula and Savanti.

Savanti and Dracula make an interesting pair. Both have aims at conquest, yet both are smart enough to know they need the other. While they did turn on each other this episode, they quickly realize their plans are futile without the other. It was actually a welcomed twist that the pair didn’t turn on each other at the end of the episode. Dracula was defeated by the combined effort of the Turtles, not some treachery by Savanti.

The episode had other twists as well, some more expected than others. Of course, Mikey was able to reach Frank, and overcome the brainwashing by Dracula. Frank proved to be the turning point in the battle, and it earned him a trip into the future by Renet at the end of the episode. More surprising was Donnie being turned into a vampire by April! April’s line, “You’re mine, Donnie!” is a nice little nod to fans who ship them, although I’m sure that’s not how Donnie imagined things going…

Focusing on Dracula was really smart. He’s such a popular character throughout fiction, it makes sense to build him up as a big bad. He defeated the Mummy pretty much in an instant. Considering our heroes spent an entire episode fighting the Mummy, only to be defeated, it showed how impressive Dracula is. He dominates the minds of all the monsters. In a way, he is really the one who controls the monster army, not Savanti. But he needs Savanti to use the time staff.

Vampire Raph proved to be more fun this episode. His hypnotizing of Mikey was humorous, while his theft of the time staff was, visually, sufficiently spooky. The character design of all the monsters was really good. The vampires were creepy, even though they didn’t keep their human forms like April and Casey. The werewolves looked cool, and seeing Donnie as a vampire with that gap in his teeth was great. The creative team really knocked it out of the park.

Ultimately, our heroes prevailed, defeating Dracula to release all the monsters, and Renet beating up Savanti to get the time staff back. Not sure where Savanti stands, since he was seemingly eaten by a dinosaur, but I don’t think we’re going to see him in the last arc of the series anyhow. It was cool to see Renet and Mikey’s relationship grow. These are nice little flourishes the show has added for the characters.

“Monsters Among Us!” proved to be a satisfactory conclusion to an entertaining Tale. It’s not the best the series has put forward, but it was fun, visually interesting, and who doesn’t like a themed episode to get you in the mood for it’s corresponding season. With interesting villains, fun fight scenes, and strong character work, “Monsters Among Us!” delivers on the steady track record we’ve come to expect from this show.

 

 

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ReviewsTV/Cartoon Series

TMNT – “Tale of the Yokai” Review

by Zach Gasior
written by Zach Gasior

“Yokai?  This cannot be.” – Oroku Saki (Shredder)

After being dumped through time in Japan, the turtles find themselves on the run from ninjas of the Hamato clan, Splinter’s former group.  However, they are even more surprised to come face-to-face with a young Oroku Saki.  During the surprise, the boys escape and try to figure out where they are in time.  They inadvertently arrive at Master Splinter’s old dojo and find a human Hamato Yoshi side-by-side with Oroku Saki.

The brothers – Yoshi and Saki – begin sparring, but soon start arguing about loyalties and love.  While the turtles question the reason for their arrival in this particular time and try to find some food, an unsuspecting Tang Shen and baby Miwa stumble upon them in the forest.  Startled, Miwa begins crying, drawing both Saki and Yoshi to the turtles’ location.  Saki scares the boys off, then tries to win Tang Shen back from Yoshi.  Unfortunately, Yoshi sees the events unfold, as do the turtles.

Ninja Turtles Tale of the Yokai 3

While the boys contemplate ending the threat of the Shredder before it can ever be born, Donatello checks on any possible effects their presence has had on the time stream.  With Casey Jones fading from their memory, the turtles set out to correct history’s course.  They confront Shen and bend her ear about Shredder and Splinter, however time still strays, and April disappears as well.  The only choice left is to take out Shredder.

However, while the boys set their plan in motion, Saki seeks his own revenge on the Hamato clan, and the Foot rises.  The turtles go head-to-head with the Foot clan while Saki goes after Yoshi and the Hamato clan’s dojo.  Dispatching the Foot, the boys arrive just in time to see Shen running into the burning dojo – and Saki strike her down.  As the Hamato dojo burns, a battered Saki takes Miwa and disappears into the night.  The turtles pull Splinter from the wreckage, but his family is gone and history is set right.  Finally, Renet returns and takes the boys back home to be with their family again.

Ninja Turtles Tale of the Yokai 2

The time travel element of the prior two episodes was a great break from the story that had become a bit monotonous over the prior two-and-a-half seasons.  Seeing the events of Splinter’s past first-hand, and knowing that the turtles were always destined to be a part of the story was a nice touch.  However, there were two big problems: First, it didn’t last nearly long enough, and second, it would have been very cool if the writers hadn’t fallen into the same time travel cliché.  An entire season could be built around time travel (and not in a TMNT: Fast Forward way).  The turtles could go to the past, present, future, and everywhere in between to become the true turtle warriors of legend.

But, it would have at least been nice to see something change from their interference.  It seems like every time a show does a time travel plot, there’s always a race to not change history.  Why not actually let it change?  What if they had finished off Shredder?  What if they had arrived seconds earlier, and saved Tang Shen as well?  There are many possibilities, and while it’s understandable why the writers didn’t choose to change history, this was the perfect place for a risk that could have defined this particular TMNT incarnation as an even more unique chapter in the franchise.

While it’s sad to see the time travel come to an end (hopefully just for now), there are only six episodes remaining for the season, which means the action back in NYC is likely to be ramped up as much as possible in the coming weeks.  There is still Karai to deal with, and Shredder’s mind control to break.  Plus, while the Kraang have been defeated, it’s unlikely they’ll stay away permanently, and with a trip to space coming next season, the Triceratons or Lord Dregg could be only mere weeks from making their first appearance, possibly setting their sights on Earth.  Who knows what’s to come still, but it will be one heck of a ride to the season finale.

 

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ReviewsTV/Cartoon Series

TMNT – “Turtles in Time” Review

by Zach Gasior
written by Zach Gasior

“My name’s Renet, and I’m a time master.” – Renet

The turtles are still on the hunt for Karai, but there’s been no trace of their sister for weeks.  However, as the search continues, a doorway opens in the sky.  From it appears a woman named Renet – a time apprentice in training.  She was followed by an evil wizard, Savanti Romero, and needs the help of the legendary turtle warriors to stop him.  The boys try to attack the time master, but he easily stops them.  Renet manages to send Savanti to the past, and explains to the turtles why she’s come back to find them.

The boys agree to help Renet to save her from punishment, heading back in time to stop Savanti from changing history.  They land in England circa 980, and run into some knights.  Defeating the opposing warriors, the turtles are confronted by Savanti.  The time master acquires the time scepter from Renet, and with its power Savanti banishes the heroes to an eternal time loop.  However, Renet helps them escape, and they head after Savanti yet again.

Approaching the villain’s castle, the turtles are intercepted in a graveyard.  Savanti raises the dead to battle the heroes, however even breaking the skeletons apart will not stop the enemies from rising back up and fighting.  But the dead cannot leave the graveyard, and as the turtles ride away, the skeletons are left falling to pieces.

Turtles-in-Time-Nickelodeon-Ninja-Turtles-4

Arriving at Savanti’s castle, the heroes launch their attack, but the villain is prepared.  Renet manages to free them once again, and Michelangelo separates Savanti from the scepter.  As everyone battles for control of the device, Savanti easily gains the upper hand.  But Raphael breaks his time gauntlet, and with Donatello in control of the scepter, Savanti is banished into time.  With Savanti lost, Renet is summoned back to her own time and takes the turtles home.  As they enter the time stream, interference causes the boys to be separated from their guide, and all four fall through time, landing in Japan.

New episodes have finally returned, and they’ve started off with a bang.  The ideas presented in this offering open up a wide range of possibilities, which will hopefully be tapped into as the series progresses.  With time travel now a possibility, and the turtles branded as legendary heroes, there are many new opportunities to showcase adventures outside the confines of NYC.  Even better is that unlike with the adventures had when the turtles were in exile at the beginning of the season, new time hopping adventures may have some impact on a larger story.  While there’s still plenty to do back home, a little time away (possibly to learn some new tricks and develop enhanced skills) will undoubtedly do the boys some good.  Of course, there’s no guarantee that these adventures will last beyond these couple of episodes, but the chance is there, and that makes it even more intriguing to watch.

The new characters introduced were, however, a bit disappointing.  Renet seemed a little too good at what she was doing, especially for only being an apprentice, while Savanti Romero appeared to be too easily defeated by the turtles.  He was supposed to be a very powerful, evil time master, and he was eliminated as a threat (sort of) with very minimal effort.  While that does provide even more hope that he will return and be more of a threat, it would have been nice to not save that for the future, and instead explore it while the opportunity existed.

Overall, the turtles’ return after hiatus was a good one.  With just enough episodes to get into the fall TV season (and hopefully the start of season four), this new batch of episodes will hopefully provide the action expected and the answers needed for some of the most important elements from this current season.  Hopefully when the turtles get into space in season four they will have some company, or at least be able to deposit their sister back at home before heading on their new adventure.

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Movie NewsNews

TMNT 2 Hints At Possible Trilogy w/ Interesting Easter Eggs, new IMAGES

by Justin W
written by Justin W

In true fashion for a film loaded with references, hidden gems, and fun tidbits, photos from the set of TMNT II have revealed some exciting new Easter Eggs and information about what’s to come when the film hits theaters next year.  The first bit was noticed by a fan when examining a picture of April O’Neil wearing a nametag with the moniker “Renet Tilley.”  Those familiar with the TMNT comics and the 2003 TV series will remember that Renet Tilley was a Timestress, and a student to the Guardian of Time, Lord Simultaneous, and later became friends with the turtles during a trip to Earth.  While this certainly does not confirm any sort of time travel for the movie (and many fans would probably appreciate forgetting the last time travel used for a live-action TMNT movie), it’s a nice throwback to a character that is also set to appear soon in the 2012 animated series.

TMNT-2-Renet-Tilly

The second hidden gem found in the new film involves a case being carried by Casey Jones and April O’Neil.  On the front of the case is the word “Rockwell.”  Fans of the new animated series will remember that before he was mutated into a monkey and his mind was enhanced with psychic abilities, Dr. Tyler Rockwell was a scientist experimenting with the intelligence of apes and monkeys.  Now, the Doctor is a member of the Mighty Mutanimals, and fights with the turtles when needed.  If the case came from Rockwell’s lab, then it could be mutagen related, or it could in some way mean that yet another character from the TMNT universe will be showing his face in the sequel.

VIDEOS HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN UPON PARAMOUNT PICTURES REQUEST

Also appearing from pictures of the set are a few new gadgets for the actors that will undoubtedly also become toys at some point in the near future.  One photo shows Bebop and Rocksteady’s personal transportation – motorcycles decked out in as many chains, spikes, and stainless steel pieces as could possibly be imagined for two punks later turned mutants.  Bebop’s bike is even accented with gold designs and a plate that says “Bebop” right on it.  Both look about as dangerous as could be, and certainly will look great in a toy collection with figures of the mutants mounted on top.  Hopefully they mean that rumors of the Shellraiser being included in the film are true as well, and a potential battle on the road will be one of many action sequences for the film.

IMAGES HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN UPON PARAMOUNT PICTURES REQUEST

Another photo shows Steven Amell standing next to a matte black muscle car, suggesting that the vehicle will be Casey Jones’ car in the film.  The ride is perfect for a vigilante who wants to blend in with the night, sneaking up on enemies and dispensing his own brand of justice before they even know what hit him.  Plus, with that car surrounded by NYPD cruisers in the garage, maybe there will be a chase scene featuring Casey Jones on the run from the cops.  If nothing else, all of these images of vehicles certainly give the impression that there will be considerably more action on the road in this film than in any previous live-action TMNT movie.

TMNT 2 Casey Jones

With filming for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Half Shell still in full swing, it’s only a matter of time before the leaked images from the set stop coming, and leave fans waiting patiently for the next installment of the franchise to hit theatres.  Will there be more TMNT tidbits in the film? Will Renet Tilley be used to unfold a Kraang disaster? How, if at all, will these particular pieces of information be used?  They could be nothing more than the Easter Eggs that they are now, and hold no special relevance to the movie’s content, but it’s always fun to imagine what else could be!  So what do you think of the newest information from the set of TMNT II?  What other characters might be lurking in the fringes of the film?  Let us know in the comments below.

 

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