MOVIE REVIEW: TEENAGE MUTANTS NINJA TURTLES (2014)

“TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES” (2014) MOVIE REVIEW

 So those naughty pizza-loving turtles are back, in full throttle. Depending on your age, you can excuse yourself by saying that you grew up watching the amazing turtles, after which you head for a meal at PIZZA HUT’s. Plus a helping of ORANGE CRUSH of course.

Producer MICHAEL BAY knows a trick or two about making promotional bucks from his TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION experience. He practically snared the entire China Market full of eager followers.

Now, these pizza chomping creatures are going to rake in millions of dollars in  advertising dollars, courtesy of the film’s official PIZZA partner who will heap huge amounts to cash in.

Pause, and you will conclude three feature films in the Teenage Mutant Turtles trilogy. Which one is better?

This 2014 version is the third in tow, and it comes with a surprise explosion of the CGI splendor. The Director is JONATHAN LIEBESMAN.

For the turtles, their last big screen romp was seven years ago. Now, let’s move on with the encapsulated plot:

Movie opens on New York City. It is the home and cover-up for the misdeeds of the Foot Clan’s.

Beguiling Megan Fox takes on the role of April O’Neil, a naive reporter eager to prove her worth in salt to her bosses.

Out on solitary trip to uncover a scoop about the Foot Clan, she accidentally witnesses  a vicious attack by Foot soldiers against four shadowy figures. The four turn out to be our titular heroes the Ninja Turtles. And how does this come about?

These creature were once upon a time April’s teeny pets. They were part of a growing experiment conducted by April’s scientist father, alongside industry’s mogul Eric Sachs (William Fichtner). During a mysterious fire that cost her father his life, the young April set free the four turtles and a rat into the sewers. As the years roll on, the escapees grow into bipedal mutant creatures who observe the strict rules of the ninja.

The villain Sachs who has pledged to support the NYPD in their battle against the Foot Clan is thrilled to learn that the turtles are still alive for his own benefit. The reality is that the turtles’ blood contain a mutagen that every scientist is craving for.

You hear noisy battle cries of the good fighting the bad guys, destroying urban peace and scaring the hoot and holler out of the New Yorkers.

One remarkable scene is when the top of a high-rise building topples over with our heroes grappling on for dear life. 

Another major scene — a chase involving an 18-wheeler skids down a steep, snowy mountain as the turtles go sledding on their shells, choreographed in a complex, albeit heart-stomping way.

Finally, you’ll have to reckon with the scrumptious Pizza Hut pizzas and Orange Crush the turtles relish in the sewers — because the film will stop in its tracks to provide commercials for these products. More …..

 SPOILERS STOP HERE:

So do I enjoy this Movie?

Very much so.

It is a fun, silly, awesome, rollicking joy ride all the way!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Local Distributor: UIP MALAYSIA

“TRANSFORMERS: DARK of the MOON” Movie Review. GRITTIER, GRIMMER and GRINDINGLY GRUESOME.

“TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON”

PRESS PREVIEW

To begin with, the REEL star of the show are unmistakably, the robotic CGI effects.

And these are executed in astonishing splendor amid a ear-splitting soundtrack.

Welcome back, “TRANSFORMERS 3″ a.k.a. “TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON” helmed by ace director MICHAEL BAY.

One name says it all.

This one tops the other two.

You can’t beat the heart-pounding actions that are enhanced to enthrall.

They instill palpitating excitement, storm fast and furious, loud and explosive, a visual feast for your eager eyes …..

and they metaphorically sear the screen apart with faster-than-you-would-have-expected grimness, grit and gruesomeness.

SHIA LaBEOUF, the cute impish actor returns in his role as Sam Witwicky in “TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon”.

He is licking the wounds from the departure of his old flame MEGAN FOX from the film series

and before you can say “Hey Presto!” he now pursues a new love interest in voluptuous new actress ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY.

A baffling occurrence from the Earth’s past erupts into the present day.

The Earth is now threatened with a formidable force that the sum of all the heroic Transformers alone would be insufficient to save the human populace from extinction.

Action auteur MICHAEL BAY delivers his goods successfully again in his final chapter of the trilogy.

His previous two “TRANSFORMERS” films had reaped their fair harvest of both happy and scathing reviews.

You can’t please everybody because great minds do not think alike.

So is this chapter 3 any good?

The marriage of the computer-animated robots and their real-world environment is here again as the core subject, larger than life.

Such as the presence of actual, 30-foot-high, mutating robots walking among us.

As with the previous two movies, the plot of the film still focuses on Earth as a deadly battle ground as war ensues between the two races of alien robots – the good Autbots and the evil Decepticons.

There’s a secret investigation of actual moon landings and the finding of the Ark.

Based on the Hasbro toy line and the popular ’80s cartoon, “TRANSFORMERS” revolves around giant alien robots that can change into any kind of machinery.

The good guys – known as Autobots – are lead by Optimus Prime, who can transform into a blue and red semi-truck, and the bad robots – known as Decepticons – follow orders from Megatron, who can shape-shift into a powerful jet.

MICHAEL BAY’s trademark of the lush visual extravagance and SFX are all here in this a little over 2 hour long solid entertainment.

You’ll be blown by this fantastical adventure that will transport you beyond the realm of your aesthetic mind.

Everybody is talking about TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON.

The buzz is infectious.

So what are you waiting for?