6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
When a kingpin threatens New York City, a news reporter find a quad of mutants which makes an alliance to unravel Shredder's plan as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Alan Ritchson, Noel FisherAction | 100% |
Adventure | 91% |
Fantasy | 72% |
Sci-Fi | 65% |
Comic book | 58% |
Martial arts | 13% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise is the gift that keeps on giving, an old reliable favorite of the 1980s that has somehow managed to survive in a modernized world and found a revival in Director Jonathan Liebesman's 2014 live action film, a film that is neither a follow-up to, nor a re-imagining of, the older films but instead a total franchise reboot meant for modern audiences expecting the latest in digital technology and large scope. It's a modern crowd pleaser in every sense of the term, which also makes it susceptible to all of the pitfalls modern cinema has to offer. Ninja Turtles, sadly but expectedly, falls into every trap. While the franchise has matured from its cartoonish and toy line origins, and even beyond the scope of its fun but visually limited older films, it has evolved into an extravaganza of recycled sights and sounds meant to excite the senses at the expense of story and characterization. Granted, how much real, emotionally detailed plot one can squeeze from a franchise based on four mutated turtles, their ratlike leader, and a Ninja foe named Shredder (not to mention a couple of overgrown animal henchmen who don't appear in this film) is up for debate, but the movie is so devoid of substance that it's borderline painful to watch. The movie is almost literally nothing more than new skin on the basic modern Action movie package, a Michael Bay-inspired flop that's all style and no substance, and even the style is starting to feel really old, really fast.
Heroes in a half shell!
The movie might stink, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' picture quality is above reproach. Paramount's 1080p transfer is flat-out gorgeous, a picture-perfect HD stunner that's good enough to distract from the film's structural ineffectiveness, allowing the viewer to instead soak in all of the rich details and colors that are apparent in practically every frame. Details are nothing short of extraordinary. Image clarity is outstanding, and every element sparkles. Turtle reptilian skin, frays and wear on masks, and gunk and grime on shoulder straps and accessories are precision tuned in every shot. Human skin textures are naturally complex down to the finest lines and hairs. Backgrounds -- whether the turtles' sewer home, April's news offices, or science laboratories -- are breathtakingly complex in terms of both raw, broad detail and intricate textures alike. Colors pop off the screen with regularity. April's yellow jacket is a wonder to behold in any scene and under any lighting condition. The distinctive turtle face masks enjoy thoroughly deep coloring, and basic environmental shades are striking. Black levels are richly deep and pure, and flesh tones present no problems. Likewise, the image is free of any perceptible bouts of banding, blockiness, or other maladies. This is easily one of the most gorgeous 1080p transfer of 2014 and proof that even this deep into the format's life it's still capable of jaw-dropping visual excellence.
Likewise, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' audio is flat-out fantastic. The disc features the new Dolby Atmos presentation (for more, see the review for Transformers: Age of Extinction). Unfortunately, Dolby Atmos gear and setup was not available for review purposes at the time of publication. That said, listeners still on more "traditional" equipment are in luck; the track will decode as a full-fledged Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless presentation on legacy equipment, and it's amazing. While it's not quite so punchy and aggressive as some might like -- the opening title music sets a tone of technical excellence at a slightly lower level, even at reference volume -- structural accuracy and fidelity are simply above reproach. Spacing is exemplary, yielding a full, completely enveloping 7.1 experience that surrounds the listener with music in excellent balance, where the front end dominates but the surround channels carry a fairly substantial load as well. Definition is faultless through the entire range, and the low end is particularly well pronounced, deep and true without sounding forced or over-exaggerated. Ambient effects are constant and satisfying, gently enveloping the listener in dripping rain, rolling thunder, light office chatter, or background city din. Action scenes explode with a smorgasbord of precision tuned and precisely placed pieces. Crashes, explosions, gunfire, swooshing weapons, clanking metal, and all variety of major and minor effects alike come together in perfect sonic harmony to effortlessly throw the listener into the fray in terms of both fidelity to the source and placement in the stage. Dialogue is center focused and naturally precise. All around, this is an excellent, A+ audio presentation from Paramount.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles contains a handful of featurettes. No commentaries or deleted scenes are included. Inside the Blu-ray case,
buyers will also find a DVD copy of the film as well as a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is, pardon the pun, a shell of what it should be. It's a rollicking sort of carefree Action/Adventure film but it's so stock and lacking in meaningful creativity as to be borderline insulting. The entire movie is a transparent mess of cliché and modern moviemaking tripe that emphasizes style, fast camera work, and sound over good core storytelling and meaningful drama. Certainly the franchise doesn't necessarily lend itself well to the deeply complex themes of today's world -- at least not on the surface -- but an effort to move beyond an assembly line style of filmmaking would have gone a long way. As it is, this is the new poster child for modern cinema drivel, a movie that offers nothing more than a facelift for any other Michael bay-influenced motion picture. Viewers that disliked Bay's Transformers films (Bay produced this movie) will probably find Ninja Turtles equally unpalatable, while core franchise veterans will likely be disappointed with this directionless, paint-by-number "extravaganza." Paramount's Blu-ray 2D release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles does feature reference quality video and audio. Supplements are about as superficial as the movie. Fans can obviously buy with the utmost confidence considering the stellar A/V presentation, but everyone else is encouraged to rent or wait for a substantial price drop before committing to a purchase.
w/ Raphael Statue
2014
2014
2014
Bonus Disc & Collectible Packaging / Michelangelo
2014
Blu-ray Gift Set With Figurines + 2 Ninja Masks
2014
includes Four Slipcovers & Bonus Blu-ray Disc
2014
Bonus Disc & Collectible Packaging / Leonardo
2014
Bonus Disc & Collectible Packaging / Donatello
2014
Bonus Disc & Collectible Packaging / Raphael
2014
Re-Release / Non-Embossed
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2016
2013
2017
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
2007
2013
Extended and Theatrical versions
2011
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #8
2010
2005
1993
2013
The Rogue Cut
2014
2015
plus Theatrical Cut on standard Blu-ray
2016
2014
Cinematic Universe Edition
2012
2012
2011
2005
2019
2014