A messy film that can’t decide if it’s a cartoon or a live action feature. I was one of the few people that enjoyed the previous Ninja Turtles movie, and this was not a good follow up. There were some upheavals coming into this. There’s a new director, composer and four actors were replaced, including Shredder and the voice of Leonardo. Many fan favorites are added, and none are done particularly well. Bebop and Rocksteady end up being about as annoying as Jar Jar Binks. They’re mediocre CGI characters with slapstick antics who laugh and fart more than they fight. Much of what they attempt to do with the humor would probably have worked great if this was a cartoon, but as it’s live action, it’s entirely too silly. Casey Jones is also ineffective, seeing little action and coming off as a not-so-bright version of his Green Arrow character. The villainous Krang is also poorly done. His introduction comes out of left-field and his background is never remotely explained. He also relies too heavy on silly dialog and sight gags. The turtles are the only thing good about this film. However, they follow too many of the character beats from the last film. Even the final battle is eerily familiar, although it’s done in a lackluster fashion this time. There’s a surprising lack of action from the turtles, and like previous kid-friendly adaptions, their signature weapons rarely are used in battle. As before, Mikey’s personality allows him to stand out from his brothers and has some funny lines that feel natural coming from him. While the CGI is lacking overall, the turtles usually look pretty good and they animate their emotions very well.
*1/2 out of *****