TMNT: Out of the Shadows [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD] [SteelBook] [2016]

From the opening cityscape shot of New York City accompanied by Steve Jablonsky's pulsing score new director Dave Green (Earth to Echo) establishes a fresh, but familiar tone with this sequel to 2014's "surprisingly" successful reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle live action series. With Michael Bay producing, a hired hand director, and a string of production issues it is something of a wonder that first film came off as well as it did. In more or less accomplishing what it intended to be for the audience it intended to target Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles qualified as a success. And if that opinion is to be shared it is also highly likely one would agree with the fact this sequel, subtitled Out of the Shadows, is even more successful in its end goals as the story is more coherent, the characters more in tune with their distinctive personalities, and the whole affair in general being a lot more fun. That isn't to say Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a great film as it certainly has no aspirations to be groundbreaking and seems to only hope to fall in line with the rules rather than to be an exception, but in doing little more than fully embracing its source material in the most cartoony and goofy of ways it gets so many things right it parlays itself into a pleasantly entertaining time at the movies. It would be easy to pick apart a film such as this for the gaps in logic, the idea that Megan Fox's April O'Neil could so easily break into as high profile a lab as Dr. Baxter Stockman's (Tyler Perry), or that Hollywood should be ashamed of itself for wasting the talent of actors like Laura Linney in this type of disposable entertainment, but what would be the point? TMNT has been around long enough at this point that there is some respect due to the series for being as endearing as it has continued to be. The fact that it centers around four genetically mutated reptiles who listen to a giant rat and have a sexy news reporter and a guy with a hockey mask on their team is easy ammo if one cares to criticize such openly ridiculous material, but that Green and screenwriters Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec choose to embrace such absurdities rather than attempt to play them down (ahem...Fantastic Four) makes it easier for the audience to do the same.

Finally we get all the media we want but are left out in the cold when it comes to bonus swag. There are many versions of TMNT2, some come with a steelcase, some with a bus style case, among others and then we have this version. It hits all the A/V check boxes, 3D Blu Ray, Blu Ray, DVD, & HD Digital Copy, so as far as flexibility in the formats of media we cannot complain about that, however (you knew this was coming) it is unfortunate that it could not come in a steelcase or with some additional bonus to make you feel a little special. In this case though i would rather have the full compliment of media options than to be left wanting a disk and have a steelcase or some cheesy bonus that you will probably throw in your desk drawer. Stephen Amell makes a great film appearance (a change from his normal roll as Oliver Queen, in The Green Arrow TV show) which helps add to the movie as it combines old memories with something new and updated. Nice job, but still MADE IN MEXICO, common companies, lets get these movies made here in the USA.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a 2016 American science fiction action comedy based on the Mirage Studios characters the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the sixth film of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series and a sequel to the 2014 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The film was directed by Dave Green, written by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, and stars Megan Fox, Stephen Amell, Will Arnett, Brian Tee, Tyler Perry, Brittany Ishibashi and Laura Linney, and featuring voices of Pete Ploszek, Alan Ritchson, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Tony Shalhoub, Gary Anthony Williams, Stephen "Sheamus" Farrelly and Brad Garrett. It received generally mixed reviews from critics, being considered by many an improvement over its previous one, but was not as successful as its predecessor, grossing $245 million against a $135 million budget.

A lot of reviews claim Out of the Shadows is a step forward for the franchise; I don't know what movie they watched. This one was a mess. Not an unwatchable mess, and not without it's enjoyable moments (Michelangelo is a standout again), but the tonal change form semi-serious to total over-the-top cartoonish goofballery did not work for me. The plot is as thin as it gets, the villains are so underdeveloped that it is as if they were just thrown in at the last minute. Shredder does nothing, Krang is forced into the plot, and Stephen Amell is absolutely cringe-worthy as Casey Jones; if I didn't know better, I'd swear he just started acting yesterday. The action sequences are the movie's saving grace, with the car chase scene and air plane scenes standing out the most.

Somehow I still want the new TMNT to rival the current round of Marvel and DC super-hero movies out there–but alas, not this time. "Out Of The Shadows" doesn't make any efforts to be more cerebral than its predecessor; instead, it focuses on the same manic energy and simplistic dialogue...but we do get to see a few more characters such as Casey Jones, Bebop, Rocksteady, and Krang. For some reason they felt the need to make Casey Jones a member of the police force in this incarnation, and we still see Megan Fox get overly sexualized as usual (hey, I'm not complaining–it's just kind of immature). What more can I say, I suppose...it's meant for kids and tweens. Due to its hyperactive plot, "Out Of The Shadows" leaves something to be desired by the end. 2/5 stars.

What can I say, this is a Michael Bay film. Not to discredit him as the visionary that he his, his films are known for their visual fidelity. "TMNT Out of the Shadows" is no different. With that being said, there is not a lot of content available today that justifies a 4K screen or bluray player, this film absolutely does. It was produced, converted, and distributed with 4K in mind. Absolutely no one, whether a fan of Michael Bay or not, can deny how beautiful this film looks on 4K displays. The colors pop while the sharpness and level of detail will keep your eyes in awe throughout the whole movie. If you are looking for an experience to either test or justify your 4K compatible equipment, then this is a must buy for you.

To be honest I don't know where to start with this movie. I enjoyed part 1 and this one was just as good if not better. Aside from the comedy and great story line which continue to evolve I think what I liked the most was the action and characters. The bond between the turtle brothers has grown. Every family has struggles as well as ups and downs but that didn't break up this butt kicking team. It added to the movie in a good way. Speaking of adding to it I'd say they did an excellent job with how they brought in the new as well. This is the first time they were used in a film and I can't wait to see what they do and use for part 3. This is definitely a movie I highly recommend for TMNT fans and as a great family movie.

Picked this up as a fan of TMNT, knowing full-well this movie would be terrible. Best Buy had a great deal on it, couldn't pass it up. The movie is marginally better than the live-action series, and a complete CG nightmare. Michael Bay has a checklist of bad movie tropes he absolutely has to adhere to after making his deal with the devil, and this movie ticks all the boxes. He has mastered the art of using the same plot outline for every film he's involved in, which basically breaks down to a couple one-liners between pages that read 'cool graphics lol' If you find yourself with a Best Buy gift card and can't find anything else to buy, this is the film for you.