In this day and age of hyperrealistic superheroes and villains where even Bruce Wayne is so flawed it’s hard to tell if he’s a good guy or a bad guy, as a parent I’m grateful for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, the terrapins are made to look as authentic as giant humanoid turtles can look while never actually seeming real. The villains – mutant rhinoceros Bebop, mutant warthog Rock Steady and talking brain Kraang – are also 100% fantasy. The computer-generated creatures look realistic enough to suspend disbelief, but still allow children to get absorbed in the story without worrying about the characters’ outcome. Even more importantly, there’s no question about who to root for: it’s good versus evil.
In this sequel to the 2014 film, baddie Shredder escapes from jail and joins forces with scientist Baxter Stockman and alien Kraang in a scheme to control Earth. Kraang possesses a chemical that turns humans into animals and vice versa. When the Turtles obtain it, they have to decide if they want to become human or stay in their present form. Surprisingly, the storyline does not feel message-y, but it certainly allows a lot of relatability and conversation for families with a member who looks or feels different.
How family friendly is it?
Just like 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Michael Bay (Transformers) executive produces and the sequel contains all the hallmarks of his work. First, the special effects are fantastic. A chase scene down a river is like nothing you’ve seen before. Moreover, the 3D in Out of the Shadows is out of this world – the scenes are created for pop-up action; my five-year-old son and I saw it in 2D and we felt cheated.
On the other hand, just like Bay’s Transformers films, Megan Fox plays a smart, tough investigative reporter who is unnecessarily objectified – this time as she does a quick change into Britney Spears’ “Baby Hit Me One More Time” outfit with a close-up on her cleavage and a bare midriff. While it seems that Bay and his crew understand how to satisfy an audience of children, he always frustrates me in that he doesn’t understand how to satisfy parents.
Another example: one of the recurring locations in the film is a bar, where escaped convicts Bebop and Rock Steady drink beer. While the audience doesn’t see any of the good guys drinking, Casey Jones – a prison guard who becomes a friend to the Turtles – smashes up the bar in an effort to get information from the barkeep. Casey Jones also utters a few curse words, like “what the hell” and [used as an adjective] “big-a**.” These family-film missteps are certainly not the worst thing, but it’s frustrating because it’s all unnecessary – just like when Bebop and Rock Steady are transformed into wild animals and high-five each other after checking inside their pants (it would seem all of their body parts were enlarged). I mean, why?
What about violence?
Out of the Shadows is more kid friendly in the violence department. The Turtles weaponry of nunchakus, swords and sticks is less in play in lieu of the Battle Shell vehicle (which shoots manhole covers) and Donatello’s STEM-savvy brain. The final sequence is one big explosion, more or less, which moves so quickly that it’s hard to perceive any one particular violent act that might affect a child negatively, but it’s certainly awesome to watch.
Judging from my son’s reaction, I’d say Out of the Shadows is a boy’s fantasy come to life: he’s a fan and he was ecstatic. As a parent, I felt I could relax: unlike the other superheroes of 2016, I didn’t have to try and explain complex themes or why the heroes are fighting each other. Two hours of no worries? Now, that’s what I call entertainment.
