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If there are two things that should never be combined, it’s Michael Bay and popular ’80s children’s franchises (see: Transformers film franchise). Granted, Transformers: Age of Extinction actually looks good and will hopefully remedy the previous trilogy of films, but I digress… While my appreciation for Transformers was definitely a byproduct of my teenage years, I actually was in the swing of things when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles struck gold during the late ’80s/early ’90s. It’s kind of harrowing to watch Bay take on another beloved pop culture franchise and leave his mark on it, yet I know he has the best intentions in mind… even if those intentions involve a litany of unnecessary grit and explosions. The very fact that he’s simply overseeing production of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film reboot is in itself a great sign for the film. Director Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath of the TitansBattle: Los Angeles) doesn’t necessarily have the best track record, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt considering how much I love the Ninja Turtles… and then the toy tie-ins were leaked, revealing the official designs for the fantastic foursome. I think it’s safe to say that the internet let out a collective groan upon first look.

With the first actual trailer for the film out, a few changes were made to update the standard Ninja Turtles mythos. It appears that Oroku Saki (The Shredder) is now known as Eric Sachs (portrayed by William Fichtner), and it was he and April O’Neil’s (Megan Fox) father that created the ooze that birthed Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Donnie. Of course, what’s a story when all we care about is how the turtles themselves look? In short… they’re not that bad, but they could definitely be a whole lot better. I guess, technically, they look more like turtles than they ever did, and I do appreciate the attempts to individualize each of them by adding extra flair to their designs. However, what still needs to be seen is how much action will be featured in the film. I’m hoping a lot, and in the form of pencak silat.