Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

It’s been more than 20 years since the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were culturally relevant, but the latest movie is the best version of the Turtles yet. I know that’s not saying much, but it is a compliment.

Megan Fox stars as intrepid TV reporter April O’Neil, who works with her cameraman Vern (Will Arnett) covering human interest pieces in New York City. April has aspirations for greater things, which prompts her to track the actions of the city’s organized crime syndicate the Foot Clan, led by Master Shredder.

Upon observing the Foot Clan in action she’s exposed to the titular characters: Leader Leonardo (voice of Johnny Knoxville), nerdy Donatello (Jeremy Howard), rebellious Raphael (Alan Ritchson) and jokester Michelangelo (Noel Fisher). The Turtles were raised in the sewers by a mutated rat, Splinter (Tony Shalhoub), who faces similar challenges to that of any single parent of four teenagers (sort of). All their mutations are the result of a failed science experiment conducted by April’s father and his business partner, Eric Sachs (William Fichtner).

The movie gets a lot right after a slow start, as it’s smartly constructed as a true origin story that efficiently integrates what Turtles’ fans expect. In seeing how the turtles became mutants, how April ties to their beginnings and the danger Shredder poses, we become emotionally invested in the story and genuinely root for the heroes to succeed. Now the action scenes have purpose and meaning beyond glossy eye candy.

The CGI is solid. The action scenes are lazy in the beginning in that they’re dark and intentionally vague in an effort to not show too much of the Turtles too soon. Thankfully the payoff is worth the wait, as each of the four Renaissance painter namesakes provides a physical presence that is as imposing as it is unique. What’s more, the voice work keeps their personalities distinct, just in case you can’t tell the difference between them based on their weapons and mask colors.

Following successful stints as a comic book, animated series and video game, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles disappeared after a trilogy of early ‘90s movies got progressively worse with each installment. But in today’s Hollywood a known commodity has great value, reboots are in vogue, and this has the potential for numerous sequels; in some senses, it’s surprising it took this long to get the Turtles back on screen.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (3) • Directed by Jonathan Liebesman • Starring Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner • Rated PG-13 • 101 minutes •At Century Cinemas Del Monte, Maya Cinemas, Northridge Cinemas, Lighthouse Cinemas.