TMNT (Warner Bros.) revives the dormant Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise, which enjoyed its heyday in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
With exciting computer-generated animation, the terrapin crime-fighters' fourth movie successfully balances action and humor while enforcing positive values.
Brothers trained in martial arts and named after Renaissance artists, Leonardo (voiced by James Arnold Taylor), Michelangelo (Mikey Kelley), Donatello (Mitchell Whitfield) and Raphael (Nolan North) reunite after a long hiatus from battling evil.
Their sensei Master Splinter (Mako) worries that their effectiveness has been compromised by jealousy and misunderstandings. But they regain fraternal solidarity in time to thwart a villain, Maximillian J. Winters (Patrick Stewart), poised to unleash 13 monsters on New York City. (These monsters, incidentally, might frighten very young children.)
Making his feature debut, writer-director Kevin Munroe navigates the rather overly complicated plot involving an ancient warrior legend with aplomb, and Sarah Michelle Gellar and Chris Evans lend their voices as well. Munroe shows a commitment to entertaining children and adults alike by alternating between goofiness and sarcasm.
Lessons concerning teamwork and appreciating an individual's strengths and weaknesses are conveyed in a relatively substantive manner. There's also a message about the importance of forgiveness and atoning for one's past behavior.
The film contains cartoon-level combat and swordplay, a subtle acceptance of a premarital living situation, two instances of belching and some disrespectful banter, and a mild instance of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
