As somebody that loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid, I was relatively excited when Nickelodeon brought the pizza-loving brothers back to the big screen in 2014.
I wasn’t overly enamoured with that version, but it did the job in terms of providing a good platform for the next generation of kids to enjoy the Turtles.
This second offering, dubbed ‘Out Of The Shadows’, is essentially more of the same – and, judging by the amount of kids packed into Boston’s West End Cinema on Monday, the original delivered.
Following on directly from the last film, legendary Turtles villain Shredder (Brian Tee – Jurassic World) manages to escape custody (in one of the stand-out scenes of the entire film) and brokers a deal with another big baddie Kraang (voiced by Brad Garrett).
The pair want to open a portal to another dimension, which would allow Kraang to bring his war machine – dubbed the Technodrome – to earth and wreak havoc.
With Shredder also having the genetically-mutated Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams – The Internship) and Rocksteady (WWE wrestler Sheamus) at his side, it’s a stacked set of villains for fans of the Turtles to enjoy.
Naturally, Leonardo (Pete Ploszek), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), Raphael (Alan Ritchson) and Michelangelo (Noel Fisher) make it their mission to stop New York City (and indeed the rest of the world) from being wiped from existence – but to do that, they’ll need to show themselves to the world.
Helping them out are Megan Fox’s April O’Neill and newcomer Stephen Amell (Arrow) as Casey Jones, while Laura Linney (Mystic River), Tyler Perry (Gone Girl) and the returning Will Arnett all play solid roles, too.
In a film heavy on CGI, their presence helps dial down the crazy (a little).
Out Of The Shadows is at its best when the action is cranked up. There are some brilliant sequences that really catch the eye – and they help paper over the storyline’s many shortcomings.
Once again, I’m sure this will be a massive hit with the kids – and with half-term upon us, parents will be onto a winner here.
For adult viewers, this is no more than a popcorn fare that will scratch your action itch.
It was a buzz seeing Amell play a decent character on the big screen, but that aside, I was left largely disappointed.
Voice Verdict: 6.5/10
+ Stephen Amell and Megan Fox
+ Kids are sure to love it
+ Great action
– Crazy story
– Predictable
SHOWTIMES
Boston’s West End Cinema (Fri, June 3 to Thurs, June 9)
ME BEFORE YOU (12A)
6.20pm (daily), 8.45pm (daily)
MONEY MONSTER (15)
4.10pm (Fri/Sat/Sun), 4.20pm (Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs)
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2: OUT OF THE SHADOWS 3D (12A)
10am (Fri/Sat/Sun), 12.30pm (Fri/Sat/Sun/Wed), 6pm (daily)
TURTLES 2: OUT OF THE SHADOWS 2D (12A)
3.15pm (daily), 8.15pm (daily)
WARCRAFT 3D (12A)
3pm (Fri/Sat/Sun/Wed), 3.20pm (Mon/Tues/Thurs), 8.30pm (daily)
WARCRAFT 2D (12A)
12.30pm (Fri/Sat/Sun/Wed), 4pm (Tues – subtitled), 5.40pm (daily)
ANGRY BIRDS 2D (U)
Noon (Fri/Sat/Sun), 2.10pm (Fri/Sat/Sun)
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROADCHIP (U)
10.15am (Fri/Sat/Sun)
X-MEN APOCALYPSE 2D (12A)
1pm (Wed), 2.15pm (Fri/Sat/Sun), 4pm (Thurs), 5.15pm (Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon), 8.15pm (Fri/Sat/Sun/Tues)
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS 3D (PG)
12.40pm (Fri/Sat/Sun/Wed), 6pm (daily)
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS 2D (PG)
10am (Fri/Sat/Sun), 3.20pm (daily), 8.40pm (daily)
TOP CAT BEGINS (U)
10am (Fri/Sat/Sun)
THE JUNGLE BOOK 2D (PG)
9.50am (Fri/Sat/Sun), Noon (Fri/Sat/Sun)
NTL – THE AUDIENCE (Encore, 12A)
7pm (Thurs)
PITBULL – NOWE PORZADKI (18)
8.30pm (Mon)
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY – HAMLET
7pm (Wed)
