Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a film I was going into expecting the worst. From the bad trailers, the seeming focus shift to 'dark-and-gritty' turtles (somehow), the attachment of Michael Bay (who has made exactly 1 movie I liked) as a director and the seeming focus on a bland Megan Fox over the Turtles (as we repeat the mistakes of Shia Le'Bouf and Transformers), this movie seemed to be made to make me hate it.
After watching this movie, I can easily see how easy it is to be critical of it. From the inconsistent tone shifts (such as the elevator scene leading into the final battle), the poor CGI on Splinter or the convoluted coincidences that ties everyone into the plot, it is an easy movie to hate. Yet, I felt that despite all of this, it somehow comes together to resemble a movie that works, at least on the fun level, by not taking itself too seriously.
For those unfamiliar with the turtles, they are a bunch of mutated, well, humanoid turtles, who have become ninjas under their master, a rat called Splinter. You have the leader (Leonardo), the Joker (Michaelangello), the smart guy (Donatello) and the tough-guy (Raphael). They live in the sewers and work to thwart the Foot Clan (a gang) under the command of The Shredder (a power-armored ninja). April O'Neil (Megan Fox) is a reporter who is trying to get a major scoop on the Foot Clan and whose father helped create the turtles with the help of the bad businessman (who is trying to get supply and demand under his control ala Iron Man 3's bad businessman).
What helps make this movie work is it never loses its sense of fun or ability to poke fun at itself. This is mostly through Michaelangello, who has such classic lines as "he is doing his Batman voice" when Raphael tries to do the tough guy vigilante or his unrequited love for April O'Neill. The turtles are constantly spitting out funny one-liners and doing daringly acrobatic stunts and fight moves as the movie hurtles its way through cool set-pieces in the best Michael Bay style.
But by far, the star of the show ends up being April O'Neill, surprisingly. Although the acting does nothing to distinguish her and she has a convoluted way into the plot, she proves herself to be a proactive character. This is really highlighted at the end, as she suggests a back-up plan in case the turtles fail. She even ends up saving the turtles a more than they help her. It also helps that her character has very believable motivations (an underachieving reporter looking for her big break).
At the end of the day, it would be very easy to hate the turtles. However, far from being a dark-and-gritty take on the beloved characters, it instead is a very fun take on the turtles. Their is probably slightly too much focus on the human supporting cast instead of the Turtles, but April O'Neill is a compelling enough character and her story ties allot more closely in with helping the Turtles that it works (as opposed to Transformers where it is a boring side story completely divorced from the actual Transformers).
So when Michael Bay asks, "Were you not entertained?", I can answer "Yes".
4 out of 5 pancakes in a half-shell.
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