Why the New TMNT Movie Origin Has Potential

After months and months of waiting, the first teaser trailer for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie will finally hit the web on Thursday. While we still need to wait a little while longer to see the footage with our own eyes, many people from various media outlets had the opportunity to get an early glimpse of the teaser at CinemaCon yesterday. They've all reported on what they saw, and they've each pointed out one very important thing: the Ninja Turtles' origin story has a new twist to it. Needless to say, you shouldn't proceed if you don't want spoilers.

The TMNT franchise has had quite a few different origin stories over the years. From the original Mirage comics to the current animated series on Nickelodeon, there are always slight changes made here and there to the key characters or the relationships between them. While a movie that's a blatant and well-done rehash of the original story would be awesome to watch on the big screen, we all know a reboot often strives to sprinkle its own creative changes throughout. In this movie's case, it turns out the Ninja Turtles are created by April O'Neil's dad and Shredder. I'm sure this upsets some of you out there, so I'll give you a minute to vent before I say why I think this premise has potential.

Got that out of your system? Okay, great. First and foremost, this isn't the first time April's father would be linked to the ooze. In the most recent comic (by IDW Publishing), it was revealed that April's dad previously worked with Baxter Stockman at Stockgen. What were they testing, you ask? Ooze, of course! While that only gives him a loose connection to the dudes in that story (and is really there for a greater emotional connection to April), the point is it's not a totally new idea that he'd have a link to their origin. It's also worth noting that Splinter wasn't spotted in the teaser, and these kind of experiments often include rodents, right? Could it be possible that April's father is in fact Splinter in this new cinematic universe? It's not that far-fetched considering the premise, especially when considering Karai is Splinter's daughter in the latest TV series. This is of course pure speculation, but I can't help but wonder, you know? If true, that would give April an even stronger connection to the team -- one that has the potential to be much deeper than just the interest of a curious reporter.

Shredder working with April's dad to create the Turtles is a pretty new concept. In the teaser, Shredder says he and Mr. O'Neil created the mutants because the city needs heroes. New York City has a major crime problem and Shredder states they were created to help put an end to it. On the surface, it seems like this would make him a good guy, but come on, this is the freaking Shredder we're talking about and no noble hero walks around in that kind of armor (details have been leaked and it apparently has a crazy amount of blades). Making him an uneasy ally is cool if the situation calls for it, but I can't see them making the franchise's iconic villain a legitimate good guy.

Maybe he sincerely believes in protecting the innocent and helped create the team to combat crime, but it's blatantly obvious there's another agenda at play here. Were they really made to even the odds against the Utroms? The old script (which they claim was completely scrapped) certainly didn't shy away from aliens, and an older synopsis on IMDB (no idea how legit it was) said the plot dealt with an alien invasion. Or was making the Turtles just a step towards perfecting the ooze? Shredder has always been about power and order, and he certainly has never turned his back on having new kinds of weaponry under his control. Could he be testing the ooze in an attempt to form his own superhuman Foot army? If so, would this lead to the creation of a new version of Bebop and Rocksteady or Tokka and Rahzar? Who wouldn't want to see that? Sure, maybe Shredder legitimately wants to help the people of the Big Apple in his own stern way, but there's absolutely no way he also doesn't have some kind of shady plan in the works, too. Whether it's a grab for complete power or doing cruel things for the "greater good," it's safe to assume his intentions aren't exactly pure. At any rate, this story is certain to at least give the character a different dynamic with the team.

It's clear they're aiming to create a whole new mythos for the franchise and, while I do believe these basic plot points have a lot of cool possibilities, there's of course no way to tell how well they'll be handled. That said, the potential is certainly there and that at least has me somewhat optimistic to learn more about this new take on the franchise I love oh-so-much. So, what do you think, fellow TMNT fans? Are my ideas total nonsense or does it actually make a bit of sense to you?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles finally opens August 8th.

Source: IGN, io9

Sure it makes sense, I am looking forward to seeing this.

I think casting Fox was a good idea as well.

Doom

We are surrounded by it.

Trying to look forward to this. Hopefully the trailer will win me over.

Not going to lie I am gradually getting more excited for this movie that I was at first dreading. I think it's got potential and I think it could be entertaining.

I hear that Shredder is basically Ra's Al Ghul now

I'm with you I think this can be an awesome movie and I'm super excited for this.

*KIND OF A SPOILER*

ign said the turtles look just like they do in the picture we click on to get to this article (on home page), which isnt too bad. But they said each turtle is over 6 feet towering April, don't know how i feel about that one.

I think it has potential and your line of thought is pretty good too... I'm open to new interpretations (first arc of the ongoing TMNT at IDW was called Change is Constant) and I'm optimistic about the plot, but I'm not, in no way, gonna get pumped for this movie or plot details.

I'll wait until I see it. But you, sir, have made great points.

Still not excited...I'm hoping the trailer wins me over, but I'm not expecting it to...

I simply don't think they will ever top TMNT 1 and 2. I actually watched them a couple months ago and they still hold up good to this day.

At this point as long as they aren't aliens I'll be fine. -_-

Yeah, the set photos (of the actors in mocap) had them towering over Fox. I have a lot to say about the look of the Turtles (despite not seeing the video), but I wanted to hold off until I at least see them in motion. Because, just like you, I'm not certain how I feel about that just yet.

I don't want Shredder to be a freakin' white scientist.

My only problem is Megan Fox as April Oneil :P . My personally choice would be Mary Elisabeth Elisabeth Winstead :) Oh well , can't win em all .

If Megan Fox wasn't in this movie and Michale Bay wasn't directing this, then it might have a chance for me to like it. Still can't get over those two facts.

@fil123: in a blog I follow, said that the look of the Turtles was fine... But that the heads had a penis resemblance. Hahahahahahahaha

BTW, the blog is called "salon del mal" if you wanna check it out.

I am really excited, but I just don't want to be pissed if I hate it.

The second one isn't a fact. Michael Bay is the producer, not director. If that still worries you, that's fine. But... yeah, not the director.

im not flipping tables from anything i read. but if april's dad is is splinter, were going to need a whole new dinning set

Megan Fox is in this movie. That alone negates any potential promise this movie may have had.

Wait...the movie comes out this year? I didn't know that.

@fables87: Bay isn't directing this one, just producing.

looking forward to this

Thats awkward, I read a review were the heads look like babys face or a raging muscular body.

@kick_assgeist: yeah, yeah, I read that too, but the jokes about the shape of the Turtles' heads were so hilarious that that's the only thing I remembered from the article... Hahahahahahahahaha

I'm still laughing about it! Anyway... I believe I'm embarrassing myself :S hahaha

Yeah, but Steve Weintraub liked it and Edward Douglas said it's "not bad." Opinions are definitely mixed and that's to be expected since it's a totally new approach to their look.

@guardiandevil83: @k4tzm4n: Good, but still no Fox.

@k4tzm4n: Oh Gregg just stop being that overzealous Ninja Turtles fan that never takes anything to account! Jk :-P

I know your not, I'm just trolling in a fun way, lol. I read the origin last night in some other page I forgot, I didn't the origin because I felt like Micheal Bay got scared off by all the fans raging about the alien origin for the TMNT and he told the writers to take off any alien connection to the turtles. I was mostly blaming the "fans" because I don't think they know or realize that he meant the ooze was alien not the turtles. But after reading your insight I still have some hope that it will be good. I just hope they have some alien connection to the ooze at least. I won't really mind if Shredder and April's Dad just tested the ooze to make beast to save the city. I think having Shredder like a Ra's Al Ghul type villain is an awesome idea and I definitely want to see that part because it would make some sense.

@murderpool: Couldn't agree with u more. The whole Ninja aspect is being tarnished. Splinter is the sensei who trains the Turtles and there is no mention of Splinter in the movie and Shredder is now a white guy who wants to stop crime in the Big Apple. WTF

If they want to re-explore the whole ooze thing they should have introduced Baxter Stockman working for Krang and the Foot Clan as the dominant crime syndicate of New York. The Foot Clan and the Alien/ Human collaboration would be two separate factions who come together to destroy the Turtles.

Shredder is a really old reincarnation of a mad japanese warrior brought back by a witch who turns into a fox....how is he helping create the turtles, fuedal japan wasn't very scientific

@mapuia_ralte: Shredder is not white in the movie

Well, I presumed since Fichtner is playing him, he was gonna be white.

#

@

*hate*

No one wants to see your hack script writers' interpretation of TMNT. We wanna see fuggin TMNT. It's already written, just use the actual story. B&$tards.

@jonny_anonymous: He did never learn to mind his surroundings...

>.> I see what you did there

General response to anyone who loathes what they're doing:

1) Don't see it. No one is forcing you to and no one is saying you need to acknowledge this as the new, official TMNT mythos. You have every right to voice why you aren't happy with what they're doing, but...

2) ...if you're so passionate about the franchise, I sincerely hope you're putting your money where your mouth is and buying the current comics. Gotta say, those reviews are always very unpopulated compared to anything regarding the movie. Hell, same even applies to the TV show. It really bothers me to see so many claim they love the franchise yet the comic isn't selling well AT ALL. Shame too because it's superb.

3) And, in the ridiculous event that someone claims this is destroying their childhood, take even a second to research and you'll see all of the classic material is easily accessible. The movies are cheap, the show is collected in DVDs, and the comics are all being reprinted -- both individually and in volumes -- by IDW. Your childhood is alive and well.

@mapuia_ralte: there is a shredder but fitchner is gonna be shredder's adopted son who takes the foot of new york and turns them into a black ops team to take out the turtles while the real shredder in japan sees the failure and sends karai to deal with the turtles

What? Where'd you get this info? Is it legit?

Could be worse. They could be TAINTs (Teenage Alien Intelligent Ninja Turtles) like previously leaked.

Still, it's Micheal Bay, so we all know a whole new generation will get to see their beloved characters ruined by bad acting and improbable explosions.

@mapuia_ralte: the synopsis was leaked on comicbook.com and had to be taken down last month... this was the same time first images of the shredder and mikey were leaked and how to be taken down

This sounds a lot better.

I'm going to piggy-back off of these well put ideas with two more;

1) If all of one's experience with 'your Turtles' stems from the cartoons and later the live-action films.....then you are not getting what the characters were at their roots. The characters were not incepted to be children's stories nor were they told as such. They were born out of the same cultural era of the 'harsh, urban New York' during the late 70's/early 80's which saw outrageous violent crime rates. These settings also spawned similar iconic comic stories and every single Charles Bronson 'Death Wish' film. Bottom line: It wasn't always 'Cowabunga dude'.

2) If all one's negative perceptions of the film are entirely bent around a singular white female playing a feature protagonist - you probably are belying other motivations for being so hateful. I'll lay it out there; I did not think Hathaway was a good choice. And when I say that - I was adamantly opposed to her being in the film. I did not believe she would bring gravity to the role as I didn't think she would be able to appreciate the character. I was wrong.

* Well said, @k4tzm4n.

@master_thief: Spoiler alert, motherf@cker. Maybe a warning next time or even make a spoiler block like this

Lol just kidding, I don't really mind spoilers but I'm sure most people do.

The problems here isn't April's father being involved in creating the Turtles, that's perfectly fine. What I have a problem with the recent leaked trailer info is Shredder now being a part of some kind of secret military operation wanting to crush crime and bring order in the city under his 'Foot.' There's a rich and vibrant history behind the Foot in past TMNT incarnations from comics to cartoons and to downgrade the Foot into being a secret military organisation, of what'll probably be American origin no less, is a sheer reductionist pitfall this film may well have fallen into based on available info.

Then there's the direct involvement of Shredder in the TMNT's creation. It makes no sense for him to have a direct involvement nor will it add anything to the story. It's probably going to be some half hearted reason for Shredder to become the foe of the TMNT. And it muddies how his hatred and rivalry of Splinter will play in plus the unknown question of whether Splinter will be Hamato Yoshi's rat or Hamato Yoshi himself.

Finally, the very fact Michael Bay is involved on this project is enough for alarm bells to blare over this film's head. Dispute his presence all you want, there is enough empirical evidence of his past films to show what his suggestions and input will be. And the director is not much of a better choice than Bay since Jonathan Liebesman directed the trite sequel, Wrath of the Titans. Not the best resume to be sure.

But maybe my initial thoughts will be proven wrong. Maybe TMNT will blow away all expectations. But I find that unlikely after films like Man of Steel failed as well. At best, this new TMNT film might be an OK popcorn flick and the premise/synopsis does sound better than Transformers at least. It's just not what the TMNT deserve.

Which version do to prefer?

Either in all honesty. My favourite interpretation of the TMNT, the 2003 cartoon, had the former incarnation which was really well done. But the latter has been executed really well in the current IDW series and Nickelodeon cartoon.

I like the idea of IDW, but the classic feel of TMNT for me is the rat originally. I also like 2003 the best. I'd take either origin in this movie, but I am scared for how bad this could be. No matter what I am sure the action will be great, but will it make up for destroying the story, I don't know.

Casting Meg Fox pisses me off royally. Im a HUGE TMNT fan and I'd hate to see this remake ruined bc they want to focus on sexy poses and such. She's not even a talented actress.

Them being created, I can get behind that. As long as they're BA, I'm down.

But damn, why Meg Fox?!

To be fair the tone looks much better than Transformers does so take comfort in that at least.

@lvenger: What did you think of todays trailer?

@kick_assgeist: It didn't do anything to change my initial thoughts suffice to say. It was pretty much what I was expecting the trailer to be which wasn't good.