BallsMonkey

@lurkero: He doesn't seem like the type who could win a fight, but that's kind of the thing....HE thinks he does. In Casey's head he's the ultimate badass.

@lurkero: Thing is though, it's totally in character for Casey to act like this. In addition to being a rowdy teenager, he's a crazy vigilante trying to fight something way bigger than himself and he now has insecurity issues from being left out of the Turtle's battle with the Kraang. His heart is in the right place but his head isn't. That's Casey Jones to a tee. Casey doesn't have formal training and he shouldn't; he's a nut with a baseball bat whose watched way too much TV and now wants to bust some skulls, that's what makes him a good character, he's parody of every vigilante character.

The Turtles rip on him for being beaten because they're teenagers and that's what they do and also because their friends, and friends rip on each other. They're not trying to be mean. Since he wasn't hurt bad they're just giving him shit.

@soa: It can get silly, but that's part of it's charm. TMNT has never been at it's best when it's overly serious, but this series finds the exact right balance of silly and humorous and dark and action packed. It's primarily a kids show, so it's gotta be lighthearted at it's core, but it doesn't forget the Turtles roots and older fanbase, either.

As much as Batman seems as the logical choice, I gotta support Shredder on this one. Granted Bats has experience fighting immortal ninja clan leaders, Shredder fights four martial arts masters at the same time on a regular basis and manages to come out strong.

Agreed on all points. I also want them to give a more distinct look and personality to the city. It was way too generic looking.

Also, I want Channing Tatum as Casey Jones.

And I wanna see them record that hip-hop Christmas album.

@muyjingo: I still think 30 years is enough of an indicator. We still like to attribute it to being something we remember as kids, but that just means we're getting old. It's not just our franchise anymore, but new generations have embraced it. With Terminator it's the concept that keeps it going, with Turtles it's not just the concept, but the characters that resonate, hence why they stay the same through every incarnation.

Nickelodeon buying the Turtles was not a gamble. The franchise has proven successful, more than once. Them buying it was a sure thing. If they bought something like Cowboys of Moo Mesa, THAT would be a gamble. But it's not like Nickelodeon was hurting before they bought the franchise, they had no need to take the risk. They saw something lucrative in the franchise and pounced on it. As it happens it was a franchise that has made serious money before, so it was a safe bet.

All in all, you have a point, we'll see where it is in 10 more years. But I still say you don't last 30 years by just being a token of nostalgia.

@muyjingo: But Turtles has already passed that level. The fact that there is a new show and new movie proves that. Nickelodeon wouldn't have paid $6 mil for the franchise if it didn't have staying power. And the fact that the show is a huge hit proves it more. Power Rangers has never had a hit since Might Morphin, and the repeated recent attempts to re-capture that shows there's not much to it other than nostalgia. Transformers never had enough depth to appeal past it's premise. TMNT's premise is what hooks people, it's character depth is what keeps people there.

The movie isn't gonna flop. It's not gonna break the box office, but it's not gonna flop. It's an okay movie, a good kids movie. They'll like it, they'll support it, it'll hold the number 2 spot. It gets the characters right and that's all that really matters.

And also, all those shows I mentioned before, as well as all boys action franchises, are toy-driven. All of them. Their success is made or broken by ti;s toyline. Just show happens Turtles is one of the best at it. It's part of the reason why it's lasted so long while others like Samurai Jack, Gargoyles, and Young Justice die early. Commercial success.

That critic obviously didn't watch the movie. April is only the major focus for the first 10 minutes. Once the Turtles come in, they drive the rest of the movie. This is far from Transformers, as they didn't make the Turtles into obnoxious, murderous, minstrel shows.

And the elevator scene is not the only highlight.

Sorry, but I just have to completely disagree. You can't say a franchise that has gone on for 30 years doesn't have staying power. It's survived through both the 80's and 90's while others from that era like Thundercats, Transformers, and Power Rangers pretty much coast by off nostalgia alone. It's been funny, it's been serious, it's evolved with the times. Others have been too one-note to grow, but TMNT continues to be a viable franchise.

I saw the new movie, its good. Not great, but good. Pretty much on par with the 90's movies, it'll do fine, it'll make money. But you're wrong about the IDW comic. It's great, but is pretty much driven by the nostalgia of older fans. The new cartoon will ensure the franchise's longevity. It's proven to be massively popular with older fans while hooking a whole new generation of kids, kids who will grow up with fond memories of TMNT just like we did. They'll continue to support the franchise through their youth, then grow out of it, then return to hit with they hit their 20's, share the next incarnation of Turtles with their kids, and bitch about the next reboot movie while reliving the glory dayd of the "original" Michael Bay movie. It's an endless cycle.

Chris Sims did an article a little while ago about the same topic. He basically said that it's general strangeness and it's parody nature have what kept it around for so long. I would say that both that and your article are mostly correct.

What helps Turtles connect with their fans is that strong family aspect and great character dynamics between the Turtles. The fact that there's only four of them, and there's a Turtle for pretty much everyone has ensured it's place int he hearts of millions. Plus the characters work in so many different genres (action, comedy, horror, sci-fi), that there's tons of storytelling potential.

What helps the Turtles appeal in terms of the mainstream is just the general parody and whimsical nature of it. Unlike other comic book superheroes, they don't take themselves too seriously. They have fun with all the standard tropes of the genre without losing sight of just how ridiculous it all is. TMNT always worked best when it wasn't following the same paths as Batman, or Spider-Man, or X-Men, because it really can't, it doesn't have the same weight as those. TMNT has carved a nice little niche for itself amongst a broad audience. It's the one parody that's truly withstood the test of time. It's the "Weird Al" of comic book superheroes.