It’s that time again, no not Comic Con or Halloween, it’s TURTLE TIME. Break out your favorite colored ninja masks and prepare yourself for the second installment of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows! Our favorite mutated, pizza eating, teenaged turtles are back and promise to crank up the turtle power! In the eyes of many devoted fans, the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot fell short. Don’t fear, during the big game (that’s the Super Bowl) back in February, Out of the Shadows released a trailer offering up a glimpse of what we could expect. It did not disappoint; I have compiled a list of six reasons we could all get excited for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows!
6. Bebop and Rocksteady
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows debuts tons of old characters we all loved to watch in the cartoons growing up. So, I thought I would start this list off with something we have all been looking forward to: The massive introduction of two well-known baddies in the TMNT Universe, Bebop and Rocksteady! The reveal of these two only means one thing, more bullies for the Turtles to take down!
In the trailer, two small time crooks are recruited by Shredder who is planning to build a monstrous army. With some help from Baxter Stockman, portrayed by Tyler Perry, the once lowly crooks are mutated by a mysterious OOZE and transformed into a rhino and “little piggy.” Bebop and Rocksteady should serve up some great fight sequences and comedic relief. The brutish pair are portrayed and voiced by Gary Anthony Williams and Stephen Farrelly. If Farrelly seems like a familiar face, he also goes by Sheamus in the WWE Universe.
5. Coming Out Party
Part of the title for the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film includes “Out of the Shadows.” The image above is a screenshot from the trailer where the Turtles are out in middle the day NOT operating in the shadows, against a rule they have followed for all of their lives. The people of NYC and the world are in for a treat when the four brothers come out to say “what’s up!”. This part of the story I find interesting and should add to the stakes of the film. Who knows how the public will react; a negative reaction could sway the gang’s dynamic to not help the city that never sleeps.
This only adds another layer to the story. Yearning for social acceptance could play a key role in the story. The OOZE as I mentioned before has mutagen capabilities and the brothers find out that the OOZE could potentially turn them into humans. Perhaps making them more socially acceptable? Hmmm, sounds like some great inner conflict is heading our way!
4. Second Chances
The first film, while a hit for children, left the dedicated adult fans wanting more. Out of the Shadows offers a second chance at greatness! The image above features one of the best scenes from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I am hopeful they can replicate this and stir up some more laughs for the audience to enjoy. One major thing I noticed in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is they only said “Cowabunga” once, I think they owe it to us to turn up the radicalness a notch.
Second chances aren’t only for the Turtles, Megan Fox‘s, April O’Neil sure could use one. Fox served up a sub par performance in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and besides the yellow jacket, the studio did not offer much nostalgia for her character. Briefly in the trailer we see April O’Neil in a disguise, thick framed glasses, and an overly curly blonde wig. I really had a laugh with this one. It seems like the studio heard our screams and is willing to have a little fun with the character. While getting to know April’s investigative side, they poke some fun at the original 1990 April O’Neil.
3. The KRAANG
It’s obvious from the trailer that NYC is under attack by an out-of-this-world threat, the Kraang! Not one, but two villains in Out of the Shadows! If my inner fan boy serves me right, The Kraang hail from Dimension X and will stop at nothing to takeover Earth. The Kraang are led by Kraang Prime who I am assuming resides in this here droid featured above rocking the classic 1980’s cartoon look. If you’re keeping track, we have Shredder, who has acquired a mysterious OOZE, and we also have a inter-dimensional threat. Hmmm, is it possible that Shredder got the OOZE from the Kraang? I think so, maybe trust me on this one and get a little excited! The Turtles are up against some of their gnarliest foes, wouldn’t it be totally rad if they had some help?
2. Casey Jones
My head exploded when this casting was announced! Forget everything else, this is something to get amped up about! Stephen Amell will portray Casey Jones. That’s right, our favorite CW superhero will be playing one of the most badass vigilantes of them all, Casey Jones. With Shredder, the foot clan, Bebop and Rocksteady, and The Kraang, the villains are adding up! NYC is in for a show and the Turtles are going to need as much help as they can get. Casey Jones, a self-proclaimed vigilante, sports a beat up hockey mask and wields a hockey stick. He may not have any power, but he’s got the moves and will play a key role in backing up our half-shelled heroes. We can also add him to the list of “Guy’s Michelangelo is jealous of,” cause Miss O’Neil seems to be smitten.
1. Pizza!
I don’t think anyone loves pizza as much as these guys do! Why get excited for pizza? Easy, the pizza is iconic to TMNT history. It makes them who they are, whether it’s in the movies, cartoons, video games, or comics, there is always pizza! It brings the brothers together and when the brothers are together it makes for some hilarious moments, especially in Michelangelo’s case. This dude loves pizza so much that it appears he is eating 3-4 slices at once in the trailer!
Remember, “Wise man say, forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.”
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows hits theaters June 3rd 2016. COWABUNGA DUDE!! Are you a fan of the Turtles? Tell me how big of a fan, sound off in the comments below or send us your thoughts on Twitter!