Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Short description
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 2014 action adventure film about four mutated turtle brothers who live hidden in the sewers beneath New York City. When the Shredder and his Foot Clan tighten their hold on the city, controlling institutions from the police to the political establishment, the turtles are forced out of the shadows to defend their home. With the help of television reporter April O'Neil and her cameraman colleague Vern Fenwick, the four brothers confront the threat, relying on their ninja training and their bond as siblings. The story is based on the long-running franchise about the characters.
Jonathan Liebesman directed the film, his fifth feature following Darkness Falls, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Battle: Los Angeles and Wrath of the Titans. The screenplay was written by Josh Appelbaum, Evan Daugherty and André Nemec, with Michael Bay, Ian Bryce and Galen Walker producing. The cast includes Pete Ploszek, Alan Ritchson, Jeremy Howard and Noel Fisher as the four turtles, alongside Megan Fox as April and Will Arnett as Vern. Around 34 cast members and 331 crew members were credited.
Produced on a budget of 125 million US dollars, the film took about 485 million US dollars worldwide, roughly four times its cost. On IMDb it holds 5.8 out of 10 from around 229,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.9 out of 10 from over 7,000 votes, while the film critics' rating stands at 4.2 out of 10 from 163 reviews, so audiences rated it somewhat more generously than critics did.
What's left behind the scenes
- This is the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film released in 3D.
- Brett Ratner was considered for the director's position on the project.
- Screenwriter Kevin Eastman, one of the creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, appeared in a cameo role as a doctor.
- When April first tells the management about the mysterious “hero” who interfered with the clan, in shots showing her from behind, her hair color is red, although in other angles April’s hair is black.
- The authors of the book on the art of ninjutsu found by Splinter, from which he will learn himself and teach the turtles, are Eastman and Laird. This is a reference to Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird – the creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
- Although April's car crashes through two gates, when it is shown in close-up afterwards, there isn't a scratch on it.
- Of all the actors who voiced the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series in the 1990s, Robbie Rist (Michelangelo) was the only one to accuse Michael Bay of raping the Turtles saga with their alien origin. Brian Tochi (who voiced Leonardo), Corey Feldman (Donatello), and Judith Hoag (April O'Neil) approved of the storyline developing in this direction. Rist later retracted his statement.
- The casting for roles in the Foot Clan was held while the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was taking place in Los Angeles. The roles went to ordinary people from the street.
- When the turtles arrange a meeting, April arrives in a black t-shirt. However, later in the sewers, she is wearing a gray t-shirt with a design.
- The filmmakers noted that during the work on the project, their sources of inspiration for the action scenes were films such as 'Fist of Legend' (1994) and 'The Raid' (2011).
- The film was originally titled Ninja Turtles. 'Teenage Mutant' was added to please fans who reacted negatively to the initial title.
- Actor Danny Woodburn, who is 122 centimeters tall, was cast as Splinter, which corresponds to the original comics. Woodburn was very upset when he learned that he would only be performing Splinter's movements, which would then be transferred to the film using motion capture technology. Tony Shalhoub provided Splinter's voice.
- When the turtles roll through the sewer, they emerge four at a time at the end, but the next frame shows April and the operator standing there, even though logically they should have jumped out simultaneously.
- According to the laws of physics, after April kicks Shredder, she should have been swinging back and forth like a pendulum for a long time, but she hangs completely still in place.
- When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles escaped from the mansion with April and her cameraman, they rolled through the sewer pipes directly through the water. When the group landed, April and the cameraman’s clothes and hair were completely dry.
- Jane Levy, Anna Kendrick, and Elizabeth Olsen auditioned for the role of April O'Neil.
- Initially, the creators wanted Michelangelo to wear a gold chain, but this idea was criticized as a stereotypical reference to Black people. Ultimately, instead of a gold chain, he received a necklace of seashells to emphasize Michelangelo’s love of surfing and skateboarding.
- The character of Bernadette Thompson (April's boss) is based on Burne Thompson, April's boss from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series (1987–1996).
- At the moment April calls Vernon (58:55), he answers the phone and says with a smile, “April!” In reality, he couldn’t have known it was her, as April is calling from a public payphone.
- April O'Neil wears a yellow jacket in the film. This is a reference to the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series (1987–1996), where April wore a yellow jumpsuit.
- The original script featured the mutant henchmen Bebop and Rocksteady. However, it was ultimately decided that these characters would appear in a sequel.
- After April and the operator crash through the first gate in their car, they open fire on it, bullet marks appear on the glass, and then it completely shatters. When the car drives away from the second gate, the glass is completely intact.
- During filming, the film was given the working title Foursquare ('Square') to conceal its real name.
- Bursting into the castle, Raphael jumps out through the wall of the van, while April and the operator exit through the doors. In the next shot, when they run to the car with the turtles, the rear doors of the van are wide open.
- It's obvious that the directors didn't consider the fact that the not-so-small turtles simply wouldn't fit through a standard manhole.
- The film was released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
