“We’re going to rescue our brother; then we’re going to save New York City,” declares one of the crime-fighting turtles. Beyond this crux, the rest of the plot in this new outing from the dormant Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise seems an afterthought. Back on the screen for the first time since the early Nineties, the turtles are now animated via CGI and no longer wearing their Jim Henson hard shells. Though they are still identifiable by their color-coordinated masks and penchant for pizza, their character distinctions are harder to perceive in this revival. Even though much of the action takes place in the sewers and nighttime rooftops the turtle clan claims as its own, the overall look of this animated feature is murky and dull. It’s all probably too slippery for the youngest viewers to grasp and too sketchy for the nostalgia crowd (for whom this revival seems most geared).
Opened 03/23/07
