TMNT to Go Live Action/CGI Hybrid Route?
Filed under: Action, Animation, RumorMonger, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
I'm in the camp of people who enjoyed the recent big-screen CGI version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but some fans complained it was too kiddie and cartoony, while others demanded a return of the live-action heroes. Good news is everyone might just to get to have their cake and eat it too, as MTV spoke to TMNT co-creator Peter Laird who claimed they're close to making a deal to create a "hybrid" film -- meaning part CGI and part live action. Remember Alvin and the Chipmunks? Yeah, like that ... except more pizza and more kick ass.
Laird explains, "As it stands now, there is no intention of doing another live-action film like the first three, with actors and stuntmen in actual Turtle suits, contrary to what was said by Kevin. We have pretty much decided that the next "TMNT" movie should be what we've been calling a "hybrid" - that is to say, live-action humans and sets combined with very realistic CGI Turtles (and possibly some other CGI characters)." Check our more over on MTV's Splash Page.
This seems like the best way to go about things, because you have to admit that guys in turtle suits just won't work today like it did back then. A combination of live action and CGI could look cool assuming the right budget is in place, and while old school fans will want a more serious and adult storyline, there's certainly a way to give everyone a traditional TMNT story that's equal parts strong, slick and silly.
What do you think? Ideally, where would you want to see the TMNT franchise go?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-09-2008 @ 3:52PM
Eric said...
I thought the suits where pretty bad ass myself and i think the first film is still really bad ass. I just hope they make it more adult. and really let the ninja part fly.
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9-09-2008 @ 3:58PM
Kurt said...
I have mixed emotions--as much as I like to think that TMNT belongs to my neighbor-hood-of-30 generation, the series has had a resurgence lately amongst the younger gen. So, much as I loathed the recent CGI foray (not that it was necessarily any worse than the live action parts 2 and 3), it probably hit it's target audience.
So perhaps a strictly-adult route is not the way to go. God forbid they pull a Pixar and make it appeal to children and adults alike.
Personally, I think the old-school live-action movie (the first one, anyway) still holds up pretty well, so I'd aim for a tone like that one had, turtle suits or no, perhaps making it just a hair or two more mature. I don't think a Dark Knight treatment is necessary/desirable.
Or we could go Frank Miller. Hire Sly Stallone to play an aging, boozing, broken-down Raphael.
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9-09-2008 @ 10:42PM
Brant said...
I don't think actors in turtle costumes is out of the question. After all, everybody seems quite able to suspend their disbelief for Michael Chiklis in his Thing costume.
That said, I do think the hybrid live-action/CGI option is the best way to go for this property.
Someday, I would love to see a TMNT film shot on Super 16 with black and white Tri-X reversal for that extra gritty, underground look. Ah, one can hope.
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9-09-2008 @ 8:12PM
aaron said...
ok the first three are pretty much panned. the CGI one is pretty much panned. people say a movie about four human sized turtles that practice ninjistu taught by a rat is too cartoony. Well the two human sized turtles I live with thought it was ok and the giant rat next door that is a samurai thought it was pretty true to form also.
I don't care what they do. I like all four damnit.
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9-09-2008 @ 9:00PM
Joe said...
Seeing as I grew up with the turtles I would love a PG-13 movie. May be you could get the turtles to look life like with some thing like the Weta studio. They made really nice looking Orcs and they also used makeup for there characters.
So I would like to see the characters some thing like that. Really nice looking CGI no dumb stuff also I really want the movie to be PG-13 because if you ever read the mystic comics they made of the TMNT series they are really dark and would really look good on the big screen.
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