TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Trailer Hits… And Fans Aren’t Happy

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The Bay-ification of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been controversial ever since it was announced that Platinum Dunes would be in charge of the production. There have been highlights, like Will Arnett being cast as Vernon, and lowlights, like Jonathan Liebesman being the director to Michael Bay‘s producer. Then there’s the fan division over Shredder‘s new origin story.

Well, now that the first trailer has hit the web, we have a better idea of what a Liebesman/Bay Turtles will look like, as well as a better idea of just how significantly Shredder’s story has shifted from the comics. Check it out:

Many fans have reacted quite negatively to the idea that Shredder is a scientist who worked with April O’Neil’s father to create the ooze that transformed the turtles. Of course, it’s better than the aliens rumor that hit the web last year.

The controversy over the production and fans’ outrage even had Ninja Turtles screenwriter Andre Nemec out explaining the changes as part of an overall tone:

“Tone was a very interesting question on this movie as far as how dark we really wanted to go. It’s really all in the conflict between the characters. That was the driving principle. The color palettes that were chosen were not designed to be ‘Dark Knight’-ish in that regard. We weren’t looking to make that movie. I’m a huge fan of that movie, but I didn’t eat gobs of popcorn while I was watching that movie. We certainly didn’t want kids to be running for the exits. ‘Mommy! Why did he do that?!’ We weren’t looking for that. We really wanted to entertain and have fun with it. I think we skate — we live — on a very fun line in this movie, whether it’s the action feeling real and exciting, but also fun and adventurous. It really never feels dark in a way that would startle you out of your chair or make you fearful.”

So to the 30-somethings out there, like me, Nemec is basically saying, “Cool it, guys. It’s a goddamn kids movie.” (Thanks for caring.)

In Nemec’s defense, the era of comic book reboots and remakes and relaunches has seen writers and directors playing fast and loose with the mythology for some time. Such shenanigans are par for the course.

Does it bother me that the Shredder is the guy who made the Turtles. Kind of, but not as much as the overall ugliness of the production that we see in the trailer. The movie just doesn’t look that great. Liebesman and Bay at work, my friends.