Assassin's Creed: The Non-Gamer Review

Now, before you raise a condescending brow, let me put it out there --without the slightest qualm-- that I am no gamer. Until last weekend, I wouldn't have known the difference between Aguilar de Nehra and Gordan Freeman. But I do have 2 teenagers who who have done the popular Leap of Faith, so I consider myself schooled. Crash coursed, more like it.
I am also a nerd. So before our weekend Assassin's Creed movie date, I did research. I went through the Assassin's Creed storyline, watched every game trailer, and felt my brain implode. I also found myself going through movie reviews. It was a pretty daunting experience because most of them were on the negative end of the spectrum. Something about how weak the movie plot was, about how the story should've delved more into the Spanish Inquisition past rather than the Animus Experiment present. Picking up the pieces of my brain, I went and told my boys about this. They were unfazed. We were going to watch Assassin's Creed no matter wahat. And I'm like, "Oh, heck, Michael Fassbender's in it --sure, let's go!"
And, boy, was I glad I got so easily swayed!

To the true blue gamer, Assassin's Creed may not have met their standards like most movie translations flop to every video game imaginable. I remember how Doom was criticized. Wait, that was too kind. Doom was adequately bashed.
But from my perspective, Assassin's Creed was amazing!

1. The story line of good versus evil, past versus present may not be the most original, but the storytelling was on point. While some people complained about the unbalanced editing, I found it crisp and clear. Keep in mind that jumping from past to present and back again can be quite confusing. But Assassin's Creed delivered through its simplicity.While I do agree that the Spanish Inquisition past served as better eye candy, for an intro phase in this Assassin's Creed series, the present needed to be played up more. It made the entire plot more believable. I even believed that there could be a cure to the disease called violence.

2. The action was insane! The parkour-heavy fight scene that ran almost 10 minutes had me riveted! The horse-drawn carriage chase scene was incredible. And every one-on-one mano-y-mano was brilliantly choreographed. Case in point, Aguilar's ghost versus Callum Lynch. And don't get me started on Maria's 2-against-1 number. That one almost had me screaming 'Girl Power!' in the theater.

3. Cinematography. Damn, those wide angles! Thanks to the iconic CGI eagle, we were pitched into the landscape of a cruel past. I dig that. From the GoPro shot of a mountainous terrain, to the dramatic caress of a stage of burning bodies, to the rustic dusty skyscrapers and towers specifically built for Aguilar to jump off from.

4. Are you seeing this, cosplayers? The costumers were on point --from the ominous garb to the tattooed skin. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing an imaginary character come to life in its most faithful detail. Heck, I squealed the first time I saw a Morrigan cosplay, thinking, "So that's how you keep that impossinle bustier up..."
Anyway, you should've seen my boys geek out to high heavens every time a hidden blade was unleashed. Kudos to the movie's production designer, seriously.

5. The cliffhanger was done clean. I know that some movies or TV shows have cliffhangers that give too much (I'm looking at you, Marvel) or too little (I'm looking at you The Walking Dead), and that kills the magic all together. Whereas, Assassin's Creed held its breath just enough to make you want a sequel.

Bottomline, even if you're not a gamer, you can enjoy this movie. You can keep up without feeling left out. It also helps that assassins, in all their mysterious glory, can be fascinating and crush-worthy. Oh! Michael Fassbender helped, too. :)

Assassin's Creed. It's still showing. Catch it.

Finding Originality in Finding Dory

Finding Dory is basically Finding Nemo with role reversals and character changes.

1. Instead of Nemo, the lost one this time around is Dory. With this flip, Nemo and Marlin have taken on the role of the searchers.
2. Instead of a friendly pelican, the necessary air transport for these sea creatures is now a deranged seagull named Becky.
3. Instead of a jowl full of water, Becky conveniently carries an orange water-filled bucket.
4. Instead of the dentist, the accidental abductor is now Sigourney Weaver and her band of marine biologists.
5. Instead of Gil, the daredevil in this sequel is now a stealthy little octopus named Hank.
6. Instead of three sharks, we are gifted with three seals on a rock.
7. Instead of a band of surfing turtles, we have a couple of huge-ass whales and echo locating helping our fishy friends find their way to their missing friends.
8. Instead of a fishing boat climax, it's a delivery truck --with an intense car chase scene, I might add.
9. We got a double treat for the destination of choice in this movie though. Instead of returning to the ocean, there's Cleveland Zoo for Hank and going home to her parents for Dory. But just like before, everybody ends up in the ocean and live happily ever after.

The plot is still the same: Going through great lengths to be reunited with family. I suppose this concept is just so beautiful that Pixar just had to repeat it. It's just disheartening that the sequel feels like an alternative version of the first film instead of a continuing sage. But that's just me. Your kids will still like Finding Dory because the familiar characters are there. And kids love familiarity.

Oh, one last thing. Instead of a cute, bull-headed Nemo, we are presented with a cute, scaredy kitty baby Dory. Baby Dory is the movie highlight for me. Not just because she's so darn cute, but because she managed to really bring the hardships and realities of short term memory loss to light. And that being alone as a child in a strange world can be really heartbreaking. Made me want to hug my kids.
So with all the trappings that went with this movie, Baby Dory is what made it for me.
Other than that, Finding Dory is Finding Nemo. Only Finding Nemo, being the original, is better.

Your Throwback Theater Treat: PIXELS

Following after the heels of Wreck It Ralph comes another arcade game-centric film made more poignant, thanks to the appearance of major characters designed to squeeze every bit of hairsprayed nostalgia out of you.

You'd think Pixels was actually geared towards the parents rather than the kids who came into the cinema. What with '80s 8-bit games, Holiday-esque Madonna, and Ronald Reagan coming into the fray. But the generation gap was almost seamlessly bridged. And we owe it all to Pixels' brilliant animation and every 10-year old gamer's capability to scour the internet for oldies-but-goodies games pre-movie viewing. I say 'almost seamless' simply because when Hall and Oastes came on, my kids were like, "Who the heck are these big-haired people?!!"

You know what missed the bridge though? The main premise of the movie.
Seriously? This intergalactic war came about because of a little miscomm? Sounds like a typical day at the office. Listen, sending an '80s time capsule into space is an okay idea with me. But communicating with aliens using video games as delegates, not so much.

Ah, but I guess that is not the point. The entertainment value lies in that all-too-cool possibility of being front and dead centre in a video game. Turning these flat pixels into larger than life 3D computer graphics that can abduct or amputate. Game rules dutifully applying in the real world: 3 lives, power pellets, 10 seconds of ghost vulnerability. I have never geeked out so hard!

Centipede

Space Invaders

Galaga

Pacman

Donkey Kong

Especially when Tetris came in tearing buildings apart level by level! Uh-huh. Tetris is so boss.

Shining moment? I liked it how Pixels brought up the dissonance between ancient games and modern-day games. In the 80's, you relied on patterns to win and earn arcade fame. In today's gaming world, you relied on skills and a peppering of rage so you don't die. How the concept of fun times have changed.

Drabby bit? I didn't like it that Lady Lisa had to assume human form. She should've stayed pixelised like every game element recreated for the alien attack. If she was in pure bit-map glory and still had a love affair with arcader Ludlow Lemonsoft --that would've been cooler! And more fair. *pats Q*bert on his cute head*

Pixels! Get your game on and get over to the cinema nearest you. It stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James --so how can you possibly lose?

Ant-Man Very Late Review

Well, this was a pleasant surprise. Like a baby firecracker that hits you in the face with a big, glorious boom kind of surprise. Yep.

To be honest, I had very little faith in Ant-Man, pardon the pun. But him being one of the not-too-popular characters of the Marvel universe (at least, in my universe), I didn't think much of him. In fact, I even tried to convince my kids that we didn't need to watch his debut movie. The only reason why we still did was because my train-crazy son saw Thomas the Tank Engine in the trailer and got all pumped to see that part --and that part alone. That and my other son was craving for movie popcorn. So before I knew it, we were running to catch Ant-Man on its last week.

And it was a whirlwind on fun!

The plot wasn't exactly new. You know… awesome technology. Bad guy plans to use it as a weapon for war. But its nanotechnology so it makes it more special.
The real backbone of the story was this though --FAMILY. How you sacrifice, do stupid things, create little mistakes that lead to huge cracks for the sake of the people you love. Now THAT'S special.

What really got us going for this film, however, was the brilliant use of comedy. Scott/Ant-Man was hilarious. And so was his best friend schemer, Luis, whom I have to say was my favourite character in the entire film.

We also like how The Avengers was seamlessly woven into the film. From Doctor Pym openly saying how he wouldn't want Tony Stark to get his hands on his nano-invention. From Ant-Man stealing a valuable equipment from The Avengers secret facility. And from the inch-high hero actually duking it out with Falcon.

In other news, my 14-year old science geek was more into learning about the different kinds of ants, which the movie introduced with the funniest of circumstances --(that and how to crack open a safe using plain household tape and/or liquid nitrogen). While my 11-year old train geek couldn't get over the fact that Thomas the Tank Engine had so much airtime. Educational and Entertaining! Ant-Man is quite a package.

All in all, Ant-Man is an exciting, laugh-a-minute ride!
If, like me, you've been having doubts on its cinematic greatness… bite your tongue. And run to the movie house nearest you. You still have a few days to catch this little bugger.

A World of Badassery: Jurassic World

*excessive fangirling*

*giddily screaming*

*jumping around like a little school girl on Christmas morn*

This, my friends, is my Jurassic World post. And, if you know this family, you'd know that we're suckers for dinosaurs and genetic mutation --not necessarily in that order. So, for us, Jurassic World was like a complete package tied with a lovely golden bow.

What had us going was…

How the Velociraptors' intelligence and teamwork were played up to the hilt here. They were military weapons! And Owen 'riding with the raptors' will always be the epitome of badassery to us.

How the concept of family and brotherhood were made the main foundation of the plot. Why kids whose parents are going through divorce always get invited to this dinosaur park is a mystery though. But hey, why not.

How the film gave respect to the original Jurassic Park. From the mosquito in amber to the kids' discovery of the old park's garage, from Lowery's Jurassic Park ebay merchandise to the running around crazy with a flare in one hand while being chased by a rabid T-Rex. Oh, and re-quoting Dr. Hammond's 'Spare no expense' was gold!

How Dr. Henry Wu, seemingly loyal Jurassic Park scientist, was being groomed in Jurassic World to be the next film's mad man.

How beyond awesome the super dino Indominus Rex's genetic mash up was. She's the dream dino! Smart, underhanded, maniacal, manipulative. And my boys loved her. She was just… misunderstood. Lol!

How the T-Rex was --and will always be-- the King of Lizards no matter how awesome a hybrid these scientists cook up. That ending where the badly-wounded T-Rex saunters triumphantly on top of the heli-pad to growl into the four winds --goosebumps, baby!

And last but never the least…

How a woman can battle all forms of stress and adversities even in high heels. You stomp on, Claire… you… stomp on.

Our two favourite dinos, the T-Rex and the Raptor, tag teaming to slay the Indominus was cartwheel-worthy, too.

Overall, Jurassic World was badass. To quote my boys: 'Best. Movie. Ever!' So if you're watching --and you should-- be prepared to get your Grrrr…!!! on.

Jurassic World is in cinemas all over.

The Ups and Downs of The Avengers Age of Ultron

Spoiler Alert!
And disclaimer: This post was written by not a Marvel comic fan but by a Marvel movie-watching mom.

First off, the plot isn't the easiest to follow. Especially if you're watching this with kids who kept complaining about their cheese popcorn-smeared 3D glasses half the time. So to summarise --just in case you need to explain to said kids later on-- Loki's staff and Tony Stark's scientific meddling spew forth Ultron --a semi-insane synthezoid who's badass talk is just plain awesome. Ultron wants to create order to the world via chaos, which is kinda like Tony Stark's shtick, too. Ultron later builds a body for himself because the robotic skin just wasn't working for him. But later, Tony Stark decides to fit in JARVIS into this body. Thor gets a vision and decides to lend a hand in this science project. And BOOM --The Vision is born.
Still confusing?
Okay, let me just do a run down of our favourite parts of the movie then. Less brain drain there.

1. The Twins
Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch make their debut and their synergy is just fab. I love the vendetta-fueled rage! And when they turned goody-two-shoes and saved those people in that runaway train incident, it was teamwork for ze win! Woohoo! I am also thankful that Scarlet Witch didn't wear her comic costume and instead went all Stephern King Carrie on us. Creepier and more loveable that way.

2. Back Stories
I love how Scarlet Witch's power manipulated each Avenger into going into depressing dream states. It gave us a peak into Black Widow's assassin training past. Cool!

3. Hawkeye the Family Man
Speaking of back stories, I love how the movie revealed a different side of Hawkeye. He's married with children and lives in a cabin off in the woods, thanks to a Shield Protection Program. Fantastic but it does make us see that these superheroes are human, too.

4. Girlfriend Battle
Another humanising element in the film is when Tony Stark and Thor went about a 'Whose girlfriend is better' debate.

5. Hulk hearts Black Widow
Speaking of girlfriends… Dang! The love between Black Widow and Hulk is so sudden! And it gave my kids a slight shiver since they've seen this sultry fighting machine be a little sweet with Captain America in the Winter Soldier. But then, this twisted love affair was still cute and oddly appropriate since only Black Widow can calm the big green guy. Sure, it ended in heartaches. But hey, that's how all love stories go. Give it time.

6. Hammer Time
Loved how lifting Thor's hammer as a parlour game set up the fact that later on in the movie, it would be easily lifted by The Vision --the only other hero who's as worthy as Thor.

7. Hulk vs The Hulkbuster
This was fun. Heck, all the fight and action sequences were fun!
"Gotosleepgotosleepgotosleepgotosleep…"

8. Bully vs Banner
It gave us such a giddy feeling to see Stark being a complete heroic jerk as always --and easily bullying the wimpy sandwich, Banner, to play along with his crazy schemes. Oh, Dr. Banner, you're adorable.

9. Robot Zombies!!!
Did anyone notice how Ultron's robots moved like World War Z's zombies? Utter glee! Zombie lover here. Don't mind me.

The parts that made us raise an eyebrow…

1. Thor's Pool Wading
This part was a little lacklustre and befuddling. Which is kinda sad since this should've aided in the turning point of the story. Then again, I'm not a Marvel comic reader, hence, the reason behind being easily lost. And, this was the part when my boy got cheese on his 3D glasses… so yeah.

2. The birth of the Vision
I dunno. We liked JARVIS better when he was nothing more than a lovely voice in our heads. Now that he has a body --a purple one at that-- the magic just died for us. *sigh*

3. Speaking of deaths…
Ultron and Quicksilver died! Our two favourite characters! Okay, it was a given with Ultron --him being the big baddie and all. But Quicksilver had so much life in him. He had a future! *sniff*

Err… did I ramble? Yeah, I always do.
Ending my blabbering by saying 'watch the Avengers: Age of Ultron in cinemas today'!

We found a hit in HOME!

"Oh no! My hands are in the air! Like I just do not care!"

Honestly, this is the line that sold me into watching HOME by Dreamworks.
While my kids had no idea why I found that line incredibly hilarious, they did want to watch the movie for one very simple reason: Alien Invasion!

Going in, I was a little worried because alien invasion isn't like the most original plot idea ever. Neither is human girl befriending cute alien. But alien turned fugitive due to misspent email IS! I love how the whole tension of the movie was in figuring out Oh's password. Real life struggles, people! Haha!

But the real driving force of HOME... is family. And that's why I love this film to bits.
I like how the alien Boov invaders looked nice and sweet and yet they have no concept of caring for one another because the concept of family was alien to them. In the end, they came out as the unwitting bad guys in the story and that's a lovely twist.
I love how Tip, the main character voiced by Rihanna, had the non-stop guts to find her mom in a planet that was already infested with aliens. That's how tight their family bond was.
And I love the plot twist that the baddie Boov destroyer, alien Gorg --who later on came out to be simply misunderstood-- was just doing the massacre that he does to save the next generation of his family.
*sigh*
The running theme was just so tight that I wanna take the next flight out and hug the creative genius who thought of it!

Aside from the solid jokes and antics thrown around in almost every scene (which my kids totally ate up), there were also poignant parts in the movie that made me almost tear up. Yep. True story. I guess that's how strong my heart goes out to family, too.

And then… the soundtrack. Great, GREAT selection there. If they have a HOME Soundtrack CD, we are so there.

Overall, HOME is a lovely movie that's both fun and heartfelt. I'm realising now that animated movies make me cry more than live action movies. Wow.

Anyhoo, I didn't put up a Spoiler Alert on this one because we watched the movie on its last day. So if you had the wonderful privilege to watch HOME like we did… group hug!

Sponge Out Of Water: Into Our Top Flicks List

SPOILER ALERT!

The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water. I love this movie for three reasons.
1. No
2. David
3. Hasslehoff

Ok, that was harsh. Other than that, the storyline for this particular movie was also gold. Compared to the first Spongebob offering in the big screen, this flick has better pacing. Better dialogue. It's in 3D. And, dude, there's a nod to The Avengers so how can you possibly go wrong?

For a while, I did want to complain about the 3D hype though. Mainly because half the movie was still in its usual TV series cartoon form. So I felt a little shortchanged. But when the 3D action went on, the level of action that came with it made the wait so worth it.

I love how the storyline revolved around what the TV series has always hammered down on us as truly important: The Krabby Patty Formula. I love the plot twists --that the pirate who stole the formula actually stole it to boost his food truck sales. And that THAT pirate was actually the pirate in the TV series' intro credits music. I love the fact that THAT pirate just had to be Antonio Banderas!

And the kids, of course, appreciated that their favourite cartoon characters needed to have super powers to save the day. Mr. Krabbs, YOU ROCK!

SQUIDWARD, YOU ROCK!

Ah, Sandy… if I were you, I would so sue. :P

As a mother, naturally, I would have to say that the concept of TEAMWORK was the main backbone of this film is very good. Even Plankton became one of the good guys. Well… temporarily, that is.

Overall, good watch for the family.
The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water hits cinemas on April 4. You'd be missing a lot if you didn't take a dip in this one.

Penguins of Madagascar: Pure Madness!

"Nicholas! Cage them!"
"Drew! Barry! More power!"
"Kevin, bake on! We still need that victory cake!"

These are just some of the insane reasons why Penguins of Madagascar is such a huge hit. It's a movie that makes no excuses. It looks you in the eye and says, "We're here to have ridiculous fun and there's nothing you can flappin' do about it!" 
*cue intense side eye*

The Penguins --the best thing to ever come out of Dreamworks' 2005 Madagascar movie, other than King Julian's 'I like to move it, move it'-- are back. And this time, it's spy versus spy with an outrageous bunch of new characters who go head to head with the flightless badass birds' individual expertise.

Skipper and Classified ('That's not my name!'). Leaders.

Kowalski and Eva. Brains.

Rico and Short Fuse. Demolitionists.

Private and Corporal. Just so darn cute!

And, of course, there's Dave.
That maniacal be-tentacled antagonist with a bizarre motive and an absurd vengeance plot whom we've all come to recklessly love. John Malkovich makes it so. And this sea creature's 'I HATE CUTE!' battle cry just makes us all feel better about ourselves. Hahaha… ha… ha… eherm.

All in all, the Penguins of Madagascar seemed to have broken into some high level security facility and stole the formula for an unbelievably enjoyable family movie: Impossible gadgets, fantastic action, incredible confrontations, brilliant pacing, and hilarious upon hilarious dialogue. Cameos by King Julian and Mort are just the coolest icing on the cake, too.

So if you want to just laugh your medulla oblongata off, then this is the family quality time for you. The Penguins of Madagascar. In theatres.

Oh, and the best part? This throwback.

Awwww…. <3 <3 <3

The Bigness of Big Hero 6

Not one to shy away from death and despair, Disney returns with another movie about loss and coping… dressed up in ultra-nerd robotic warfare!

Yeah, yeah, I'm talking about Big Hero 6.

An animated action flick that boasts of tech genius in Bot Fights, nerd labs, and… you know, massive microbot attacks on the sweet city of San Fransokyo. (note: my boys want to move to San Fransokyo ASAP, by the way)

Now, if you'll only look at Big Hero 6 on the surface, you'll probably shrug and say, "Oh! So it's like the cartoon version of Kickass?"

Yes and No.

Yes, because these kids did make superheroes out of themselves, with costumes and weaponry to boot, eventually making the world a better place and all that.
No, because if you look deeper, the storyline will tug at your heartstrings BIG time.

Aaaand… SPOILER ALERT, ON!

Hiro's whole young life is riddled with losing people he loves. He's lost his parents. Then lost his big brother. And when he finally found a friend in an inflatable nurse (no, it's not what you think) named Baymax, he goes off and sacrifices himself to save Hiro, too.
When the world seems to eat at you like that, you get angry. You want revenge.
The cool thing is how Hiro's feelings are mirrored by the enemy, too. Kabuki Mask is also out on a rampage to avenge the death of his own daughter.
Ah, the irony of it all.

Ah, but I have said too much. Bottomline is that when you watch this movie, after marvelling at the awesome science behind the gadgets and gears, look beyond the lasers and smoke and see real people experiencing real emotions. And see how they cope and live again.

And if there's anyone who can tell you a thing or two about survival --whether it's from being typecast as a bad building wrecker in a video game or from being dubbed a freakish queen with freeze-inducing hands-- it's Disney.

So it you want to go big on flash and feels for this week's family movie, catch Big Hero 6.
And do hug the huge Baymax balloon man figure at the gate. You know you want to.


*Images from Hitfix.com.

The Big and Buffed TMNT 2014!

SPOLER ALERT!

They're green. They look human. They're ridiculously ripped. In ripped clothing.
OHMYGOD, IT'S THE INCREDIBLE HULK IN A HALF SHELL!

Oh, wait… were you expecting something like this?
To avoid further shell shock, let's do a rundown of the changes Paramount's 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has to offer, shall we?

THE TURTLES
The new character design is about the most glaring a change this reboot did. The Turtles' faces were very human. Make them flesh-colored and deprived of shell and they can easily blend in with mankind. The WWF-intense work out-celluloid-pumped mankind.The muscles on these teenagers were insane! Specially Raphael who jumped from the hot-headed member to the group's ultimate bruiser… in a frakkin' do-rag, yeah!

BACK STORY
I LOVE the origin change! April O'Neil plays a bigger role in the lives of Splinter and the Turtles as their original pet owner and saviour during the lab fire, Not just a random over-eager reporter. Crossing the Turtles' paths and past with Shredder and Saks was awesome! How Ninjutsu got introduced to the Teenagers was cool, too. And showing them in their preteens… was insane.

SPLINTER AND SHREDDER
The sewer rat sensei had an upgrade in his fighting skills and drama skills. Thank you for making full use of his tail in the battlefield. Shredder had an upgrade, too. He was a samurai robot. With flying knives that boomerang right back at will. I guess it's okay. It reminded me of The Transformers. Then again, Megan Fox did, too.
Both martial arts masters engaged in hand-to-hand combat --which to me was the best, heart-wrenching fight sequence in the film.

THE FOOT CLAN
Ok, this change completely infuriated me. The Foot is a formidable force of Japanese Warriors! They are NOT a gang of ski-masked, gun-toting hooligans! UGH! I felt so deprived of my youth just then. It made me want to break stuff. I overate popcorn instead.

There were some pretty cool nostalgic bits made specifically for the oldies in the audience. So you know the flick still gave the original cartoon due respect despite the massive alterations made.

MIKEY'S JET-POWERED SKATEBOARD
Still there. So happy. Just like pizza.

VERNE FENWICK
Yes, please! If they had thrown in Casey again, I would've retched. Hockey stick vigilante Jones never really did it for me. I mean, the grit belongs to the Turtles. So he can just step back and wait for his own movie.
Whoa… harsh.

MANHOLE
Of course!

THE VAN! THE VAN! THE VAN!
HOLY SHITAKE! I was NOT expecting that! So you can just imagine how much I utterly geeked out when the ammo-loaded party van from the '80s cartoon rolled in! *still hyperventilating*

Of course, the movie had its ups and downs. Here's our grocery list:

DOWNS
THE EVIL PLOT
Spreading a deadly chemical from atop the highest building has been done in Spiderman. Making the antidote a business venture has been done in Mission Impossible.

"WE'RE BULLETPROOF!"
I don't even know what to make of that. So I'll just pretend it didn't happen.

MEGAN
Semi-downside. There was an attempt to de-sexify Megan Fox a tad to make her fit better into the April O'Neil mold. Uh, no. The cinema-going, hormonal teens still saw The Transformers' Megan Fox. You can't just shake that sultry off.

UPS

ACTION!
This flick was loaded with it! It oozed Michael Bay! But the best to note was the car chase/shell toboggan scene on a snow-capped mountain. The fight scene choreography was, likewise, a sight to behold. It wasn't Rurouni Kenshin, but hey, I'm not complaining

GRIT!
The Turtles were made to look dirty and scaly and moist *cringe* --which is actually very realistic when living in a sewer. The tattered Indian-esque manner of clothing and accessory was cool, too. It gives you that 'living underground hippie-style' vibe.

TECHNOLOGY!
Donnie's toys were severely amped! Glad the movie kept the reptilian genius up with the times.

ELEVATOR BEATBOXING!
The. Best. Part. Ever.

Now, some movie reviewers will tell you that TMNT 2014 was way too kiddie and too fantastic to create enough depth and substance. Dude, they're teenagers. They're mutants. They're ninjas. And to top it off, they're turtles. Drop the depth and have fun!

Cowabunga yourselves to cinemas now!