"On my count, El Tigre Magnifico!"
A lot has been made over Michael Bay’s announcement that his reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film franchise would feature our favorite pizza-eating reptiles as aliens from another universe, instead mutants exposed to radioactive green ooze. Fans of the franchise – myself included – were all like, “WTF Bay? What did we do to deserve this?” And of course Bay responded, “Chill bro daddies, it’s all good in the gated neighborhood.”
Now Bay has received some support from an unlikely party – TMNT comic book co-creator Peter Laird.
In a post, Laird encouraged fans to “swallow the ‘chill pill’ Mr. Bay recently suggested they take, and wait and see what might come out of this seemingly ill-conceived plan.”
“It’s possible that with enough truly creative brainpower applied to this idea, it might actually work,” he continued. “I’m not saying it’s probable, or even somewhat likely… but it IS possible. However, as I have pondered this further, I have realized that in one way it IS truly a genius notion.” (Via Entertainment Weekly)
Just so we’re clear, Laird is saying that Bay’s decision to change the origins of Leonardo and Co. from mutants to aliens is genius. I mean, if that’s genius, then changing them from turtles to tortoises must be f*cking MENSA-level sh*t.
Alas, not everyone is scrambling to Bay’s defense these days. Remember that whole firing Megan Fox from Transformers because she called Bay an asshole thing? Well, actor Chris O’Dowd sure does.
Last week, O’Dowd said this of the director he’s never worked with:
“I don’t know the ins and outs of it but it’s all down to having a fallout with Michael Bay. But who wouldn’t have a fallout with him? It’s one of the sexist things (sic) I’ve ever seen. She called him an a**hole. Well, he is a f**king a**hole. She’s not the only one who has said that. Why has she been singled out?” (Vis the Toronto Sun)
That’s a burn. But O’Dowd, who I thought was painfully bland in Bridesmaids, has come to his senses and is sorry for hurting Bay’s feelings.
“Chris O’Dowd here, are as you probably know me, that loudmouth Irish shit. Or even more likely, Chris O’Who?,” the letter starts. “Please know this, I never called you an asshole. For one, I don’t know you, and secondly, in Ireland, we say Arse,” writes O’Dowd, who goes on to explain that he wasn’t calling Bay sexist, but the handling of Fox’s firing. O’Dowd explains: “What I actually said was; ‘The way the Press gleefully dealt with the firing of a young woman was one of the most sexist things I’ve ever seen. People shouldn’t revel in seeing anyone lose a job. The dismissal of an old male actor would never have been welcomed with the same joy and ridicule.’ It was naive of me to assume a remark aimed at the sexism in the entertainment press would reach its target in the entertainment press. I’m new to all this and that was stupid of me.” (Via Hollywood.com)
You know who else is sorry, O’Dowd? El Tigre Magnifico, who is about to send a SCUD where the sun don’t shine.
I said this at Gamma but who reads stuff over there?
I just dont understand why they would change it to aliens. You already have Krang who is from the 4th Dimension and is technically an alien. Leave the Mutant in the Turtles is all I’m saying.
I mean it doesn’t like make me mad, it just seems stupidly unnecessary to change. Also childhood rape etc oh my nostalgia!
Making them aliens is obviously a sign that the filmmakers think it is an easier or more plausible scenario for the turtles origins. It expands the turtles universe and makes it seem possible for their to be female turtles so the gang can finally get some action.
I’m not claiming a rapeage of my childhood but this shit upsets me.
Ok, not to side with Bay, but has anyone considered the only change is that the source of the ooze is alien and that the turtles are still turtles?
Everyone can shut the fuck up now.
I LIKE TURTLES
Agreed
They’re missing a golden opportunity here by making them aliens. They could have incorporated these teenagers turning into mutant turtles (who know ninjitsu) with a BP-like oil spill catastrophe. You could have the Turtles fighting the corporation that made them who they were.
Mimicking his movements from my cage…
However, as I have pondered this further, I have realized that in one way it IS truly a genius notion.
Translation: Bay sent me a Ferrari, complete with a hot chick to wash it.
I could complain about how my 11 year old self is angry at these changes but I’m not going to see any movie by Michael Bay or about a show/movie I loved as a child. Some things are too sacred.
laird was being sarcastic. because he also said this:
“You know, I’ve been kind of impressed with the volume and intensity of fan reaction to this alien idea. It makes me wonder what the reaction would have been had the producer of the upcoming “Superman” movie announced that instead of Kal-El being an alien from the planet Krypton, they would be making him a mutant created on Earth by KryptoBioGenetics, Inc..
That’s almost as wacky. — PL”
After reading that, he said that it was both sarcastic and genuine. So, yeah.
I don’t think there’s much getting around the fact that the EW story rather shamelessly distorts the sense of Laird’s blog post. Snark shouldn’t be taken out of context.
I just want Morgan Freeman to voice Splinter. I have no idea why, but I do.
Ken Watanabe or GTFO
“The Turtles swam thru a river of shit and came out clean on the other side. Except for the shit.”
Those goddamn Transformer movies are the worst. Watching those fight sequences, I can’t tell what the fuck I’m looking at. All I see is machinery twisting and rotating, I can’t tell one transformer from another. I just can’t follow along.
Any more 80s toys you want to shit on, Hollywood? Transformers, check. GI Joe, check. He-Man, check. Why not make Go-bots vs. M.A.S.K.?
But, to be sure, they’re keeping the “Mutant” in the title. Otherwise why would people go see the movie?
I hate this idea, but to be fair Michael Bay doesn’t need to change their origins in order to ruin a TMNT movie. Though it will of course have to be the TANT now.
Also, I love Chris O’Dowd.
I like Chris O’Dowd too. Baby Mama was better than Bridesmaids though.
Chris O’Dowd is a cool dude. I’m assuming he is defending Megan Fox since they are co-stars in Friends with Kids?
Also, that banner pic is all sorts of great and I think you should submit that to some Hollywood execs as a pitch for Bay’s next movie.
“Chill bro daddies, it’s all good in the gated neighborhood.”
Uh, /yeah/, if you’re not looking suspicious with a pack of Skittles and some ice tea.
El Tigre Magnifico would shoot a SCUD, but his rigorous diet of OD’d bloated hookers and bean burritos hass make’a a’keety a’sleepy, soo a’sleepy.
Why hasn’t Bay done an adaptation of The Bible yet?
Chis O’Dowd should go back to the UK….and make more IT Crowd!!!
Hell yes!
Bigger Question… What movie will he reuse footage from in this one? Bad Boys?
I think there’s a simple explanation for this. Michael Bay has slowly been getting addicted to filming explosions in space. So now he wants TMNT to be aliens so he can film even more sweet sweet space explosions.
Earth explosions are for pussies.