The last few days, the internet has been in a frenzy due to some comments Michael Bay made regarding the new live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, which his company Platinum Dunes is producing. The comment everyone is up in arms about? Well, see if you can pick it out from the quote:
“When you see this movie, kids are going to believe, one day, that these turtles actually do exist when we are done with this movie. These turtles are from an alien race and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely lovable.”
Okay, so when we see the movie, the fans are going to actually “believe” these characters exist. They are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely loveable. Aside from “edgy” – which could be up for interpretation – that sounds about right for my beloved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Maybe Michael Bay will not . . . wait. What was that middle part?! “Alien race”?!
You’ve got to be $&%^ing $%*@$ing me.
Yes, TMNT fans, Michael Bay wants to make the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles aliens.
Usually when this type of “fanboy rage” surfaces, I may dabble in some light nay-saying, but I’m generally of the thought, “Let’s wait and see.” But this is Michael Bay, and he wants to change the very origin of our Heroes in a Half Shell. To hell with that. I am all for adjusting aspects of properties for better translation to the silver screen; many popular properties such as Spider-Man and Batman have taken liberties with the source material to provide a better on-screen interpretation of the characters and the worlds they live in. But to outright change an origin that makes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – again, emphasis on MUTANT – what they are and how they interact with the world is not okay.
Following these comments and the backlash, Mr. Bay posted this response to his Shoot For the Edit blog:
Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world.
There seems to be a disconnect between what fans are actually upset about, and what Bay thinks they are upset about. Of course we haven’t read the script, and you’re working with one of the original creators of the Ninja Turtles to help expand and create a more “complex” back story? Okay, I’d be willing to see what you’ve got in mind, stamp this with an original take. Building a richer world? By all means, the world in which our characters live is just as important as the characters themselves. But again, to change the basic origin, making the Turtles aliens as opposed to being simple turtles mutated by The Ooze, is a change that is just not necessary.
This isn’t to say that any and all change to the Ninja Turtles is bad. Case in point: the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book run from IDW Publishing by Eastman, Duncan and Waltz. In my opinion this is the best comic book out there your money can buy, and I assure you, many changes have been made. Complexity has been added to their origin, characters have been adjusted, the world they live in has been updated, all in a significant way – but they started first with the basics of four turtles and a rat mutated by an ooze and then built upon that. You can add “complexity” and “richness” without outright changing a much beloved origin that has existed since the characters’ creation. I would love to expand on exactly how all of this has been built upon in the comics because it’s just fantastic, but part of the fun is the reveal as the story unravels, so I’m going to instead encourage you to go to your local comic book store and pick these issues up for yourself – you won’t be disappointed! But I digress . . .
Michael Bay appears to be changing the origin of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a property I grew up with and have a lot of fondness for. Who knows exactly how far reaching this particular change is, perhaps he misspoke with that alien reference and was confused with some sort of Dimension X story line that is in the script that actually has nothing to do with the Turtles themselves. But let’s face it, this is Michael Bay and his track record speaks for itself; his movies aren’t exactly known for having complex characters and on-point story telling, so to say I have very little faith in what his production company is going to do with this franchise is an understatement.
For all of those out there upset about this alleged change, I’ll say this: Vote with your dollar. If the final product turns out to be something that doesn’t properly honor the franshise you love, don’t go see it. It’s really the only – and best – tool we as fans have for letting the creators know, “No.”
Please, all of you, stop paying to see Michael Bay movies. Just draw a line in the sand right now. It’s an easy concession to make and in some small way, I truly believe that you and society as a whole will be better off for it. – Clang! Boom! Steam!
What are your initial thoughts to Bay possible changing the origin of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Is the fan base over-reacting? Are you willing to see how this all plays out on screen? Sound off in the comments below!