Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Lynn Barker on Sep 16, 2016

Rating:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is out to take home. Will this be a good choice for your collection? Check out Kidzworld’s Blu-ray review.

By: Lynn Barker

What family doesn’t fight? Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael and Leonardo ("Mikey," "Leo," "Raph" and "Donnie") are at each other’s throats while kicking major Shredder butt and risking exposure to humans to help save the day.

The turtles convince Casey that they aren't aliensCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Shredder….He’s Back!

In the 2014 turtles film, the guys sent arch-nemesis Shredder (Brian Tee) to prison. Now, there is a plot to free him led by geeky scientist Dr. Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry). Reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox) is undercover trying to get info on the plot to break Shredder out of custody while he is being transported. Escorting Shredder and two minor crooks to another location is Corrections cop Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). Shredder’s minions manage to bust him out of the prison van despite the efforts of Jones and the turtles in their tricked-out garbage truck.

Shredder and pals confront Dr. BaxterCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Shredder’s Plan

Once Shredder sees thugs Bebop and Rocksteady (Stephen Farrelly and Gary Anthony Williams) he gets mad scientist Doc Stockman to turn them into a rhino and a warthog to serve as his goon squad. He’ll use a purple oozing liquid to power a device that will open a portal to another dimension through which he can bring an army for world domination with his cohort Krang (Brad Garrett) an alien squid-like brain-being living in a robot suit. First the goons must find three missing parts of the device and bring them together for the portal to open.

Bebop and Rocksteady aren't the brightest bulbsCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Family Squabble

Meanwhile, the turtles’ brotherly bond is falling apart. Brainy Donatello (Jeremy Howard) discovers the purple ooze may have the power to transform the turtles into humans so they can be accepted by Mankind and live in the daylight. Group leader Leonardo (Pete Ploszek) tells him they don’t need to be human while tough-guy Raphael (Alan Ritchson) and young and silly Michelangelo (Noel Fisher) long to be human.

Donatello drives the tricked-out garbage truckCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

The Vigilante

Casey Jones, on the outs with his police chief (Laura Linney) for losing arch criminal Shredder, goes all vigilante wearing a hockey mask, carrying hockey sticks and launching flying pucks. He saves April from Shredder’s hoods when she steals the purple ooze and he meets the turtles whom he thinks are human-eating aliens. Casey, April and her egotistical cameraman Vern (Will Arnett) eventually team up with the turtles to fight the bad guys.

Casey Jones ready to rumbleCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

End Game

With Krang importing a huge war machine piece by piece through the now-opened portal, will Shredder even matter? Will the turtles stop bickering long enough to help their human buddies save the planet? Will they come out of hiding into the light to do so?

Vernon, Chief Vincent, April and CaseyCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Special Extra Features

We Are Family features the actors who play the turtles wearing motion capture suits. We see them on set goofing off then, in split-screen, see the actor in his suit and the final turtle shots from the film. Very cool modern cine-tech in action!
Whoa! Expanding the Turtleverse - This is a “making of” featurette expanding on the Vern and April characters as well as discussion by actors of new additions like Casey Jones, Baxter, Be Bop and Rocksteady, Krang and a more “exposed” (you see his face more) Shredder.
House Party explores the Turtles new lair. We get a tour of the set, see props; a cool skateboard chair and each of the turtle bro’s personal spaces. Kinda neat. It’s Tricky Inside the Van- is similar and focuses on the garbage truck, tricked-out turtle van. Fun and creative.
Did You Catch That? Turtle Eggs- exposes a few hidden extra “Easter eggs”, surprises that pay tribute to the comics and earlier Turtle incarnations. This is nerdy fun for the fans.
We get three Deleted Scenes that explore a bit more about April in the newsroom and her budding relationship with Casey.

Turtle fave food: Pizza!Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Wrapping Up

This second of the more modern Turtle films explores the turtle brothers’ relationships more. You either like the “look” of these motion-capture-created turtles or you don’t. The plot is pretty silly/cartoony but TV’s “Arrow” Stephen Amell does a winning job of creating the Casey Jones character.

April prepares for a broadcastCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Extras are entertaining but I always miss a “blooper reel” and there is no audio commentary by the director on this one. As we did for the film in theaters, we go three stars.