Clearly there’s a line that one should not cross when working to reimagine a franchise or intellectual property. Yet also there is danger in complacency. For one, keeping a property exactly the same can result in staleness… it can lead to merchandise drying up as there is nothing to differentiate the modern from the past. When it came to the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie, we know the original design went far too radical (and ugly). But a course correction at the behest of fans resulted in a movie that beat Birds of Prey, much to the chagrin of the Harley Quinn fans.
It would seem that we’re in store for more of that proper reworking of Sonic the Hedgehog while maintaining the important parts that made fans love the character originally. Take a look at these posters for the Jeff Fowler directed sequel and you can see the affection for the character designs:
But a funny thing is happening. Whereas the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise hasn’t had a future this bright since the nineties, another nineties property is facing a far different destiny based on a far different vision.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a franchise that has had ups and downs. It was a cultural phenomenon since the eighties cartoon dominated the nineties. Then there was some financial success that followed the turtles, though nothing was close to equaling the original cartoon (and live action movies) until Nickelodeon released their original CGI series once they acquired the property rights. By sticking with the spirit of the turtles, the series was able to make creative turns away from some of the source material without losing the integrity of the franchise. An unnecessary reboot was kicked into high gear soon after (no doubt to make new toys) and it sputtered out like Sonic Boom for some of the same reasons: the series broke from the original spirit.
So how you get the turtles back on track if your Paramount? Well of course, you take Seth Rogen hot off the worst Christmas failure in the history of entertainment and let him loose with your potential cash cow.
The result? Anorexic turtles with ridiculous glasses, braces, and everything that makes teenagers feel less cool. That’s what kids want out of their superheroes: acne and awkwardness. We’re guessing Michelangelo will dabble in drugs on pizza… because Seth.*
How bad is it? When you have YouTube commentators calling your leaked images “dead on arrival” then you’ve missed the mark… by a lot. I mean, Mikey and Don look absolutely stupid. Is that my opinion? You bet. But it seems to be the opinion of many other people.
But what else would you expect out of a TMNT that is directed by the “Sausage Party” guy? The thing for Paramount now is whether or not they can do a hard 180 again like they did with Sonic the Hedgehog. In that case, audiences rewarded them handsomely. In the case of the turtles, this looks to be a disaster headed our way. I can’t imagine that Prepubescent Mutant Ninja Turtles keeps in line with the spirit of the source material. Maybe that’s just me.
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Now is your turn. What do you think about the new turtle designs with their slender arms and legs, glasses, braces, and spaced-out eyes? Let us know in the comments below and keep tuning into That Park Place for all the latest entertainment news!
