Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Chockfull of producer Michael Bay's usual high-octane action, this new addition to the blockbuster franchise finds Leonardo (Pete Ploszek), Raphael (Alan Ritchson), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), and Michelangelo (Noel Fisher) battling villainous Shredder (Brian Tee) and his henchwoman Karai (Brittany Ishibashi). Escaping from a police convoy, Shredder joins forces with mad scientist Dr. Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two idiotic ex-cons (Gary Anthony Williams, WWE's Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly) to open a portal to another galaxy, where diabolical Commander Krang (voiced by Brad Garrett) plans global domination, utilizing his Death Star-like Technodrome warship. Tipped off by resolute reporter April O'Neil (Megan Fox) and her cameraman Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), the heroic, hard-shelled quartet—named after famed Renaissance painters—come out of hiding in the sewers, catching the attention of former corrections officer turned vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell) and skeptical police commissioner Rebecca Vincent (Laura Linney). Director Dave Green does his best to try to captivate the attention of youngsters with yet another retread story about mutant-heroes-in-a-half-shell who long for a normal life, but he's submarined by an idiotic script. Optional. [Note: Blu-ray extras include the production featurettes “Whoa! Expanding the Turtleverse” (14 min.), “We Are Family” (8 min.), and “House Party” (6 min.), deleted scenes (5 min.), the behind-the-scenes segments “It's Tricky: Inside the Van” (4 min.), “ILM—The Effects Beneath the Shell” (3 min.), and “Did You Catch That? Turtle Eggs!” (3 min.), trailers, and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing franchise entry.] (S. Granger)