Hollywood
‘The Mutant Ninja Turtles’: Fun for kids
MUMBAI: By chance or by choice, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) has always been a reflection of its time. The new TMNT is also a time capsule, so to speak.
Even though the 97 minute film is far from perfect, it is everything a turtle movie usually is – fun for kids.
The movie has the elements of all the other Ninja Turtle movies like the Ninja Turtles who loves pizza (this time from Pizza Hut), the city of New York at risk and villains. The movie has nothing new to offer except for a flash back unlike the other installments
The basic plot, the TMNT lore has changed very little over the years. Four turtles come in contact with a man-made mutagen, grow up in the New York City sewer system learning ninjutsu from their adoptive father Splinter, a mutated rat. As in all stories, there is an evil organisation led by a man known as The Shredder, who really likes the idea of eating ‘turtle soup’.
The movie is based on a comic dreamed by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird 30 years ago intending to be a parody of comics at the time.
The film opens with a sequence of the city of New York in the grip of a crime wave unmanageable by the police officials. A channel 6 news reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox) goes after the trails a group Foot Clan, who she thinks is behind it. While searching for the group, he finds herself crossing paths with the last thing she ever thought to find: a quartet of 6-foot tall, crime-fighting turtles that – coincidentally – have a link to her past. When her colleague dismisses her discovery as a part of her overactive imagination, she seeks out the counsel of old family friend and billionaire scientist Eric Sacks (William Fichtner). As in all the movies, Sacks knows more than he’s letting on, and it isn’t long before O’Neil and her new turtle friends are thrust headfirst into a plot that threatens the entire city.
As O’Neil, Megan Fox gives a decent performance. There are also a handful of other humans with speaking roles, all very one-dimensional: a snarky-and-lovelorn co-worker (Will Arnett), a take-no-bullshit boss (Whoopi Goldberg), and a duplicitous businessman working with the bad guys. Comedians Arnett and Goldberg are sadly wasted in minor roles in the movie, as is Abby Elliot, in a cameo as April’s roommate.
Neither the narrative is strong, dialogues are too basic (even though they have tried to add a pinch of comedy) nor the music is extraordinary. Still the one thing the movie gets right is the individual personalities of the turtles. Even after the redesign, these are the turtles we love, adore and know: Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines, Raphael is cool (but rude) and Michelangelo, of course, is the party dude
Curiously, the film takes no time to introduce the characters, much less their individual names, so if you’re going in without prior knowledge, you may find yourself lost for a stretch.
If you are a fan or have a kid who is, the movie can take you to the ninja world. Don’t think and you might have a good time!
Cast: Megan Fox, Alan Ritchson, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Noel Fisher, Will Arnett, Danny Woodburn, William Fichtner, Johnny Knoxville, Tony Shalhoub
Producers: Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Bradley Fuller, Galen Walker, Scott Mednick, Ian Bryce
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Hollywood
Disney chair confident CEO Josh D’Amaro will ‘rise to the occasion’ in Trump–Kimmel row
Board backs new chief as ABC controversy tests leadership early on
NEW YORK: The Walt Disney Company has placed the responsibility of handling the escalating dispute between Donald Trump and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel squarely on its new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro.
Speaking at a business conference in Oslo, Disney chair James Gorman said it would be up to the CEO and his team to determine the company’s response to the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He noted that such challenges are not uncommon for large corporations and require careful handling at the leadership level.
The row intensified after both Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly called for Kimmel’s dismissal following remarks made on his show. The comments, which referenced the First Lady, sparked backlash in the days leading up to a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel addressed the issue on-air, clarifying that his joke was intended as a reference to the couple’s age difference and not an incitement to violence. He also expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident and reiterated his stance against violent rhetoric.
Despite mounting pressure, Gorman refrained from offering specific guidance on the future of the show or the host. Instead, he voiced confidence in D’Amaro’s leadership, describing him as “world class” and capable of navigating the situation effectively.
The episode presents an early and high-profile test for D’Amaro, who stepped into the top role just last month. How Disney balances editorial independence, public sentiment and political pressure will likely shape not just the outcome of this controversy, but also the tone of its leadership in the months ahead.
