Hollywood’s recent trek into nostalgia gets green, mean and cheesy with Warner Brothers’ new CGI film “TMNT,” the fourth film in the once-popular “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” franchise.
The story is set several years after the events of the third film. The Turtles are in disarray after Leonardo, their leader, was sent into exile in Latin America to battle his demons and complete his training per the orders of Master Splinter. His brothers have lost their way in his absence, especially Raphael, who feels bitter and betrayed. He decides to take matters into his own hands and walks the night as the Nightwatcher, a vigilante who fights for his own brand of justice. April, voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar (“Scooby Doo”), the Turtles’ close friend, ventures to find Leonardo and convinces him to return, despite his reluctance. Upon his return, all greet him warmly but Raphael — a conflict he must deal with the entire film.

p. Meanwhile, billionaire tycoon Max Winters, voiced by Patrick Stewart (“X-Men”), has collected strange stone statues that come to life and wreak havoc upon New York City by battling demons in the night. In addition, the Foot Clan, the Turtles’ old foes, have resurfaced. It seems Leonardo has returned at just the right time; the end of the world seems near unless the Turtles can put a stop to it.

p. The new film is directed by life-long ‘Turtles’ fan Kevin Munroe, making his motion picture debut. He was able to resurrect a once-dead project and convince investors he could make it on a third of the budget he was given. Munroe does not disappoint, as his direction is full of energy and passion. His only fault lies in the script — it’s too short. After only 87 minutes, the movie is suddenly over. With so much time spent on developing the main characters (which provided some great exposition), it seems Munroe ran out of gas and decided to end everything at once.

p. This film is rather dark for a kids’ movie, especially given the conflict between Raphael and Leonardo that results in a fight scene that could leave many young kids in the theater feeling uncomfortable. However, the new film is a vast improvement over the last two in the franchise, ditching most of the cheesiness and idiocy that plagued them. Now, not all cheesiness is gone — Michelangelo is still Michelangelo, the pizza-loving, skateboard riding, wanna-be surfer dude. Donatello is still the know-it-all and Splinter still has his dry sense of humor. Also, there is the returning Casey Jones, voiced by Chris Evans (“The Fantastic Four”), who continues to provide comic relief. But even with these elements, the new film fails to match the charm of the first in the series. However, many ‘Turtle’ purists rebuke that remark by saying the new film is truest to the source of the story.

p. In addition to the dark plot turn, “TMNT” welcomes a shift into CGI — an interesting change which keeps the movie fresh. The CGI in the film is certainly in the upper echelon of what Hollywood has to offer and allows Munroe to take the genre to another level. One thing sure to separate “TMNT” from other CGI films is its action, which easily trumps the likes of “The Incredibles” in terms of violence. This, combined with the hyper-kinetic camerawork, makes the film a thrill ride.

p. The actors do a commendable job with their voicework. Oscar-nominated Mako (“Pearl Harbor”) adds a new layer of strength to the character of Splinter with his deep voice, while still maintaining the traits that made Splinter likeable in the past. Sadly, Mako died before the release of the film, but was still able to complete the majority of his voicework.

p. The soundtrack is also something worth noting. While the ‘Turtles’ franchise is known for spawning such classics such as “T-U-R-T-L-E Power” and “Ninja Rap,” by platinum-selling artist Vanilla Ice, the new soundtrack has a rough edge to it that compliments the film. By featuring the likes of the Gym Class Heroes and P.O.D, the film is able to connect with the target college demographic.

p. A lot of the criticism toward the film is that it was only made to push a new series of toys. However, that is not the case; the real reason the film was made is because the last toyline did so well. After all, the previous cartoon incarnations of the film all failed. Also, many are comparing this film to the originals, which is a mistake. While the film was made to honor its past, it aims to go in a completely different direction.

p. In short, “TMNT” is a kids’ movie about teenagers targeted at the college crowd. It’s made for the kids who grew up with the Turtles way back in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The darker story shows this. If the newer generation catches on, great. If they don’t, that’s fine as well. If this is the Turtles’ last hurrah, then by all means this film should give itself a huge COWABUNGA.

__Four Stars out of Five__

Mike Binder’s “Reign Over Me” narrates an unusual relationship between Alan Johnson, played by Don Cheadle (“Crash”), and Charlie Fineman, played by Adam Sandler (“Click”). Once college roommates, they are two sides of the same coin. Alan has gone on to become a successful dentist, but Charlie is a broken, nearly insane man whose entire family died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. A surprisingly lighthearted tale of loss and healing, the film is charming, but too often it sacrifices solemnity for comedic cheap shots.

p. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this film — the feature that piqued everyone’s interest when previews were released — is Adam Sandler’s presence as a dramatic character in a dramatic movie. It often proves difficult for comedians to make the transition to drama. One can reference Jim Carey’s less than satisfying “The Truman Show,” “The Majestic” and his latest flop, “The Number 23.” Robin Williams, too, proves uncomfortable out of his comedic skin; “One Hour Photo” didn’t do too well, for example.

p. It must be said that Sandler slides more gracefully into drama than others like him. He by no means gives a seamless performance, often relying on stock expressions, but his grief and anger are real. Like Johnny Depp in “Secret Window,” Sandler has wisely chosen a dramatic but quirky role in which he is not obligated to keep a straight face, but can showcase his prowess with a few emotionally charged scenes. He plays a loose cannon. Charlie is prone to bursts of violence and despair, but can also be childlike and fun-loving. Cheadle, his successful counterpart, also engages in the humor/pathos dichotomy. He is stifled by his controlling wife and boring career, and finds great fun in playing Charlie’s video games and riding his scooter. Ineffably likeable, Cheadle is a joy as usual.

p. What undercuts both actors and story, though, is the film’s ongoing identity crisis. It does not know whether it wants to be a comedy or a tragedy (well, more pathos, really, but why be technical?), and it doesn’t possess enough poignancy to be a tragicomedy or enough darkness to be a black comedy. There are too many scenes bordering on goofy, so what is it? While the moments of comic relief (and there are many) are often clever or merited, enough are gratuitous to devalue its drama. Granted, it’s still a very good movie that proves powerful enough to pay attention to, but the viewer cringes when an unnecessary or overly obvious joke is made at the expense of the seriousness of the characters’ situations.

p. The film is fun, but it is much more than mere entertainment. The relationship between Alan and Charlie, though not really subtle, is heartwarming. Charlie brings out the child in Alan; Alan helps Charlie confront the memories he has repressed. There are stormy moments in which Charlie has an outburst and the two are at odds, but otherwise, their relationship is so feel-good that the viewer cannot help but feel a sense of foreboding. It seems like this can only end in tragedy (the price the viewer expects to pay for all of the laughs she has enjoyed). The movie avoids an unnecessary and contrived tragic ending, which is good, but substitutes it for a happy one that is almost too clean.

p. Still, despite the genre confusion (and maybe one has to step away from “genre” to enjoy “Reign Over Me”), the film has a lot to offer. Though the characters are not terribly realistic, they interact in interesting ways. Similar to “Crash,” it intertwines apparently unconnected characters in such a way as to give everyone at least some measure of worth. These sorts of movies are usually life-affirming and clever.

p. One of the best aspects of the film is its hot soundtrack. The film’s title comes from a classic, somewhat precocious metal ballad by The Who, which is played both in its original form and redone for the credits. Though love heals, this theme isn’t really prominent enough to justify the title. Still, Charlie’s preoccupation with music as an escape adds flavor. The Pretenders, Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen all make an appearance.

p. Seeing Adam Sadler in a serious role is a unique enough experience to justify seeing “Reign Over Me” — but it falls quite a bit short of the masterpiece mark.

__Three Stars out of Five__

“Far Away,” presented by the College’s Second Season, proved an entertaining foray into surrealist British theater. Ably directed by senior Alexandra Ruperti, the play combined projected multimedia, a superb choice in music and sound and effective set design to lay the foundation for quality acting. The play is broken into three seemingly unrelated acts. Each engaged the viewer in different ways.

p. The first act slowly describes a terrible scene a child has witnessed, leaving the audience guessing what exactly the story is. Junior Bess Kaye aptly portrays Harper, the aunt who knows her husband is doing a violent wrong. Similarly, freshman Maggie Seegers’ dramatic skill shows as she plays Joan, the innocent but inquisitive child who knows she has seen something she ought not.

p. The beginning of act two shows the Seegers and Todd, played by junior Alex Danvers, working in a hat shop. While the dialogue is interesting and the scene staged well, this scene draws one of only a few criticisms of the show. Both Seegers and Danvers demonstrate their individual acting prowess, but their onstage chemistry seems lacking. What could come off as a burgeoning love affair coupled with intense internal conflict is presented much more as a flat dialogue between the pair. Fortunately, this problem is endemic only to this scene as their onstage performance in the third act proves admirable.

p. Showcasing the hats made by Joan and Todd, the latter half of the second act features a bizarre fashion show. The show contains the only appearance of the Prisoners and ends in their deaths. This scene is when the intimacy of the studio theater shows its necessity. Completely breaking the fourth wall, the frantic personal interactions between the Prisoners and audience members, coupled with simply chilling sound design, is the emotional climax of the piece.

p. The finale of the play is also the most confusing part. It is within this act that the individuals’ dramatic strengths came through most impressively. The interplay between Kaye and Harvey exhibits some of the most convincing acting of the show. Their surrealist argumentation is offset by the sincerity with which they portray it, creating a pleasing disparity between what the audience hears and what is seen and felt.

p. That “Far Away” presents strong overtones on the problem of non-action in the face of wrong is evident when speaking with Kaye, who not only acts as Harper in the show, but who also serves as the production’s publicity director. She described the purpose of the show as “to demonstrate the absurdity of war.” These themes are highlighted with the use of interactive multimedia presentations which not only show the passage of time, but those who, instead of backing away in the face of evil, come forth and fight against it.

p. The show is as enjoyable as it is confusing. This could be a result of my status as an American theater patron. Kaye commented on the disparity of American and British audiences, saying that Americans are less used to non-plot based theatrics and that “[‘Far Away’], instead of trying to present a message, tries to invoke a feeling.” Perhaps this was indicative of my feelings. As the play ended and the house lights came up, the first comment I made was a hearty, “That was cool … What the hell happened?”