Why So Blu?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Ever since it was announced way back when that the beautiful, thumb challenged, mother of three Megan Fox would star as April O’Neil in an all-new live action adventure/reincarnation feature film of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I knew things were completely on the right path.  Cowabunga!  I was so right!  While the 2014 outing was rather silly and probably inconsequential to the survival of the TMNT brand as a whole (the Nickelodeon cartoon carries it alone), the end result was helluva lot of fun to be had (see my movie review here).  So it’s with great joy, giddiness and absolutely no exacerbation that I in an unbiased fashion tackle the green subject matter contained within this review, the sequel to the 2014 Paramount hit, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, with the utmost of care, caution and precious handling.  After all, these are cute, little green turtles.  But who we kidding?  These turtles love to kick arse!  Turtle power!

Film

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows gets a new director this time around, Dave Green (Earth to Echo).  The story is written by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec and stars the luscious Megan Fox.  Haha.  Okay!  There are more stars too like Stephen Amell, Will Arnett, Brian Tee, Tyler Perry Brittany Ishibashi, Laura Linney and William Fichtner.  Last but not least, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this way of thinking, but many peeps are probably excited to see how successful or unsuccessful the filmmakers are in bringing to life on the big screen TMNT favorites such as Casey Jones, Bepop, Rocksteady and the inter-dimensional “mastermind” himself, Krang!  I was particularly excited to see how the latter turned out, but I digress.  Read on you will!

In this second installment (I believe three movies are planned in this franchise), the four turtle brothers come into conflict with T.C.R.I. scientist Dr. Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and the return of their arch nemesis, simply known as the Shredder (Tee) to y’all.   After being defeated in the first film, the Shredder is back and forms a partnership in hopes of taking down the turtles and their master, Splinter.  He has hired Dr. Stockman to create mutants of his own.  This is the segue of course to how the cartoon’s beloved villain characters of Bebop and Rocksteady (voiced by Gary Anthony Williams and WWE wrestler Sheamus) come to be.   However, there’s much more happening here.  There always is in these sequels it seems where the filmmakers, no mater what franchise it is, think it’s A-okay to cram as many villains in as “humanly” possible.

So when I made reference to there’s a heck of a lot more happening in this film than just Bebop and Rocksteady I’m also talking about our turtles also discovering an “ooze” in hopes they can become humans (how else is Mikey really going to land April?) and an extraterrestrial invasion above New York City (sound familiar to any kind of Marvel film?) led by the Dimension X inhabitant known as Krang.  Hell yeah!  Krang is in this one baby!  He deserves his own film, but just in case that never happens, he’s in here!  So shut up and enjoy the fact that a talking brain is actually a reality in a film nowadays.  So as you might have already guessed, upon Krang’s invasion of New York City, the turtles must work together and join forces with not only their trusty and wise master, Splinter, but also their human allies too… April O’Neil (Fox), Vern “The Falcon” Fenwick (Arnett) and the hockey masked vigilante (not Jason) Casey Jones (Amell).

Now here’s the deal folks, and I just can’t hide it anymore, I had an absolute blast with this one!  Even I can’t believe my score I have awarded this one up above, but it’s for real people.  This second outing with our favorite green reptiles has me in stitches, ladies and gentlemen, not to mention having me rekindling with and reliving my childhood with all the classic TMNT characters and villains freshly brought to life on the big screen.  There’s so much good in this one that it’s almost difficult to write about without coming across totally screwed and/or biased.

So you remember people earlier this year exclaiming that Neighbors 2 was a worthy sequel?  Bah!  Humbug.  Whatevs!  I exclaim with the utmost of joy that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is finally a worthy sequel!  It has it all, high-octane action, gut busting comedy and a sizzling hot Megan Fox, not to mention the mutha effer himself, KRANG!  That’s right folks!  The diabolical “brain” of Krang is back on the big screen to wreak havoc for our green friends, not to mention the inhabitants of our beloved Mother Earth.  But don’t worry folks!  Our turtles and their human friends, including one that looks like Friday the 13th‘s Jason, will save the day, right?  Err…you better believe it!  However, it’s one hell of a fight as the turtles must not only win over the villains, but also the people and police of New York City who vehemently kind of see them as monsters, and who can blame them, eh?

Where do I begin?  Hmm…let’s talk about the film’s DNA first.  I’ll admit it, I felt like I was watching 2007’s The Transformers for the first time, yes that’s right, the only good one they made.  While I’ll agree that movie suffered from bad dialog like this one does at times, it’s the unmistakable visual look of a Michael Bay production that’s prevalent (sometimes with even the same shots) and a score that sounds suspiciously familiar.  Oh what do you know?  They’re both by the same composer, Steve Jablonsky!  Whatever, it works.  And that’s what I am saying.  The DNA is similar although the feature is completely different, sort of.  Heck!  There’s even a blatant nod to The Transformers in this one, but I’ll leave that for you to experience.

Now let’s move onto the movie’s fun factor.  Cowabunga!  This one amplifies the first installment in not only terms of action, but also in comedy too.  Every minute, and sometimes more often, I find myself cracking up and if a movie can do that to me after repeat viewings, then it deserves more recognition than chicken noodle soup.  The four turtle characters are definitely coming out of their shells in this one as we witness firsthand how they have grown and matured in many ways since the first film.  This isn’t a cheesy carton sequel, but rather one that should be taken seriously as it’s wildly entertaining and if this doesn’t put a smile on parents and kids alike, then I don’t know what will.  Hostess Twinkies anyone?

Last but not least, let’s talk about the humans.  Like the maturity the turtles are showing as they’re coming to age, the characters of April and Vern are blossoming in their own right.  Sure Fox is utilized much more in this outing and she looks better than ever (I don’t think she’s pregnant this time around when this was shot and her thumbs looked good too), but Arnett’s character of Vern takes a hilarious 360-turn from where we saw him in the first installment in 2014.  I did not forget the infamous character of Casey Jones either because it’s the homage to the turtles brand and legacy that makes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows work, not to mention how unapologetic silly and entertaining this second outing is.  This one leaves you wanting a third play date with these heroes in a half-shell and I’m pretty confident the folks at paramount and Nickelodeon will get just that.  Mighty Turtle power!

Video

The below video score and relative comments about it all are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.  However, I did watch the regular Blu-ray presentation of the film to compare and contrast certain sequences.  Rest assured that no matter what version you’re viewing they both look cowabunga fantastic.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• Layers: BD-66
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Clarity/Detail: Where do I even start here?  Holy hell!  Each frame of this movie is a treasure trove filled with Easter Eggs everywhere you can possibly look.  From the intricate detail in the turtles’ scales, fabrics and hair on Shredder to the impeccable detail in the rich, vast sets, backgrounds and even the leather garment that Shredder dons this one is picture P-E-R-F-E-C-T.  Krang looks wet and slimy like any good brain should, but probably for me the most striking detail is the minuscule beads of sweat on the turtles’ foreheads.  Don’t even get me started on discussing the turtles’ underground lair.  The vast level of detail is eye-popping amazing and I’ll leave it at that.  However, I cannot conclude this section without talking about the various explosions (Shredder’s escape, jungle blasts, etc.) throughout this film.  I watched them in both 4K ultra HD and in regular 1080p Blu-ray, but they both look the same.  When I say they look the same I am referring to how fake they look.  It’s sad extra care wasn’t paid attention to here to render these various blasts to look good on the home media formats, but I surely can’t ding the video presentation for that like so many did in the Mad Max Fury Road 4K Blu-ray release.
• Depth: Like the detail up above depth of field is everywhere you look in this 4K Blu-ray release in even the tightest of quarters too like when we see Shredder in front of Rocksteady and Bebop inside the prisoner escort van.  Other moments that awe include the city from the rooftops at night, the New York Knicks game and anywhere you turn inside the turtles’ sewer lair.  There’s so much more to explore and discuss here, but you get the “picture.”
• Black Levels: The black levels are deep and inky just like the comic pages the Turtles came out of.  The title of this action movie mentions “shadows” and a lot of scenes are stealth and take place in the dark.  Therefore, I’m please to report the night sequences throughout are absolutely stunning and beautiful looking in this HDR presentation.
• Color Reproduction: The HDR gives this one a nice, wide open color palette, but that’s not to say the colors don’t pop in vibrancy throughout.  The purple mow-hawk on Bebop for example is as magnificent as the name of the color employed.  Then there’s the turtles’ underground lair, the neons, the bright colors in the van, and whatnot that are simply sun quenching and pleasing just like a can of Orange Crush would be on a hot summer day.
• Flesh Tones: I don’t have any problem with the skin tones throughout as all moments of flesh are natural in appearance and satisfying.  Too bad there’s not more skin to see on Meagan Fox.  Ha ha!
• Noise/Artifacts: There’s some minor film noise in the frames once in awhile, but nothing to write home about to say momma this one looks terrible.  Other than the horribly rendered explosions, found on both the Blu-ray and 4K presentations, this one looks stunning and reference in almost every which way.  And I’m not just saying that because of Fox either.  LOL.

Audio

Like I mentioned up above in the video section, the below audio score and judging comments are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.  The feature film on the regular 1080p Blu-ray disc comes armed with the same explosive Dolby Atmos surround track that its 4K Ultra HD counterpart equips itself nicely with an explosive Dolby Atmos one.

• Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, English Audio Description
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
• Dynamics: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows seems like an odd choice for one to say hey check out some reference sounding material.  However, don’t let the cartoon subject matter and little green turtle-men scare you away from this Ultra HD release.  I love the way that every little shrill and nuance is so faithfully recreated and rendered in this Dolby Atmos surround track.  The music is well balanced throughout all channels as well as the sound effects and robust action that bring everything to life in this track.  Some of my favorite moments include the obnoxious grinding of Shredder’s steel claws against a surface in contrast to the small, perfectly rendered, angelic steps that April O’Neil takes.
• Height: There are many moments throughout to talk about how the height channel is employed throughout during playback, but here are some of my favorite ones: the turtles catapulting upwards in action, water splashing in the tunnels, shrapnel spraying during Shredder’s prisoner escape sequence, helicopters, teleportation and so much more.
• Low Frequency Extension: The LFE channel rumbles with pleasure in this one as the action and high stakes take the bass to all new levels and left me a bit deaf after my initial home viewing.  Every thud, heartbeat, explosion and manhole cover projected from the turtles’ van erupts with fullness and vivaciousness.  The LFE channel is like a rumbustious child during the opening of the inter-dimensional portal.  You get the idea, like the turtle’s martial skills the bass throughout here is a force not to be reckoned with.  I guess you can say the LFE channel gives a heftiness and weight to everything here.
• Surround Sound Presentation: The surround channels keep you constantly engaged throughout here with the score, action and effects.  Some of the highlights include motorcycles chasing you from behind and manhole covers flying violently past you.  Everything is accurately prioritized and rendered here as what happens onscreen is faithfully reproduced all around you putting you in the center of everything going on here.
• Dialogue Reproduction: Every spoken word is clear and intelligible throughout keeping you laughing hysterically the whole time.  You gotta love it!

Extras

Fans of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows can enjoy the ultimate viewing experience with the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, which includes the Blu-ray detailed below here with all the extras on it, as well as an Ultra HD Disc presented in 4K Ultra HD with English Dolby Atmos surround sound.  The Combo Pack also includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film redeemable at your favorite UltraViolet retailer and iTunes.  The various Blu-ray Combo Packs also include more than 40 minutes of action-packed bonus content.  You get to peek under the shell at the film’s eye-popping special effects, take a look inside the Turtles’ tricked-out van, go behind-the-scenes to explore the Turtleverse and much more!  The colorful, motion comic, pop looking menu is the same on both the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc.  So without further do, let’s take a look at all the extras down below in more detail that you’ll find on the 1080p Blu-ray disc.

• We Are Family (HD, 8:15) – The filmmakers talk about how this movie is more about developing the brothers as individuals.  Megan Fox and all the actors chime in too about the bond between the brotherhood.  All I saw was Megan Fox.  LOL.  We go behind the scenes in the filming here and dive deeper into the story about the fracture in relationships between the brothers.
• Whoa! Expanding the Turtleverse (HD, 14:19) – The filmmakers talk about the bigger threat this time around and their love of making these Turtle movies.  They also discuss how this second time out they could bring to life all the characters they could not in the first film.  So needless to say we explore all the new characters in this extra.  This was a real fun one!
• House Party (HD, 6:18) – This one is all about the new sewer lair after the first one got blown up in the first film.  This space is immense!  I was in awe of it throughout the film, but this extra makes it even more impressive.  Like the prior extra this one is a whole lot of fun seeing the environment of the turtles and how everything is adapted for them.  The level of detail in the sets in this extra is impeccable.
• It’s Tricky: Inside the Van (HD, 4:08) – Obviously this one is all about the garbage truck which lovingly know as the Turtle’s van.  We get to go inside the Turtle van here and the number of buttons and controls are amazing to behold.  They even have an Orange Crush machine inside.  We also get to explore all the gadgets and cool weapons.  Like Mikey says…this is awesome!
• ILM—The Effects Beneath the Shell (HD, 3:04) – This one depicts various scenes throughout the film and shows the all layers as they come together to form the finished product.  I would have preferred something a little more detailed and whatnot, but you can still have some fun with this quick look at all the key sequences throughout.
• Did You Catch That?  Turtle Eggs! (HD, 3:02) – The filmmakers talk about how they opened up every comic book scavenging for Easter Eggs in the material.  It was cool to learn about all the little things I missed in the film that the filmmakers educate us about here.  I like the Eastman name thing with Casey’s hockey stick.  Clever!  Happy hunting folks!
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 4:54) – There’s a Play All option or you can select one of three deleted scenes individually, Promotion, Career Opportunities and Kiss Me.  Promotion is alternate look at the hilarious promotion of “Falcon Breath” and a job promotion for Megan Fox’s character, April, to the anchor desk.  There’s even a 7-digit salary involved.  Career Opportunities further expands the last deleted scene with April telling Casey about her promotion.  Kiss Me is an alternate look at Casey and April’s breaking into the police station.

Summary

There you have it folks!  Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo are all back to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O’Neil (ooh la la) and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones.  Best of all, after supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady, and a “brain” to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world.  Humans Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Laura Linney, Stephen Amell, and Tyler Perry star in the live action film that is fun for the whole family.  Does it really get any better than this?  Do you need more reassurance?  I don’t think so!  Go get yourself a pizza and pre-order this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack here or via the links below.

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DISCLAIMER: This 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review was judged and graded using the following 4K certified A/V gear found here.  Make sure to check out all out 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews archived here.

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