A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fan Video So Amazing, You’ll Forget It Has No Turtles
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For years, much of what we knew about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles involved them being big, ass-kicking turtles. After all, they’re heroes in a half-shell, and they’re green. (That’s a fact, Jack.) Last year, fans got a theoretical taste of what it might be like to live in a world where Michael Bay and his production company Platinum Dunes turned this fearsome foursome into aliens, but that thankfully never came to pass. If only someone had tapped the guys behind Thousand Pounds Action Company and Epic Rival, who created the outstanding TMNT video seen above, then nobody would be nervous about the Turtles’ upcoming return to the big screen. This is truly sublime stuff.
It’s also pretty radical, in both the tubular sense of the word and in that it completely sidesteps actually showing any teenagers, mutants, or turtles, though the ninja part is still there. Style and presentation are key. Do I need Brendon Huor to be dressed in a hulking costume to believe that he is Leonardo? Hell no. He’s wearing a blue shirt and swinging katanas, so the only other thing he could do to be more like Leonardo is to shit on someone’s more lighthearted idea in order to save April from something. Plus, this is the first time Leo has ever rocked a mustache, which is an interesting concept in and of itself. Or is that just me?
Instead of pitting the guys against one of their major foes, this video is merely one of the most epic sparring matches ever. The foursome — which of course also includes Raphael (Xin Sarith Wuku), Donatello (Jimmy Chhiu), and Michelangelo (Micah Kams) — deliver a fine display of weapon handling and martial arts athleticism before settling into a basic tag-team set up. Still, it doesn’t take long before the central rivalry between Leo and Raph heats up, and they have a one-on-one while Donny and Mikey sit back and eat some pizza. Then everyone chases Leonardo! Then Master Splinter (Master Simon Rhee) comes in! THEN THE VIDEO ENDS WITHOUT TELLING ME WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO WITH MY LIFE! Not that it was supposed to, but I put my trust in it.
Set to a remix of Metal Gear Rising‘s “It Had to be This Way,” this Ninja Turtles homage could only get cooler if it lasted 90 minutes and was coming to theaters on August 8 instead of Jonathan Liebesman’s movie. And if they could get Will Arnett and William Fichtner to star in this one, too, then that’s even better.
Check out a Green Arrow-inspired video the guys made right around the time The CW’s Arrow was being announced. Stephen Amell has been doing a great job on that series, sure, but I’d still rather see this version.
