Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) parents guide

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) Parent Guide

What the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" do have to offer as an entertainment choice for tweens and teens is their sense of teamwork and brotherly love.

Overall B

In a city overrun by crime, there is a desperate need for heroes. Leonardo (Pete Ploszek), Raphael (Alan Ritchson), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher) and Donatello (Jeremy Howard) step up to fill that role -- even if they are not human, but instead Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Release date August 8, 2014

Violence C
Sexual Content B+
Profanity B+
Substance Use B+

Why is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) PG-13 for sci-fi action violence.

Run Time: 101 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Some suspension of disbelief is required before an audience can accept the parameters of most works of fiction and this is most certainly true of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I mean really—who could otherwise take seriously the idea of talking, six-foot tall, biped reptiles that are martial artists with a taste for pizza—no matter how much mutation was supposed to have gone on? Despite the preposterousness of the plot, these “heroes in a half shell” have enjoyed a great deal of celebrity and a cult following. Originally comic book characters, the sewer-dwellers have morphed into several animated TV series, games, toys and even films (most starring men in costumes). In this 2014 movie the famous four have been reincarnated, by the power of computer graphics and motion capture animation, so they look more “realistic” in their live-action setting.

With voices provided by Alan Ritchson, Noel Fisher, Pete Ploszek/Johnny Knoxville and Jeremy Howard, the brothers Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Donatello have reached an age where they no longer want to languish beneath the city. Assuming the Ninja training they have received from their sensei Splinter the Rat (Danny Woodburn/ Tony Shalhoub) is sufficient, the foursome ventures into the wicked world above with the hope of fighting a mob called the Foot Clan.

Meanwhile April O’Neil (Megan Fox), an eager young reporter, decides to do some investigative journalism in order to uncover the masterminds behind the same group of gangsters. Instead, she stumbles upon the vigilante turtles. With her curiosity piqued, April tries to track down this new angle to the story. Unfortunately her probing only places the crime fighters and herself in danger’s way because she brings their existence to the attention of an old enemy named Shredder (Tohoru Masamune).

Fans of this franchise will likely be delighted to see the adolescent antics of their favorite characters gracing the big screen once again. Along with the familiar humor, the script provides a more detailed, and scientific back-story to the turtles’ power and April’s connection to their past. However, parents of youngsters anxious to embrace the renaissance of these reptiles should be aware that they come with a steady stream of violence. While the depictions are bloodless, they do include weapons use, martial arts battles, death threats and perilous moments. Created with state of the art technology, careening vehicles, explosions and near-death falls offer the wow factor craved by action/adventure addicts, but may be too frightening for children.

Still, what the TMNT do have to offer as an entertainment choice for tweens and teens is their sense of teamwork and brotherly love. Pulling together they set out to use their super-strength to do good, tackle organized crime and protect the innocent (like April, whom they describe as “hot”). At the same time they wish to remain anonymous, unlike some of the vain villains they are attempting to unseat. These selfless values may be worthy of emulation—as long as your kids (who should always remember they aren’t covered by a bullet proof shell) can distinguish between them and the not-so-smart-to-copy behaviors like frequent fighting, reckless stunts and exploring the sewers.

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman . Starring Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Noel Fisher. Running time: 101 minutes. Theatrical release August 8, 2014. Updated

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
Rating & Content Info

Why is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) rated PG-13? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sci-fi action violence.

Violence: Characters engage in constant acts of violence. These bloodless conflicts include depictions of martial arts battles, bombs and explosions, impaling and stabbings, as well as gun and weapon use. Destruction of property and vehicles are frequent. Characters are taken as hostages, threatened with death and some are killed. A contest to prove strength results in the death of a couple of men. A demonstration of the effects of breathing a poisonous gas leaves a man disfigured and writhing on the floor. Characters are often in perilous situations, such as hanging from tall buildings, falling from heights, tumbling over cliffs and being mowed down by fast moving vehicles. Scary looking villains wear masks or armor, and their leader has a scared face (although he is never clearly seen.) Evil characters verbally express their lack of regard for the life of others, a willingness to use innocent people as bait and to take blood from the bodies of others—even if doing so means they will die.

Sexual Content: A few mild sexual innuendos are heard. A man ogles a woman’s behind. A billboard advertising lingerie is used as a hiding spot for a couple of turtles (think turtle-shell bra).

Language: Mild profanities are used infrequently.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters given adrenaline as medicine become extremely hyperactive.

Other: Blood is seen in medical tubing when it is being drawn out of the bodies of some characters.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) Parents' Guide

April is frustrated by her job because she is being assigned to light and frothy stories instead of investigating hard news. Have you noticed these two types of media coverage? Is there a place for both? How do you feel about the way news is presented in the various media you may use, such as TV, radio, print and the Internet? Do these various delivery methods also have different ways of approaching the same events?

Why do the Turtles always refer to April’s cameraman (Will Arnett) as “the old guy”? How does their age affect the way they see him? What other opinions might our personal perspective influence? Can we, or should we, try to compensate for these kinds of biases?

This movie is based on characters from a comic book, that have also been developed into a TV series, games, movies and various other products.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) movie is December 16, 2014. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Release Date: 16 December 2014
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles releases to home video (Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy or
Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) with the following extras:
- Digital Reality
- In Your Face! The Turtles in 3D
- It Ain’t Easy Being Green
- Turtle Rock
- Evolutionary Mash-Up
- “Shell Shocked” Music Video
- Extended Ending
- Making of “Shell Shocked”

Related home video titles:

Video alternatives…

Other movies based on this franchise include TMNT Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. Other superheroes have used their talents to fight crime include Batman, Spider-Man and Superman. Other animals undergo scientific experimentation in The Secret of NIHM and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

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