Babbles of a Fangirl - Why I Might Boycott TMNT

This isn't the first time I've put in my two cent in about Michael Bay's production of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  If you'd like to catch up with my thoughts, visit here

As you might have noticed, I was one of the very few who decided to give Bay a chance after he released the detail that our turtle buddies were going to be, in fact, alien creatures.  And hey, with recent developments, he actually announced there would be NO ALIENS IN HIS MOVIE!  This was a ray of hope amongst so much bad. I called for Bay to give us something encouraging, a spark of hope amongst so much fanboy doubt, but instead he's gave us this.... 

Megan Fox is on track to play April O'Neil in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie....

Get it out now, kiddies

I've really tried my best to collect my thoughts on this subject.  At first I wanted to scream out at the top of my lungs "BAY YOU'VE FINALLY TAKEN THIS TOO FAR!" I wanted to jump up and down, screaming like a little girl about how my childhood was being stabbed in the face, but I soon realized I needed to step back from this anger and identify why I was so upset.

Was I mad that my choice for April was being overlooked?
In all honestly yes.  Let's be honest, there has never been a casting in a modern take on a nerd franchise that was not met with opposition.  

Case and point

....and again

Despite these qualms (in less extreme cases) we have found bliss with many of the movies with love.  Still, are these jeers valid?  To be honest, sometimes not.  I'm not going to be bitter that April was not played by the actress of my choosing because guess what?  I didn't have anyone in mind.   Which leads me to my next theory for why I'm upset.

Was I mad at the choice of Megan Fox?

After thinking about this I decided, not really.  I'm really not familiar enough with Megan Fox's performances to judge her as an actress.  I remember her being the villain in some Lindsey Lohan movie that no one remembers and of course I remember her as being that half naked chick in Transformers.  I soon decided that it really wasn't much to go off of as far as reasons to place hatred go.  Sure I disagree with girls who jump head first into the sex symbol category, but then again, why shouldn't girls be proud of their bodies either?  I guess that bring me to my next internal question.

Was I mad at what hiring Megan Fox was insinuating for what April will become?

Let's face it kiddies, Megan Fox is known best for one thing.  Not for her talent as an actress (though I'm sure opinions on that vary), not for her work as a speaker-- no Megan Fox is know for this....

[Insert all your dirty thoughts here and NOT my comment section]

Is this really what people want April to be?  There are many variations on what April has been throughout the years.  A reporter, a scientist, a girl with the ability to kick butt.  But a sex symbol?

See the difference?

Am I making myself clear yet?  April is supposed to be the every girl.  She was our link as normal people into this fantastical word.  I could connect with her because she was just an average girl with average looks who managed to become something special.  Hollywood is losing focus on making a real connect between a movies characters and their audience.  By making April look so beyond the norm it is making the movie too far fetch and hard to reach.  Granted I understand that a movie about giant turtles in the adolescents is not exactly easy to make relatable, but we have seen them do it before, haven't we?  

I'm sorry, Bay.  I really want to love this movie.  I keep giving you a chance, but can you please make April something real.  We need ground in the real world to help us reach out.  Something familiar to remind us of home.  Thoughts?  Babble is over.

Xoxo

Babbles of a Fangirl – Michael Bay’s Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles

I'm all for a gritty TMNT, but is Bay taking it too far?

Some of you fanboys and girls out there might have heard rumors floating around the sewers about the new adaptation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and it’s producer, Michael Bay.  If you did, you know where this is going.  If you didn’t, strap yourself in for some fan-rage. 

Sources have confirmed that Bay is planning a unique adaptation of the popular franchise.  One might think this means more expositions, CGI, or serious tones than found in the original 1990 live action film.  Think again.  What does good old Bay of Transformers fame have in store for us?

Aliens.

The turtles are of alien decent.  To be exact they are aliens from another dimension. Since this news was confirmed a few days ago, Michael Bay released a statement but if his intentions were to smooth the feathers of fans, he’s not very good at it.  Bay said,

"Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back-story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world."

According to firstshowing.net fans might need to give the idea a chance.  In the original TMNT “…TCRI, which is the name of the place where the mutation causing ooze originated (it was TGRI in the second film), was actually a secret base for the alien beings Utroms….”

Honestly, I don’t know how to feel about this.  I was a fan of the movie before the cartoon (because I was born after the 80s) and I’ve always adored the world created in the movie. The problem with remaking such a beloved franchise is that fans are probably going to get mad anytime a change creeps into the world they’ve loved and protected for so long.  TMNT fans have to be one of the most hardcore fan bases out there because you have to have a lot of backbone to support and defend liking giant, mutant turtles with surfer accents to strangers and haters.  It doesn’t help that Bay has had a history of inciting fanboy with his Transformers franchise.  I think the best way for Bay to get past this fan doubt is to give us something encouraging.  Release an early concept design of the turtles, tell us (for the love of God) that you will be using live action suited turtles and not CGI, give us character designs for the movie’s baddies.  Throw us a bone, a familiar bone with all the trimmings beloved by the original turtles fans.  It just might do wonders! 

Until then, I’m going to shelf my feelings.  But trust me, much more of this and you will see some fangirl rage.  We’re watching, Bay, we’re watching.    

PS:  Voice your thoughts on Bay's thoughts and ideas in the comments!