Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

 

8/10

This collection contains ALL thirteen TMNT games from Konami during the 80's/90's TMNT craze.

This is a nice collection. I appreciate how comprehensive it is. As you may or may not know, games were harder back then and a lot of these can be pretty challenging especially for today's generation having grown accustomed to instant saving and not knowing the frustration of having been sent back to the beginning of the game. Not that I'm complaining about the way things are now. I don't want to go back. I can't go back, man! I don't have the patience anymore! Which, is why I'm happy to say that this game has enhancements. You can save any game whenever you like and rewind your gameplay. Most importantly, the collection allows you to automatically unlock any bonus options that were available for the game before, but now you don't have to input codes to do it. This makes a lot of games easier with such options as easy or god modes, extra lives, etc. Remember, you usually only get what was already in the system. The original TMNT game for the NES is still hard as all get out and there were no codes to make it easier. (Though the developers for this collection were nice enough to add an option to remove flickering and slow down for what it's worth.) 

The game also includes aesthetically pleasing strategy guides you can pull up and a ton of bonus material, including box art, game music and concept art, and screenshots from ALL the cartoon shows. Unfortunately, you don't get the opening themes for any of the shows.

Not loving the main menu. When you toggle between games the background moves, and I can see it causing motion sickness for some. Also, the backgrounds use artwork from the very original black-and-white comics. I don't think that this was the right choice, since the majority of the games are themed around the first cartoon.

Individual game reviews:

(NOTE: The three Tournament Fighters games are all completely different with different rosters.)

Arcade:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- 8/10

The one that invented the TMNT beat 'em up formula, this is one of the best ones. Colorful with a specific visual personality. Complete with fun villains.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time- 8/10

Improves upon the gameplay of the first game and the time travel theme adds some new level ideas to a series that was already beginning to repeat itself. Though this looks better, I admit it doesn't have quite as many of the special little details that the original had.

NES:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- 4/10 

This is one of the few games I didn't beat, because of its difficulty. (I didn't even bother getting to the infamous dam level that many a child remembers.) It's too bad, since there was genuine creativity and good ideas in this. I also liked the fact that the villains look different and more intimidating. (Apparently, the game developers based the look off of the original comics.) One wonders what the future home consoles games could've been if they stuck to platformers instead of beat 'em ups.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game- 7/10

Since this version of the arcade game is on an 8-bit system, it's a massive visual downgrade that can't match the original and the fights take a lot longer. On the plus side, the game does a surprising job of being as detailed as it can and was definitely doing its best when replicating the visuals. This has two additional levels featuring some clever new villains.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project- 7/10

Number 3 has the reputation of being the overlooked and unappreciated one due to its being released so close to Turtles in Time. And yeah, it does deserve the reputation of also being a good game. Free of having to replicate a source, this game is able to work with what suits the functions of the NES best. Gameplay is stronger here. Backgrounds may not be as detailed, but there are some nice thematic-style moments in this. The developers were aware of the potential fatigue of the games, and they provided genuine effort when coming up with new level areas and ways to freshen up battles with previously appearing bosses.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters- 5/10

Fun fact: this one of the very few tournament fighters made for the NES. The fighting works better than expected, plus there's a fun Smash Bros.-esque weapon that's appears, but as a whole the gameplay isn't that fun. Unsurprisingly, it has the smallest roster.

Game Boy:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan- 6/10

Nice to see at least a few other platformers on the list. Unfortunately, way too many enemies are thrown at you. It's exhausting. That being said, gameplay and graphics aren't half bad ,and I still beat it in a short amount of time. I'm especially pleased that you can knock the bosses' projectiles back at them, and you can just automatically select which level you want from the get go.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers- 6.5/10

They still throw enemies at you in some points, but gameplay and graphics are improved in this. Though, this has the worst Foot Soldier designs of all the games. They look like aliens.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue- 8/10

One of the most unique of the games. This has Metroidvania level design, in that it's one big interconnected map. This also has the strongest visuals and fairest difficulty of the GB titles. The game's still hard, but it doesn't feel unfair. This is the only game where you start with only one turtle and have to free the others or where each turtle has special abilities. I didn't complete this one, since I don't have the patience for the exploration being interrupted by constant death, but I admire it for what it accomplished.

SNES:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time- 8/10

A lot of people say this is stronger than the arcade version, and I agree, though I don't think it's by as wide a margin as some people say. Though they had cut a lot of the spoken dialogue, the game looks and plays practically as well as the original. Plus, you get several new bosses, including the very unique Shredder fight where you have to throw your opponents at the screen, and a more interesting-looking hoverboard level. The one con in this is that the final boss is fairly weak and so much less of a challenge than the arcade one. (The level select option doesn't appear to be working. Hopefully this will be fixed in a patch.)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournamet Fighters- 6.5

Definitely the strongest of the three with the best character selection, graphics and moves. However, the gameplay still doesn't excel.

Sega Genesis:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist- 7/10

This is sort of an alternative version of Turtles in Time, which incorporates various elements from the game. This has fewer, but longer levels. The graphic aren't as good as found in arcade or SNES, and the fighting takes longer (you'll learn to hate the white Foot Soldiers which take forever to destroy.) However, the game is still entertaining to play, and it is only the only Turtles game to have a boss gauntlet or to feature Tatsu from the first two movies.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournamet Fighters- 5.5

Okay, I guess. This has some decent character and background design, but the gameplay, character roster, and graphics don't compare to the SNES. I do like that this is the only game where you can play as April and she has a different design than the yellow jumpsuit.

Overall, recommended. Yeah, the games are dated, but they're a fun glimpse into a past and a treasure trove for fans of the original TMNT cartoon. You might want to pace yourself playing these, though. Bad guys are reused A TON, and one can only take so many Foot Soldiers and Rock Soldiers.

Fall

8/10

After a tragic event in her past, mountain climber Becky Connor (played by Shazam's Grace Caroline Currey) is left in a cloud of depression. Hoping to snap her out of it, her friend Shiloh Hunter (Runaways' Virginia Gardner) takes her on a climb up a two thousand foot decommissioned television tower. Things go wrong (naturally, or there wouldn't be a movie) and they end up stuck at the top.

This is one of your basic hero/heroes-are-stuck-in-an-isolated, dangerous-place films, like The Reef and Frozen. (NO, not that Frozen. I'm talking about a film that came a few years earlier. Between that and Descendants, Disney is showing an annoying tendency of stealing movie titles.) I wouldn't say the plot brings anything revolutionary, but it is a very well-made film. People with acrophobia should avoid this at all costs. I have never seen a movie evoke a specific phobia as much as this film. I was kept in constant discomfort, worried for the two women. After constantly seeing them moving about the top of the tower, I was thinking "Why don't they have their hands wrapped around the pole at all times?!" That's how drawn in I'd gotten.

At first, I thought this had to be all done via green screen. (The shots of the ground below are obviously digitally added.) But, I kept asking myself, how are they getting the light to be so natural? It was driving me nuts, so I looked it up. Turns out they filmed a good part of this on an actual hundred foot tower. I applaud the director, because it must've been pretty difficult to film some of the shots in this. I've got nothing but respect for him.

My only big criticism is that this basically copies a plot point from a similar film.

Overall, recommended, again unless it may trigger you. Even if you're a little acrophobic, be wary. This is a well made film. I wouldn't say it's distinct enough to see immediately in theaters, but it's definitely a good suspense flick.

Beast

5/10

Following his wife's death, Dr. Nate Samuels (played by Idris Elba) takes his daughters to visit his friend Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley) at the Mopani Reserve in South Africa, where his wife came from. There they encounter a rogue lion who's killing every human being he finds.

Sadly, the dialogue/human-only scenes in this just aren't that strong. Elba and Copely deliver lackluster performances, especially Elba in the weakest role I've ever seen him do. The two younger actresses actually do better than the established actors, but unfortunately in the first third they've just got very cliched kinda bratty girl dialogue to work with. The movie isn't helped any by the cliched father-trying-to-reconnect-with-his-daughters storyline.

The actual lion/action parts aren't too shabby. They don't break the mold or anything (with the exception of the last fight scene which is surprisingly good). But there are some solid moments and uses of the lion and environment.

Close-ups of the lion don't work that great as it's not composed of the most convincing CGI. This movie has some interesting camera work. There aren't a lot of close- or far-shots; the camera mostly follows behind the characters, evoking a feel of sharing the character's experience. Not saying the camera work is excellent, but it was a choice, and I give the director credit for going with it. Scenery and sets aren't shabby, again not groundbreaking but not shabby.

So yeah, this isn't a particularly good movie, but it's not awful either. Not worth paying money to see, but if you like mindless action films, particularly killer animal, this is the sort of time-waster that'll do it.

Only Murders in the Building- Season 2

8.5/10

NOTE: (There are no spoilers for this season, but this review does touch on the setup from the finale of the last season.)

In this sophomore season, the murder podcast trio have to clear their names of murder.

Once the original main mystery of a show is concluded, there is always the risk of subsequent seasons not being able to recapture the magic. I'm happy to say, this isn't the case with this one. The show remains as funny as ever. The character work and arcs here for the three main cast members remain strong. (Oliver Putnam's subplot is especially compelling.) This season also does a great job of building upon supporting characters from last season; cat-loving neighbor Howard (played by Michael Cyril Creighton) continues to be funny.

If I'd say there were any downsides to this, the three main lingering plot questions from last season remain unanswered. Whereas the mystery last season felt unraveled naturally, it did feel like all the plot points were shoehorned into the end in this one. Though, I also felt more satisfied with this finale. Like I said, season 2 does a great job of utilizing existing characters, but there a few sudden missing supporting characters disappearances that may be jarring, particularly the neighbor who wanted Tim Kono's apartment. She was present throughout last season whenever you had group scenes in the apartment building, so it's weird to see the character suddenly absent.

Cast is still great. Martin Short remains the funniest with his constant comic energy. Also, I wouldn't be surprised that Jayne Houdeshell as former HOA board head Bunny Folger gets an Emmy nomination. Last season, she was just the grump who served as a sort of semi-adversary for Putnam, but here the character gets an episode that gets to show more of her and Houdeshell NAILS IT. 

Highly recommend, another smart and funny season.

Westworld- Season 4

7.5/10

Taking place several years after the events of season 3, a group of Hosts make a play against humanity.

The first episode had me a little worried. There was the fact that you're not shown the immediate fallout of season 3 and the story wasn't completely enticing. However, once things get rolling, it gets really interesting. This is probably the darkest season and a LOT happens. I'm going to avoid any details for fear of spoiling, but this is a really interesting season. I was kept guessing what would happen next. Again, the look of the show, cast, and music are all great. 

Though I liked it, this season could be stronger. Some of the more interesting supporting characters from last season like Caleb's criminal compatriots and the main villain they spent so much time with and left open to return are completely gone. Plus, there's the show's tendency to squander characters. Expect to be frustrated here.  

Though this is was a very interesting season, I admit that this is also the most straightforward of all the seasons. This feels the less like the writers are throwing you around, but the feel of wonder you got from the look of Westworld and the sense of mystery in 1 and 2 and the look of the future world in season 3 is gone here. Also, the finale is very controversial (season 4 is taking the show's tendency of trying to hard to be clever to the umpth degree.) I honestly am not quite sure how I feel about it. It's a power move, I'll give you that.

Recommended. I know I listed a lot of negatives, but that's because I can't get into what works. I found this to be the second strongest season. This just felt more focused and captivating than the last two one.

Dragonball Super: Super Hero

8/10

In this the second DBS film (with screenplay by original DB creator Akira Toriyama), The Red Ribbon Army (from the original Dragon Ball) has rebuilt itself, created new, powerful allies, and are seeking vengeance against Goku and his allies, with Piccolo being the first they set their eyes upon.

If you're walking into this expecting another film like the previous installment the action and lore-heavy DBS: Broly, DON'T. This is more like the first of the DBZ comeback films Battle of the Gods. You get two-thirds of old-school, original DB-style comedy with an impressive battle in the final act. If you love DB for the action, but aren't big on DB's humor, this may not be for you. I, however, had a good time. I thought this was pretty funny and liked the goofy, light-hearted comedy and the unique tone Toriyama brings.

Not to say the fight scenes are anything to scoff at. I wouldn't say they are as good as Broly, some of the best action I've ever seen in animation, but they're not that far off either. The fights are all really impressive, grand, and really well animated. This is the first DB title to use 3D-cell shaded (21/2-D) models, and I thought it worked pretty well. Speaking of the show's appearance in general, I love the look of of the backgrounds and buildings in this. Everything looks really good. 

Be forewarned that the movie sidelines lead Goku and Vegeta, the best fighters in the series. To be honest, I'm not hating the decision. It's a fun shift from the norm to focus on some of the supporting characters. Piccolo really does carry the film. He's basically the serious, competent guy who has to deal with everyone else's eccentricities. 

I also like the new villains in this, they're all pretty entertaining, particularly eccentric and morally complex scientist Dr. Hedo. The two main androids in this Gamma 1 and 2 are admittedly just a reuse of the old trope of the cocky guy/takes-things-seriously guy duo, but they're still decent characters. 

Recommended. I'd say this is my third favorite DBZ movie (below Broly and Battle of the Gods). It may be a step down from the last film, but if you like it when DB is just trying to have fun, I think you'll like this.

Bodies, Bodies, Bodies

 7/10

In this dark comedy/thriller, Sophie (played by The Hate You Give's Amandla Stenberg) takes her new girlfriend Bee (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm's Maria Bakalova) to hang her with her friends at her best friend David's parents' huge, lavish house. Soon, things go horribly wrong, emotions start running, and everyone starts becoming suspicious of each other. 

The first act does start out a bit slow and partially weak. Don't get me wrong, there are some good lines and the movie does a good job with Bee of encompassing the awkwardness of being somewhere where you don't know anyone, but it runs a little too long with the whole millenials being kinda toxic/ridiculous. schtick. I think too many lines are given to some characters than needed.

But when things get dark, that's when it starts getting good. The movie does a great job of making you guess what happens next, including one particularly tense scene in particular. (I particularly like how this ends.) This is also when the making-fun-of-millennials humor really pays off. The movie takes a lot of shots at the shallowness of the social media generation.

At first, I didn't like the cinematography in this. It had a sort of art-house quality. I was like, "I get it this is an A24 film. Not all their films have to look like this!" However, I think I understand why they went that way. The style definitely allows color to work. After the second act, a lot of this is shot in the dark, and the cinematographer/lighting person really managed to make light and color work in contrast to the blackness. Seriously, my congratulations to the lighting department; they did an excellent job. Also, I love the house or sets for this film. It is an impressive place.  

Acting's good across the board. (Cast includes Lee Pace and SNL's Peter David.)

Recommended. It's not a perfect film, parts could've been tightened and the spoiled kid dialogue can get a bit basic, but it is an interesting film that does hold your attention in the end.