10 Movies That Tried To Exploit Nostalgia (And Failed)

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows

Men In Black International
Paramount Pictures

The 2014 reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was not a very good movie, but it was a successful one, earning almost $500m worldwide. The sequel was even worse, made half as much money, and ended up killing at least this iteration of the franchise because obviously, there's already another reboot on the way.

The first installment introduced the terrifying-looking hulking CGI incarnations of Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo and also established other core characters like Splinter, April O'Neil, Vern Fenwick and Shredder, but possibly in the wake of the negative reception to the rebooted TMNT the sequel doubles down and brings in virtually every other recognizable character that was available.

Bebop, Rocksteady, Casey Jones, Krang and the Technodrome all appear, turning Out of the Shadows into an over-stuffed clusterf**k, and it's almost impressive how dull the movie is despite featuring hockey mask-wearing vigilantes and anthropomorphic mutant reptiles that know martial arts. You almost get the sneaking suspicion that the filmmakers were pleading to fans; 'We know you didn't really like the last movie, but look at all of this stuff that you remember from your childhood!'.

 
Posted On: 
Contributor

I don't do social media, so like or follow me in person but please maintain a safe distance or the authorities will be notified. Don't snap me though, I'll probably break. I was once labelled a misogynist on this very site in a twenty paragraph-long rant for daring to speak ill of the Twilight franchise. I stand by what I said, it's crap.