10 Ways To Make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 Not Suck

6. Visible Action

Does director Jonathan Liebesman know what a tripod is? Does he know how to use one? When fans go to a Ninja Turtles movie, they expect to actually be able to see the Turtles, especially during the action scenes, but with so much frantic jump-cutting and close-ups, the film delivered no more than a visual mess that makes it impossible to follow.

This isn€™t only a problem with the Turtles reboot, but is a problem with modern-day action movies as well. Ever since the Bourne sequels, far too many think that the proper way to film an action scene is to do so by making the action completely incomprehensible.

The first live-action Turtles movie offered believable action when they were working with puppets and rubber suits. CGI today is so advanced that it made a wise-cracking raccoon with a machine gun and a walking tree look completely realistic in Guardians Of The Galaxy, so there is absolutely no reason why anyone should be subjected to fight scenes of the Turtles that are barely followable.

The key component of an action movie is the action, and that means that the viewers have to actually be able to see the action. These scenes should thrill, not inspire motion sickness. Pull back the camera.

Contributor
Contributor

Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com