Should They Watch It?
Should They Watch It?
Ep. 62: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Swanka Burnette
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We know you've heard of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - it's a monster of a franchise that's been around for decades! But this week, we're headed back to 1990 to discuss the original TMNT movie. How does it hold up in today's world? Joining us is Swanka Burnette from The Quick Critic - who happens to be a GIANT fan of this movie and is ready to defend why he thinks it's a must-watch for everyone! But will the ladies agree? Will we have our first STWI argument? Cowabunga, Dude!
The views and opinions expressed by the should they watch it podcast are those of two moms who happen to be a registered play therapist and a voice actor for cartoons. So while they may feel their opinions come from a knowledgeable place, they are still in fact just opinions. Should they watch it? A podcast that takes the task of reviewing your kid's favorite shows up your to do list? Hello, and welcome to the should they watch it podcast. decongested edition. I'm Kara Edwards
Laura Orr:and I am Laura Orr the phlegm master. I am full of phlegm today, and
Kara Edwards:we are both we just both have a little thumb something going on. Yep, tis the season for some allergies and colds. Yeah. So we didn't you know, but we're not going to let that stand in our way.
Laura Orr:Not today. Not today, not even when it comes to singing Kara. And I'll wait until after we introduce our guests because there is a lot of musical conversation that we could have about this one, because we're discussing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Teenage
Kara Edwards:Mutant Ninja Turtles button. I mean, there's a lot to discuss when it comes to teenage mutant ninja Ninja Turtles. But we are going back to 1990
Laura Orr:Yes, we are at 92 right or is it handy? I don't know. Maybe our guests don't know. Maybe I should introduce them. Yes. swanky Burnett is the genius behind the quick critic, a website and social media page providing pop culture goodness to the world and short form. Long before it was cool. Welcome Swanka. Hi
Kara Edwards:Swanka.
Swanka Burnette:Thank you so much. So I'm so happy to be here with you guys today.
Kara Edwards:We're so happy that you are here. And I am so curious. First, I just have so many things to talk to you about, about what you do about how your site works, and what you bring to the world. But I'm more than anything. I am so curious what made you choose Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Swanka Burnette:So I love that movie. It's It's quite simple. And it's really one of my favorite films. And you know, even though it's a kids property, the movie really just has a lot of meaning for me. And that both as a film that came out when I was 10 years old, in 1990. And that also speaks to a lot of themes that I think are important and are just important things like, you know, family, and the idea of loving one another and dealing with isolation and feeling like, you know, in the case of these turtles, they feel isolated. They're the only ones of their type, and they're trying to protect the city, but also people are scared of them. So, you know, there's a lot of interesting themes in there. And I think the movie just, it holds up in 2022. And, ya know, people ask my favorite movie a lot of times and I tell them that this is it, or this is amongst that group in a dark kind of looking me with bewilderment. But, you know, I feel like I can back up my position.
Kara Edwards:Because you like watch movies. This is like what you do. This is you, you know, movies and you you have a lot of movies you can choose from when you choose this one as your favorite. Yeah, absolutely.
Swanka Burnette:So I so I pulled up my review that I read a bit and I'm just gonna read one sentence. I think it kind of encapsulates encapsulates a lot of why I have a lot of affinity for this film. Right. So in there, I mentioned that the target for the film is anyone who has experienced loss dealt with being an outsider was challenged by family infighting, felt neglected by their parents or struggles with anger. And you know, that covers a pretty sizable swath of the human condition. So for me that's a big part of it. Yeah. And anyone
Laura Orr:who loves pizza watching crazy crazy martial arts, by Turtles
Kara Edwards:Turtles if you have a thing for sewers
Laura Orr:on a more shallow and, and like surfer accents,
Kara Edwards:but if you love the word cowabunga
Laura Orr:for sure.
Swanka Burnette:Got you got some romance in there with Casey Jones and April O'Neil.
Laura Orr:Oh my god. Yeah, I
Swanka Burnette:think for everybody,
Kara Edwards:I mean that we have a lot to dig into with this movie. There's no question.
Laura Orr:The turtle franchise is huge, too. And I feel like I say this all the time. But when but it really has like so many projects behind it. And it was funny, and there's also these cultural moments that I really I forgot about until I watched this again, because growing up, I watched the Ninja Turtles, religiously. The cartoon with my friends and I was a girl who was surrounded by boys it just happened to be that way all my friends were boys when I was really little. And so Ninja Turtles was a game we played all the time and I ended up falling into the April O'Neil role. And so we would watch this we would play this this was huge. And so when the movie came out, it was such a big deal for kids our age. My husband told me that this is how he spent his seventh birthday was they waited Like an a long time before the movie actually started so that they could get in the front row. And they took up the first two front rows so that they could watch this movie for his birthday party. And this movie doesn't even have the Vanilla Ice song, which was like, I don't have billboard pulled up on my computer right now, but I am going to say it was like a hit song. Do you remember that?
Kara Edwards:I did. Yeah,
Swanka Burnette:I think it was called ninja rap. And it was on the soundtrack of the sequel,
Laura Orr:actually, the sequel? I
Swanka Burnette:know. And then so this hearing in my head right now the song?
Laura Orr:Absolutely. I'm seeing the dance as well. Can you remember the dance? What did you do? And so it was really fun to go back and watch something like this. That something that I personally have not thought about for 20 plus years. And just remember pretty iconic scenes that we would recreate in our little friend group. When I was a kid, so that was really fun for me.
Kara Edwards:I am really interested to see how this podcast is about to go. But I'm gonna start with I know Laura said you're excited about the song. I don't even know what song would be associated with this other than the one at the end that was like,
Laura Orr:well, then when I think of the song again, I don't think of this movie. This movie actually disappoints me with its music. You think of Vanilla Ice, I think of an ice but I also think of the show and I think the show's song was rewritten before Swan could correct me if I'm wrong. But the the song where I mean, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
Kara Edwards:Do you need to be denied? Remember that it
Laura Orr:was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Heroes in a half shell.
Kara Edwards:I do remember that. And
Laura Orr:they do a description of each turtle in the song that really does help you remember which turtle euros? Yes.
Kara Edwards:Okay, so then I'm gonna go ahead and just start and I'm gonna ask you guys first. I feel like I know the answer here. Sonka. Should they watch it?
Swanka Burnette:So this this movie, definitely, I think the only thing that gives me any pause as far as children watching this film, you know, there is a lot of violence. And there is a lot of violence with weapons, which parents express a lot of concerns with and it's a reason why if you watch the sequel, they almost never use their weapons at all. So that being said, it's I see it as like comic violence. You know, it's not like nobody's getting like, there's no blood. It's not graphic. Yeah, it's not graphic or anything. So as long as a parent is okay with, you know, seeing people getting kicked in the face and people resolving issues with fisticuffs.
Laura Orr:fisticuffs, you know,
Swanka Burnette:Ninja is in the title of the movie, you know. So as long as they're okay with that. I think the film, the fact that it addresses again, all these themes that I talked about that are, you know, mature themes that are interesting themes that are things that you will make you think, I think that definitely Trump's the fact that it does have that violent content
Laura Orr:to it. It does inspire conversation between parent and child if the parents take the opportunity. But before we move forward, Tonka What is your relationship to the turtle franchise? Because I know you love this movie, but does it stop there?
Swanka Burnette:No. So I grew up, I grew up watching the cartoon as well. I mean, literally every day after school for most of my childhood, you know, we're watching the show. And then at some point, it went to Saturday mornings, I was watching it there as well. I collected the toys growing up, you know, obviously, watch this movie, watch the sequel, watch the third one, although I wish I hadn't. And then there, you know, there's been a bunch of other movies since that I've enjoyed to to varying degrees, but, ya know, I mean, it's just like, when you when you think about pop culture, properties, you know, in my lifetime, you know, if you're gonna pick the top five, I mean, you got to put the turtles in there, you know, it's like Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles, I guess for me, like Street Fighter, I guess. But, um, but ya know, they're definitely if you're gonna go top five or top 10 all time, you know, pop culture properties. You can't you can't not include TNT.
Kara Edwards:Okay, so, Laura. I'm gonna go to you next. Should they watch it?
Laura Orr:I'm going with uh, yes, I had a lot of fun watching this. Of course, there's some things that we can talk about that are potentially problematic, but I feel like they're more like talking points that parents can you know, approach their kids with as opposed to a hard No. Kara? Should they watch it?
Kara Edwards:I have been so nervous. I kind of sitting here feeling like I'm literally I'm sitting on a couch by myself looking at Laura and I honestly feel like I'm on an island. At this point. I have been so nervous to do this podcast, Laura with you and with swag because I'm like, clearly swonk I knew you chose this because you were gonna love it. Laura. I just had a feeling you were gonna love it. Oh, you put some stuff on Twitter that I saw that I was like, Oh crap. Because I did not like this movie did have no history with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Other than I know some of their voice actors and the voices have been different depending on the property. There hasn't been a consistent voice for any of the turtles. But I am friends with many of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Karis friends at the turtle I am and so I wanted to show up and be a net none of my friends are in this movie. Okay. But um, I think they came later on but so I came at this like, I this is gonna be my first sitting down. I did not watch this in 1990 I remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles being a really big deal. They were not a big deal in Live World. Gotcha. So I was like, This is gonna be fun. And I had my seven year old son sitting next to me. We had to watch this over the course of four nights, because we kept turning it off. Michael was an endo. He kind of started getting into it a little bit more when they got into the fighting. Yeah, he laughed through a lot of the fighting like because it is there's a lot of slapstick that goes on in the movie and so he he definitely got all the jokes it's definitely on his age level and any got it but at the end I asked him because again, we had to split this up because I was like, Oh my God, I need a break. And at the end I asked him like so overall Did you love it, did you and he was like no man those turtles are super creepy. He didn't but he's he's seven like yeah world where he's used to seeing CGI and things looking very realistic. And like this was Jim Henson designed the costumes for this movie and they had puppeteers that were and people in the costumes which by the way, each person in a costume did make a cameo in the movie. Yeah, the each I made a list. I don't know if anyone would find this interesting. I'm finding but I'll find it in a minute.
Swanka Burnette:So actually know who they are. I can tell you just off the top of my
Kara Edwards:head. Yes, okay.
Swanka Burnette:So the guy who delivers a pizza? Yep. Is Michelangelo Yep.
Laura Orr:Oh,
Swanka Burnette:the guy played Rafa yell was the guy in the taxi. Okay, right after Raphael Jones have their fight? Uh huh. And those those who actually don't I don't remember the other two. I those two I just
Kara Edwards:down and it looks like I didn't.
Laura Orr:But Corey Feldman one
Kara Edwards:of the Bellman is one of the hotels. Yeah. Yeah, there's I mean,
Laura Orr:I wonder he's one of the riffraff teenagers or something. No, but
Kara Edwards:there are boys talk about some people skied. Oh, riches in there. Scott Wolf is in there. Obviously. Sam Rockwell is the hedgehog Well, Oh, yeah. So there's I mean, the cameos it's that part was fun to watch for me on the movie, where the different people would pop up. And I'm like, is that Sam Rockwell? Oh, my god. That's so and so. So it was fun to see from 1990 and then know that their careers have flourished from there. I'm sure from such a dramatic Oscar winning movie I did. I'm going to be a no, I am I and I tread lightly because I know that fandom for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is enormous. I go to conventions. And I know that. I might get a lot of flack for saying that. But for me, there was a lot that didn't hold up today. Gotcha. And I have some questions I want to get into later about your feelings on some things that bothered me that maybe I don't need to be bothered by. But also, I just felt Yeah, I just felt like, as of today, this is a this is something that I see being very nostalgic for a lot of people but I don't know that I felt great. After letting my seven year old Watch
Laura Orr:out. It translates. Yeah, for me. fair. That's fair. And that's a question I tend to ask myself when I'm watching these older movies is am I biased because of when I watched this? And is this more than a piece for me? Also, when it comes to Michael, the difference, I think between he and us when we were children is we were primed for this movie. We were watching no plus show every at least once a week when it would come out and also the reruns. I mean, it was playing all the time. And so we were ready for this to come out. We knew who the characters were, we knew their personalities. We were we were psyched for this movie to come out. And so when it came out it delivered in a way that you know, I think was appropriate for the time and for the people watching
Kara Edwards:for the time. I mean 9090 Because then you can kind of tell because there is this cross between the 80s you can see a little bit of the 80s punk rock going into the 90s grunge you I can tell this is a movie that landed right in between those two areas. There's a part at the very beginning. I think it's Raphael that there's two turtles sitting next to each other. And one of them is chewing on a toothpick. It's right in the beginning of the movie. And when the actor goes to put the toothpick in his mouth, he misses his mouth. And he hits the top of his mouth, and then he's like, Oh, crap, and then he goes back and sticks it in his mouth. And that like I watched it, like four times I kept rewinding it to watch it again. And I'm like, that's kind of how I felt about the movie is I felt there was just like, for me, I felt there was minimal effort put in what I do. I'm sorry, is I felt like they were gonna take something that's already really popular. Turn it into a movie and kind of had like, just kind of easily do a movie and oh, yeah, Raphael definitely just stabbed himself in the nose with a toothpick. It's fine, guys just leave it in.
Laura Orr:Yeah, but like the human condition is not perfect. They made it more realistic.
Kara Edwards:No, it definitely looks like there's a man inside of a costume that wasn't able to find the mouth swanky. What
Laura Orr:do you think of toothpicks?
Swanka Burnette:So I it's funny I don't remember that secret. You know that this is a thing to brag about. But I feel like I know everything with this film. I don't remember that.
Kara Edwards:It's right in the beginning and you're gonna have to go back and watch it because
Laura Orr:the thing about Kara is that she's in the industry and so she noticed this crap that it's like whatever Cara Oh it
Kara Edwards:does definitely that drives me nuts like I'm Splinter i the whole time don't even about splinter. No, I could not figure out what microphone they recorded him on. That's all I could think the entire time watching the movie. I'm like, could you guys not find a better mic for him? Because it was at the processing did they put too much EQ on the voice? He sounded so bizarre as from an audio standpoint that it was driving me bonkers and the ADR don't even get me started on the ADR in this movie. Oh my word you people can you not find a mouth anyway? We're missing all of the flaps. Speaking of
Laura Orr:speaking of Splinter Did you know that the voice actor who plays him Kevin clash he was also the voice of Elmo prior to 2012
Kara Edwards:Oh, that's fun. Oh, see? Oh, had a great microphone. I don't understand. I think they just did cute it I just think they did weird EQ on it while
Laura Orr:the voice itself was great and is done by and Kevin clash is also a puppeteer so he's not just a voice actor. He also super moves the puppet around
Kara Edwards:not saying anything about the acting not saying anything about the voice totally. From a technical standpoint,
Laura Orr:I get you I get you. But I thought that that was fun to to to see and hear. Because those voices are so starkly different. And then I started imagining like swapping the voices with the characters like can you imagine what Splinter would sound like with Elmos voice or what Oh, it sounds like was splinters voice. These are the things that were going through my head while watching this movie. I'm so weird, but it's because I it was so weird to because I haven't seen this movie and so long, but I once I started watching it, everything came back to me. Does that happen to you? Like, you haven't heard a song and 20 years? Yeah, comes on the radio. And you know every word. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
Kara Edwards:I mean, and that's what I think you as WONCA have so much nostalgia that I was coming at this without that, and watching this movie and avoid it. Yeah, I think I definitely clearly saw something very different than you guys did.
Laura Orr:Yeah. So I think what you're saying is, should they watch it? Maybe only if the parent has nostalgic
Kara Edwards:value and can talk about like their connection to the to Ninja Turtles? And absolutely, then that's perfectly fine.
Laura Orr:Or existing fans of the franchise because there's a show out. I mean, I think it's running right now. I'm not sure my nephew loves it. And he's a teenager and I think that if if you are wrapped up in this franchise currently,
Kara Edwards:then you might love it. Absolutely. And there are a lot of themes swanky. You did such a good job and I know you want to go into this more but there there are themes in here and I wrote some down as well that are really good, you know, showing teamwork and loyalty and various stuff that yes, that I think you can absolutely point out and again, I think Michael and I were just watching it with these eyes with no context and it was like What are we watching?
Swanka Burnette:Yeah, I think if you if you take away the nostalgia element, then that takes away a significant significant piece so I can understand your position in that way.
Kara Edwards:Yeah, like the turtle disguise. I'm just gonna go the turtles disguise was was a hat and a Traco well
Swanka Burnette:comic books into the cartoon So it's kind of one of those things where it's like, yeah, it's ridiculous. Like he could walk in a movie theater dressed like that. No notice, but it's like, you just kind of gotta go. You just kind of have to go with it.
Laura Orr:There is definitely a level of camp in this movie that asks you to suspend your disbelief and certain things and one of them is definitely the appearance of the turtles in every way, shape and form.
Kara Edwards:I just wish we had a camera on us right now. It's one guy because if you could have seen the way Laura was like her nananana booboo face, she was just making me while you were talking like, what do you know? You don't know the history. In your face,
Laura Orr:I think this is the most looks I've given you. But if you are interested in watching this, you can stream it on HBO, Max, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play Apple TV, it's all over the place. Who is the audience? Guys? It's rated PG.
Kara Edwards:I'm gonna let you guys answer those one.
Laura Orr:We've already cooked discussed it a little bit, but what do you think sancha age wise?
Swanka Burnette:So the audience for this movie in 2022? I think I think the the nostalgia piece is critically important, right? So if you get a child, like to your to your son, I think you said he was seven, watching this film and not having the affinity for the turtles that somebody of my age has, yeah, they're probably not going to have the same enjoyable experience, not to mention the fact that, you know, this is practical effects that, by and large are not being done or used anymore. So someone who's seven this is like, it's like a fever dream. You know, it's like, there's nothing out there like this. So it's definitely as far as who's the audience, the audience is adults who grew up with this property, and also the children of those adults, if those adults want to kind of use the word of doctrine, it you know, what I mean, who wants to child into this franchise that had so much meaning to them, throughout their, you know, their their lives? So, I think, again, a seven year old probably wouldn't, wouldn't make the film unless they're just kind of liking it, because they're trying to trying to kind of fit in with their parents or if their parents does, their parents do a good enough job of saying, talking about the franchise, getting them excited about Yeah, so
Laura Orr:we love a parent of a child, but also this this franchise exists today. So again, if somebody watches, newer cartoons, and like you said the comics reads the comics, I think that if you are to categorize or lay out what would be enjoyable to them, I definitely find this at the top of the list.
Swanka Burnette:One thing I was going to add the view which is typically asked who's What age is it for? My response to that is the film is for all ages, but your mileage, your mileage is gonna vary depending on you know, your closeness and affinity for the Ninja Turtles franchise. So I think someone who is, you know, in my age range, or Yeah, it's going to have more years of just being bombarded with the turtles. So, you know, the member berries are very strong. Nostalgia is a very strong thing.
Laura Orr:Man, I love how you I love that reference. Quick question. Have you introduced this to your nieces and nephews?
Swanka Burnette:So not really, because honestly, when I hang out with them, I kind of let them drive as far as what we watch. Usually, although this actually reminds me of I kind of got in trouble recently because I've watched Austin Powers with a seven year old niece. Oh, and honestly, I wasn't really thinking about it during the movie, because for me, I don't think of Austin Powers as being like, even though he is kind of very sexual being. I don't think of it as being like overt, but like, after the fact that was like, oh, yeah, I probably shouldn't have done that. The best, the best. Judge should they watch it? I'm telling you this now you had me on your podcast. Yep. So
Laura Orr:we're so glad to have you. That is so an A fun uncle thing to do. I cannot even like
Swanka Burnette:oops, my sister was not happy. She was not happy.
Laura Orr:But you know, we've talked about these older movies, you know, where they use puppetry. And I love it. We've talked about the what you call it baby Yoda and how I love that they actually use a real life puppet as opposed to CGI. I love it when they do that. I just feel like the the interaction between characters when they have them actually in front of them on set is just feels more authentic and I get I think that you get more out of actors and characters in the story really when you use that. This is more on the fever dream side, but I'm okay with that. I love the law. labyrinth, I love
Kara Edwards:it. I love the labyrinth. And I love like i Are you kidding? Labyrinth is my favorite movie. And I love the Dark Crystal and the Dark Crystal. I
Swanka Burnette:was just about to say that crystal Yeah,
Kara Edwards:one of my all time childhood favorites. Like I mean, I was so mad at my mom because she didn't need Shamim Cara instead of Kara. Has
Laura Orr:Michael seen those
Swanka Burnette:crystal clear as a seven year old child. I watched it recently and I was like this is kind of scary.
Kara Edwards:No this. I mean, I would be interested because one of the things that I wrote down in my notes because as you guys were talking about that this is fine for younger kids, which I do agree I had no problem with my son watching this. But I did write down what is this one A B Pinocchio, teenage grooming Tent City ninja training location that they have come up with because oh, well if that screamed Pinocchio to me.
Laura Orr:Oh my god. I any chance Kara gets she's gonna bring up Pinocchio. I cannot.
Swanka Burnette:I didn't see the film yet. Okay.
Laura Orr:Oh, no, no, no, I'm gonna let carrot just sit back, relax and let Cara regale you on her Pinocchio experience while I blow my nose. Go ahead.
Kara Edwards:Okay, so in Pinocchio, like you think it's gonna be this really innocent movie about a boy who lies and learns his lesson. But there's like this whole thing where they're like me, I'm gonna keep using the word indoctrinating young children. They're literally like, enticing them to come into this land where they're grooming him and to being who they want them to be. And they let them shoot pool and they let him drink and they let him smoke cigarettes. And they let him and this is all in the movie of Pinocchio. And that's all I could think of while watching this movie. TM and T that it was like, Okay, so here's another little like place where they're getting young kids to come and shoot pool and there's no parental supervision. And apparently parents don't care. Because I know this was 9090. And we've already discussed this in past broadcasts, parents don't care where their children are back in the day, but that's all I could think was oh my gosh, this Pinocchio haven't Tent City ninja training place.
Laura Orr:I'm gonna defend that though, because I feel like they were using that to show how easily a person can find themselves in a harmful situation, when they are being manipulated and groomed by somebody older, who puts themselves in a place of authority, or puts them place themselves in as a parental figure to somebody who is feeling isolated from their family, for whatever reason, that could be if the if you have a very harmful home life, you are going to try to seek family out elsewhere and outside of your own. And so a way to and so that is that is a way for a person to become manipulated, and indoctrinated all say, into a very dangerous, harmful situation such as a game win. And so by putting them in this situation where they were like, here's cigarettes, here's, you know, pool, we have no rules here, you're safe here. But also you have to do crime. And I feel like that's a very real situation for some people in our world. If we were to look at like young people in gang culture, so I thought it was one of the things I put on my list that I liked. Because then you see that scene between splinter and Danny, the one the one that was recruited into the gang and Splinter is appealing to his pain and offers a listening ear and like says like, I see that you're in pain. And what does that do? He got he joined splinter. And he like, he does the right thing because of being seen. Splunk What were you gonna say? Yeah, and also,
Swanka Burnette:this really just adding on to what you're saying, you know, the film, even though it shows these kids in this criminal enterprise, the film goes out of its way to really say, this is not a real family shredder doesn't care about you. You know what I mean? It's overt about that message, this specific sequence where Casey Jones is basically telling these kids look, this is this is not your family. And these people, these people don't care about you. So,
Kara Edwards:but he doesn't tell any of the like, 150 teenagers to guys go home to your families.
Laura Orr:Well, what if they don't have a family? I think that's the that's the impulses, children? Well, I think that's the implication here because like you went city as well, that that's the thing is, I don't know if you know much about what New York was like in the 80s and 90s. But the gang culture was huge, especially in the subway systems, and you can see glimmers of that in certain movies like what is that adventures in babysitting? And, and a lot of movies like that during that time where there were a lot of young kids just doing crime in the city and I would venture to say that they didn't have the best home life and that's why they were going out and doing this kind of stuff so yeah, go home, but like, what are they going home to?
Swanka Burnette:Yeah, exactly. Yeah, no, I mean, it's definitely I can see both of both of your positions on it. And, you know, it's it's the film does in some ways glamorize with those sequences where it shows the kids kind of like smoking cigarettes and playing video games, all that kind of thing. But my main takeaway was that this was, this is not something that it's good to be doing in the movies, trying to tell people watching that people who really care about you who are really your family are not going to encourage you to do do crimes and, you know, be altruistic, not go to school and not do the things you supposed to be doing. Like, yeah, this group is encouraging these kids to do you know,
Kara Edwards:yeah. Okay. So since you guys liked that so much. I have one other thing on my list that I was like, full stop. I don't know if I can get past this. Okay. I feel as I watched this movie, I felt this was a racist movie. Okay. I googled that. I know, I'm sorry. I googled it. Is this a racist movie? And it strongly came out with the answer was no, I will tell you what bothered me and I again, I don't feel that I'm the person that gets to speak on this. But what bothered me was the bad guys what was the Foot Clan? They're, they're Asian. And there's a scene in the beginning, when they very first come down in the subway, there were two things that I was like, Oh, my gosh, April says to them, when they come down, she says, Oh, I'm behind on my Sony payments again. What am I behind on my Sony payments again, and I was like, and then the second one is when the Foot Clan speaks, and I believe they're speaking to one of the turtles. And they have they have an accent. I do not know this. So I'm speaking way out of turn here. Please, someone listening, like write in and tell me I'm insane. The accent to me, sounded like an American doing an Asian accent. I do not know if the voice actor who did that is Asian. I do not know. But but it sounded to me. It just made me uncomfortable. And then as I kept watching the movie, I already had that in the back of my head from those two things early on, that I was like, I just wanted, I didn't want it to be like America versus east versus West. It just it had this sort of bad guys versus good guys. thing going on that I don't think plays as well today, as it could have gotten away with a 9090. I would have just liked to see that if they were remaking the movie. I would want there it not to be like that. I would want there to be more diversity all around.
Swanka Burnette:So I've got I've got one, it's okay. So I can totally understand your position on that. And definitely both those things. Certainly problematic. Do a 2022 lens and maybe even through an economic lens, right. So I get that. The one thing I just want to quickly point out that actually I always found to be kind of like, oh, wow, that's I'm surprised I went there is the scene where Casey Jones goes, he's he's trapped. He's trying to say that. He basically he's claustrophobic, right? Right. And he thinks claustrophobic means somehow B means gay. Yeah, he goes, I've never looked at another guy. You want a fist in the mouth, suggesting that one being gay is something you should want to fight somebody for accusing you of being which is obviously not what we believe. So that is really of anything in the film. That's problematic for me. That's probably the main one because it's a very homophobic sequence. Yeah, that's the
Laura Orr:itself I was actually curious what you guys thought of because even the fact that they're making fun of him felt also like a toxic masculinity. Yeah, definitely is if APR was if that if APR was the one who was having the problem, I think they would have been much more nurturing but instead they make fun of him and he goes and sleeps in his car. So I'm with you on that one spunk. I think though, I wouldn't say that this movie as a whole is racist or homophobic. I think in my in my opinion, what we're seeing here is just stuff that has not aged well and if it was to be remade, it would not have been
Kara Edwards:I don't I don't think this was made today. I do not believe that would be done. Even the sounds
Laura Orr:that they make when they're fighting you don't see anymore just like it's very Bruce Lee just like the
Swanka Burnette:Yeah, the high Yeah, like the product of his time. 100%
Laura Orr:it's a product of his time. I think that's exactly what it was. And and when you put this up against what was out there, I just don't think that not that comparison makes it any better. But, you know, as a whole, I just didn't view it in that way. I think it just had moments where it's like that that could that would be cut if we if this reviewing Yeah,
Kara Edwards:references like Michael had asked me, Mom, what's a Kodak moment? Yeah. And there's a reference to moonlighting that he was like,
Swanka Burnette:right. Yeah. war in peace.
Laura Orr:Yeah. And even a dynamic between Casey and April, I think they would probably approach it differently. Because that whole like, we hate each other until we love each other thing doesn't happen as much anymore. But I still, I mean, I love Casey though. He as a human being for me, really did hold up. I loved him as a child and as a living, breathing woman with a pulse. I totally love him now. Really? Oh, yeah.
Swanka Burnette:It's funny, too. You mentioned toxic masculinity, really thinking about it? Casey Jones, that is his character trait that he's that, you know, everything he does is informed by the fact that he's just like this macho ex hockey player. Do you know what I think sports equipment?
Laura Orr:Yeah, for sure. And the question I had was, you know, would he would would they make a huge change to his character now? Or is there a place for somebody like that in cinema now? And I would, I would be sad to see it go. I think that there's a way you can, you can use that character to where they're, you know, I don't know there was this I was listening to something a podcast recently, they were talking about how people are really scared now to make characters flawed. A lot of characters don't have a lot of flaws. And so then conflict is hard to come by especially likeable characters. They're supposed to they're just held to a different standard now and so what does that do to the content that we're watching and I thought that was really interesting, and that's making me think of Casey. Definitely, he would fit now but I love him. I loved watching him cut carrots with a Katana sword. That's the only time we actually we actually see anything being cut with a Katana sword.
Swanka Burnette:I love that sequence. And I just every it's funny since this movie, Anytime he's pops up in like a movie or something else. I just get so happy because I just love that. I love that actor. He just he to me he is Casey Jones. Like he'll always be.
Laura Orr:Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, he's super cute up on that. Yeah.
Kara Edwards:And this is where it finally green went. I was like, Wait, so you have like a, she's got to be in her 30s If she's that successful of a reporter, and now, and like you have these teenage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, federal like crashing on her, which I understand. I thought it was a little weird that she invited all the teenagers, even though they're turtles to her house to chill. And there was kind of some weird stuff going on there for me. And then yeah, the whole Casey Jones. I'm like, Wait, so he's like a guy who considers themselves a superhero that goes around the neighborhood trying to trying to
Laura Orr:agility okay. That was how we were though. Like, I
Kara Edwards:liked this character. I will agree. I liked his character. I just had this like, sweet so the successful reporter falls in love with the vigilante 20 Something guy but hangs out with teenagers that happen to be turtles. Yes, Kara that bothered me? Well,
Swanka Burnette:when you start looking at it through the lens of what would be normal, you gotta kind of just accept that these are turtles that were literally walking in a sewer and like some kind of who's got on them and now they're like adults, it's there's no
Laura Orr:way to make that sophisticated. There's no way to sophisticate this this is not highbrow This is the in the fact that I cannot believe we have not talked about the ridiculousness of splinters, backstory where he's literally doing karate in a cage as a rat. Thank you.
Kara Edwards:I'm literally scratched like I'm jumping up and down on this couch right now.
Swanka Burnette:To be silly, though, it's supposed to be silly. That's, that's kind of like, yes, yeah. And like, you know, for people who are watching, who maybe are watching or listening, who may not be as familiar with the origins of the turtle franchise. This franchise started with those two guys, Kevin Eastman, and Peter Laird. And they literally drew as a joke completely as a joke. But one of them I forgot which one it was a turtle that was dressed like a ninja, like just as a joke as a throwaway. And then, at some point, they looked at it, and they're like, oh, there's something there. And this turned into what it is now. So it started off as like just a silly, just sketch. You know what I mean? So I think that really kind of informs like where the franchise has gone, and the silliness of it. It started off silly, and it's always been silly, but in my mind, they've been able to, you know, inject some pathos into the franchise, specifically this film at least. And like, you know, Raphael, for example, like his character has a pretty strong arc as far as like dealing with anger and feeling really isolated and like his anger. He feels when rathlin Splinter gets kidnapped and then being able to reconcile with Leonardo like there's a lot there and it's just It's just there if you want to go with it and kind of see it and feel it, but at the same time it also has a veneer of dislike 80s 90s Just slug and that way too, you know
Kara Edwards:yeah cuz I was one of my things I'm like wait a second so shredder did not put together that the talking giant rat with one year was the same rat that destroyed his main mold him
Laura Orr:I thought that too I was like shredder how many you spend a whole movie? Well we just don't know Kara in this world, there could be many radioactive kung fu karate or martial arts, I guess is the right way to say it. Rats living in our sewers, so and mauling bad guys, we just don't know, okay.
Kara Edwards:I mean, I had a heck of an aphid problem. Maybe they're all radioactive, and I didn't know where to go over Dallas. Maybe they're just radioactive, whatever.
Laura Orr:You know what Kara was speaking of bias. You hate your turtles that live in your home. So maybe it's a turtle. It's the frogs.
Kara Edwards:I have an issue with our frogs. We don't have turtles. I did have turtles growing up, okay. And I loved my little baby turtles. And we had turtles, they grew up and they lived in our backyard. And I love turtles. I do not have hate against turtles. If this was a show about frogs, you would be able to say that because No, I think the frogs are kind of weird animals to have as pets, but we have them anyway.
Laura Orr:You have so many reptile we have
Kara Edwards:a lot of reptiles we have like I'm a reptile person. I mean, like we
Laura Orr:like the representation Kara.
Kara Edwards:Maybe that's what it is. And I felt that it was actually the representation of the turtles themselves. I have to say I did like, yes, like you were just saying about Raphael. I did like his character arc. The one with the blue bandana is that Donna Telo. That's Leonardo. That's Leonardo's. Okay, well, I liked that. You know, Leonardo leads. Okay, got it. Sorry. They, I liked that they they kind of had a fight and a falling out and that they were able to reconcile that. Again, I had no issue with my son watching this movie. There was no part that I that I was like, super cringy or, you know, it was fine. I just don't know that it held up. 32 years later,
Laura Orr:I get I get what you're saying. Is there anything else that's problematic that we need to touch on? i There's some cursing?
Kara Edwards:Yeah, there's some but it's like cursing. It's none of the big heavy words. But there's a little bit a little bit.
Laura Orr:Well, who is your favorite turtle?
Swanka Burnette:Roughly? Oh. I like the Babyliss.
Laura Orr:Okay. Mine was always Michelangelo. But it's He's the funny one. So okay. But did you have a favorite?
Kara Edwards:I did. I mean, in the movie. I did like Raphael Raphael. Yeah, I just I liked his story arc I liked. He had the best angry sequence that I've ever seen in a movie when he goes across the roof and is working out his frustration and various kicks and punches. Great Taekwondo, great,
Laura Orr:great, the angry cartwheel, I was dying. We call that punch, dance sheet and punch dancing your rage out series from the movie Hot Rod.
Kara Edwards:I didn't notice that. Because Michael has the thing right now where he wants me to take videos of him like dancing. And after watching the movie, he did start adding in some punching and kicking to his dancing. So he was properly influenced everybody by this movie,
Laura Orr:but I think you do have to go into it with like, this is a nostalgic movie. This is a puppet movie.
Kara Edwards:Like, yeah,
Laura Orr:this is a movie about kung fu turtles, you know, you're active. And a walking talking rat. Like there's just linear with one year's lot going on.
Swanka Burnette:It's one of those things where it's just, I It's really fascinating to me how this perspective has an effect on everything that we do and everything, our approach to everything and the way we think about everything we consume, right? Because, well, I everything you've said care as far as not having the same affinity for the franchise and like it just being a kind of a silly movie that you didn't like, I can totally understand that. But on the other end, when I watch it, I see like, for example, Splinter telling Raphael that you know, anger clouds of mind turn inwards, it's an uncomfortable and uncomfortable entity, right? That's pretty deep. And to me, I remember as a child thinking to myself, he's right, like, it's not helpful to be angry, you know, it's that there's better ways of if something is bothering you or something you're experiencing is not going where you want it to go. There's better ways of expressing yourself or addressing it than just being angry like, well, how does that help the situation? And I remember taking that message away from this film as a young person and there's not a lot of films that I think I can remember watching where I had that kind of memory of learning something right and then I'll just I'll give one more example splitter, they the scene at the ranch or whatever where Splinter goes you've a cop As your final mission and learn that mastery comes not of the body, but of the mind. And again, as a kid, I remember thinking myself, okay, so martial arts is not really even though fighting is a big part of it. It's really not about the fighting. It's more about learning the technique, it's about being disciplined, it's about being mindful. And I thought about these things. As a child, I remember thinking about that, and taking taking these things away from this very silly film with Jim Henson puppets. So that's part of the reason why in 2022, I still will anybody who will listen, tell them to watch the movie and you know, you'll, you'll find those themes.
Laura Orr:I love that point that you make two about all of that, because if you think about when this was being made, and and who it was for, I think that was a very self aware movie, because the audience is going to be I think, I mean, I'm, I'm gonna venture to say, young boys, I'm loving, you know, the Ninja Turtles and seeing them as, as role models in a way, right. And so they're going to this movie to watch Michelangelo be funny to watch shutter be bad to watch, you know, the them do the martial arts, the fun, karate, and things like that. But then they're also sneaking in these really important messages being told from the mouths of these role models. And so I think that it was really cool that they would put that stuff in there among the silliness, knowing who's watching it, so that you can go home and say, yeah, there was some really fun scenes, but man, they had some really cool insight too. So I like hearing that from you. I would
Kara Edwards:love to see this movie remade. I wonder
Laura Orr:if I honestly I, there was another one that came out.
Kara Edwards:When was it like 2014 or something?
Swanka Burnette:In Oh, seven, they did an animated version, which did pretty well, which I think is a pretty solid film. It's not I don't think it's as good as the the 9090 version version. And then in you just mentioned, I think in 2014, or around that time, Michael Bay produced a remake, which I didn't care for. I mean, it was okay, but it just didn't have any, any none of the elements that I'm discussing, that make me like the 1990 film are present in the 24 2014 film in my
Kara Edwards:Yeah. And that's, that's what makes it because all the like, as you're saying all those things. I'm like, wow, there's a lot to this movie, that I think my son and I completely missed, because we were caught up and all the other stuff that was there was the distraction quite frankly, like all these things are talking about Splinter saying are so profound, and I have no memory of them. Because all I could think of was What microphone
Swanka Burnette:that I highly recommend. Just if you're super bored one day, just go back and watch that one. It's like a 32nd scene or Rafeal comes home. And he's trying to go to bed and splinters like, No, you're not going to bed, come over here and we're going to talk and Splinter basically says to him, like stop being so angry. We're here for you. We love you. All right, yeah.
Laura Orr:And you know what? I was just thinking you could totally make this a drinking game. If anything, just get drunk and watch
Kara Edwards:this every time.
Laura Orr:Every time there's a funny fight scene where they do something super silly during the fight scene. Yeah, take a drink.
Kara Edwards:And there is a lot of slapstick. Like, before Michael was laughing throughout the movie. We actually ate pizza last night when we finished this movie in honor of the turtle. That's so sweet. So I mean, this is a heck of a promo for pizza, if anything.
Swanka Burnette:So I have a question for you guys. Did you find it to be kind of interesting slash awkward that the turtles kind of sexual? What kind of they definitely were like, it seemed like they are sexually attracted to a little deal.
Kara Edwards:Totally 100%. That's what I was mentioning suggests
Swanka Burnette:some kind of like interspecies.
Laura Orr:Well, I mean, I, unfortunately I have not met or seen a female ninja turtle or a turtle of wilt or do they have crushes on female turtles of a smaller size? Their sexual attraction to anything is actually very interesting to me. Now that you mentioned it's Wonka,
Swanka Burnette:because they definitely were like, really excited anytime she'd give them a compliment or give them any intention.
Kara Edwards:I mean, they flat out literally this girl gets called a babe. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I swear they use that exact phrase. Like, so many times. She's such a baby. Like she's a
Laura Orr:baby. So they're teenagers.
Kara Edwards:And I let that go a little bit.
Laura Orr:How do they you know, fulfill that, you know, without getting in cell anger, you know? But
Swanka Burnette:yeah, no, I just Yes, you're right. Again. I just it's just funny to me because these are literally these are turtles that have been grown into anthropomorphized human shapes but they They're still turtles. So it's it's funny to me that they would find the human attractive at all
Laura Orr:right? I know. Well, and they have a human component to them. I mean, they talk. Regular turtles don't talk, right and they do initial art pieces and they eat pizza. So there they are definitely like a turtle human hybrid, they have muscles. So they where are they going to put their attraction? Are they going to put their attraction to their turtle side which are much smaller than them and are nothing and offer nothing by way of conversation?
Swanka Burnette:Turtle we talked about Galapagos turtles those listings are like two point they're
Laura Orr:bigger and they live forever. And they probably have stories. If they could only talk
Swanka Burnette:to the turtle speak turtle like that. I guess that's
Kara Edwards:Oh, are
Laura Orr:they bilingual? We've
Kara Edwards:got a lot to figure out.
Laura Orr:Well, on that note, Mancha. My goodness, thank you so much for coming on the show. We didn't even talk about the fact that you and I have known each other for like
Kara Edwards:Friday. No, I wanted to start here. But I was so nervous about having to tell you guys that I didn't like the movie. I feel like we need to hang on the line for at least another hour and just hear stories about Laura. Could you guys have known each other for what 10 years?
Laura Orr:Well, we worked in the same office together. He was a cohort ahead of mine. And it was it's a very weird it was a I don't know someone how you feel about looking back at that time. But yeah, it was like our first big job after I graduated college and it was a really unique situation. I don't know Sancho, were you as drunk as I was. During that time.
Swanka Burnette:I was drunk a lot. It definitely felt like real world a TNT. And yeah, okay. Straight up and down. Like we were basically. I mean, it's almost the exact premise of real world is just we worked for a canteen, we lived in the same buildings. Yep. You know, we spent all our time together, drinking and hanging out, you know? Yeah. How
Kara Edwards:did you both grow up to become movie reviewers? I don't know, hang out. Was this the thing that y'all like bonded over? Oh,
Laura Orr:not at all. Actually.
Swanka Burnette:Yeah. And you know, like this, either here nor there. But I have like, a very long career doing something completely unrelated to this. This is something that, you know, I kind of jumped into a couple of years ago, as a kind of a side thing that I would like to eventually become more of a significant portion of my, my life. But um, but yeah, so there you go.
Laura Orr:I think we the three of us have that in common? Yeah. Interesting. It's our little passion project and aside from our careers, and yeah, I love that we all have
Kara Edwards:that I have loved having you on here. I would love to have you back as a guest. Totally more of your thoughts on these movies? And maybe I won't disagree with you so much. Next, no,
Swanka Burnette:no, it's fine. What are different our differences and our differences, strengths and strengthen our resolve?
Laura Orr:Absolutely. And what a fun conversation we had, if we had all liked it, this would have come out to be very different sort of in a love story to Teenage Mutant
Kara Edwards:Ninja Turtles, as opposed to said, instead of offense and defense,
Swanka Burnette:I think it was a better conversation, the fact that you know, we're kind of trying to, you know, just a little bit so yeah,
Laura Orr:I agree. I agree. Some of our best conversations coming when Kara and I disagree on a show or movie, but, Sancho, before we leave, where can people find you if they want to learn more about you or the quick critic,
Swanka Burnette:so you can go to the quick critic.com There's links to all my socials right there on the front, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, tick tock, or if you want to just search directly on Instagram or Tiktok. It's just at real quick, critic, one word.
Kara Edwards:Perfect, easy again, so on. Good, thank you. My pleasure. All right. We'll see you guys next week. In the meantime, you can find us on Twitter. You can find us on Instagram. You can leave reviews give us stars. We appreciate all of your feedback. The more stars the better. Yeah. Tell us Are you Team Kara. Are you Team Laura and serwotka?
Laura Orr:Oh, I would love to know that. Thanks, everyone.
Kara Edwards:Thank you. We'll see you next week.
Laura Orr:Scribe and follow us on Instagram