Like a lot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans of a certain age, I groaned when news hit that Paramount was putting the R-rated, live-action adaptation of The Last Ronin on ice to make way for yet another kid-friendly reboot.
And, like, what? WHY? I mean, I know why (even when it was originally announced, I knew it was a gamble), but still! This R-rated adaptation to The Last Ronin had the potential to be the greatest TMNT movie of all time! Now, it’s just not going to happen? (Well, it’s on hold. But, possibly indefinitely).
This stinks, and I think it’s a huge mistake on Paramount’s part. Here’s why.
There Are So Many Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fans In Their 30s And 40s!
I haven’t looked up the stats on this, but while TMNT might be popular with the kids these days (anecdotally, I asked my students and many of them seemed pretty indifferent about them), but I can almost guarantee that the average age of a TMNT “fanatic” has got to be between their 30s and 40s. That’s because Turtlemania was at its peak around 1989-1991, when many of us were still kids.
There have been many Ninja Turtle cartoons, but for a very large segment of people, the most memorable was the 1987 series that eventually ended in 1996, and that’s my point. Most Turtles fans are old, and we would have rushed out to see an R-rated Ninja Turtles movie, just like we rushed out to see Joker, Logan, and Deadpool.
Look, I get it. Paramount doesn’t want to tarnish the brand by making a hard-R TMNT film. But, last I checked, Joker, Deadpool, and Wolverine are still popular with kids, and are even in cartoons. You can have it both ways if you want, Paramount! So, why don’t you?
Another Family-Friendly TMNT Film? Haven’t We Had Enough Of Them Already?
Do you want to know my favorite Ninja Turtles movie? It’s the most recent one, Mutant Mayhem, and I loved it for a number of reasons. However, ask most Turtles fans, and they’ll tell you the best one is the first movie from 1990 (though, some might pick its direct sequel). If you rewatch it, even though it’s PG, there’s a lot of dark undertones to it. In every way, it’s the most “adult” live-action version that we’ve gotten of the Turtles on screen.
That said, most of the TMNT movies have been incredibly kid-friendly, and haven’t we had enough of those already? Most people don’t like the Bay-era films, and the less said about Turtles III, the better. But, besides the first movie, which is also considered “a kid’s film,” all we’ve gotten is live-action kid-friendly movies.
So, why not a change? Why not something fresh and new, which brings me to my final point.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Need Something Fresh To Stay Exciting, And This Would Have Been It
You know, if something’s successful, they wouldn’t have to keep rebooting it. No, that’s what the sequel is for. While we are getting a sequel to the successful Mutant Mayhem, the fact that they’re trying to reboot a live-action version, again, just goes to show that something isn’t quite working in that regard.
And, no. I don’t think trying to “Sonic-fy” the series is the answer. What worked for Sonic won’t necessarily work for the Ninja Turtles. No. What TMNT needs is something fresh. Something we’ve never seen before.
The Last Ronin, if handled correctly, could have been that shot in the arm that the live-action TMNT movies need, but now, it’s all gone to waste. Most heinous, Paramount. No cowabunga for you.
But, what do you think? Are you okay with them putting The Last Ronin on ice? I’d love to hear your thoughts.