New TMNT TV spot gives a glimpse of armor-clad Shredder
Ready for the reboot of yet another childhood classic at the hands of Michael Bay? Well, whether you are or not, TMNT is coming. And even if Bay isn't directly holding the reins, his influence is quite palpable as this shakycam version of a new TV trailer would suggest. Introducing Shredder, or perhaps Shredderbot or Shreddercon might be better names.
The new TMNT is already garnering quite some backlash from fans of the franchise because of one almost insignificant tidbit. Nevermind the explosions and cinematography that bears the mark and spirit of Bay's influence. Here we have turtles with lips. Lips! If these were the same mutant turtles we saw way back when, the series would have probably been branded more as a horror flick. Luckily, the first live action film stuck to the original design even if the film itself somewhat tanked.
Admittedly, it can be hard to blame this artistic direction on Bay, but this latest clip probably can. It's just for a few seconds, but in those brief moments that Shredder does appear in all his towering glory, you'd be hard pressed not to associate his likeness to that of Bay's pet project, the Transformers films. Sure it might be a stretch since he isn't directing TMNT, but knowing that he is at least part of the producer lineup is enough to cast suspicion.
That said, if Bay's Shredder did turn out to be a robotic villain instead of the flesh and blood Oroku Saki of old, he wouldn't be the first to make that change. (Spoiler alert ahead) The 2003 animated series of the franchise did portray the reptile's arch nemesis as such, piloted by a rather gelatinous alien. Considering that there is speculation that the upcoming Ninja Turtles will be more alien than mutant, that could actually be the plot that the film will be going for.
Like the Transformers movies, the Ninja Turtles film, as it will be called, dropping the Teenage Mutant part, has split the fan community and even previous TMNT actors in half. And we're just at the trailers! Wait 'til we get to the part when the film actually premieres, which, if all goes well, should be in about two months' time.