This pilot feels... familiar. While I don't entirely mean this as a dig, this is the version of TMNT I would watch occasionally between episodes of Penguins of Madagascar when I was kid, so there is some nostalgia there. But for me, the dynamic felt a little... tired. Between the Leo-Raph power struggle, Donnie's instant crush on April and nobody beliveing Mikey despite the fact that they have no reason not to, the pilot leaned into 2010s kids' tv tropes I've seen too many times to find as interesting. (though maybe I'm also being influenced by hearing people complain about them a lot). This take could also just be informed by watching how Rise sidestepped these beats (probably BECAUSE they were done here) But it doesn't excite me as much nonetheless.
However, this didn't make TMNT 2012 bad by any means. There was a gravitas to the series that added some intrigue especially when it came to the lore. Rise consistently undercut it while 2012 feels like it wants its audience to be invested in the mystery. Plus I can't lie my adult brain might just prefer a slower show with fewer nonstop jokes and blink-and-you-miss-it action. The CG is definitely 2012 Nick but I don't mind it that much.
Plus as much as I winge about the familiar tropes for our characters here I do feel like I know them better here than I did in Rise despite spending an equal amount of time with them (the plot summary theme song didn't hurt ngl.)
Review by TshepisoBlockedParent2023-08-04T13:53:16Z
This pilot feels... familiar. While I don't entirely mean this as a dig, this is the version of TMNT I would watch occasionally between episodes of Penguins of Madagascar when I was kid, so there is some nostalgia there. But for me, the dynamic felt a little... tired. Between the Leo-Raph power struggle, Donnie's instant crush on April and nobody beliveing Mikey despite the fact that they have no reason not to, the pilot leaned into 2010s kids' tv tropes I've seen too many times to find as interesting. (though maybe I'm also being influenced by hearing people complain about them a lot). This take could also just be informed by watching how Rise sidestepped these beats (probably BECAUSE they were done here) But it doesn't excite me as much nonetheless.
However, this didn't make TMNT 2012 bad by any means. There was a gravitas to the series that added some intrigue especially when it came to the lore. Rise consistently undercut it while 2012 feels like it wants its audience to be invested in the mystery. Plus I can't lie my adult brain might just prefer a slower show with fewer nonstop jokes and blink-and-you-miss-it action. The CG is definitely 2012 Nick but I don't mind it that much.
Plus as much as I winge about the familiar tropes for our characters here I do feel like I know them better here than I did in Rise despite spending an equal amount of time with them (the plot summary theme song didn't hurt ngl.)