Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Reboot offers impressive action, distracting innuendo.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 28 parent reviews
Parents say that this movie presents a mix of fun and intense action, but many express concern about its appropriateness for younger audiences due to excessive innuendo, violence, and swearing that they feel goes beyond a PG rating. While some found it entertaining and noted positive themes of teamwork and family, others felt the content was too mature for its advertised target demographic, leading to a divided opinion on its suitability for kids.
- inappropriate content
- parental concern
- mixed reviews
- teamwork theme
- action-packed entertainment
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 50 kid reviews
Kids say the film offers entertaining action and humor, but it includes intense violence and some inappropriate content, making it better suited for older kids and tweens. Many reviews highlight that while the movie captures the fun spirit of the franchise, it contains more mature themes and violence than earlier adaptations, leading to mixed feelings among fans.
- entertaining action
- intense violence
- mature themes
- suitable for older kids
- mixed feelings
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES -- yet another incarnation of the legendary sewer-dwelling, pizza-loving reptiles -- takes place in New York City, where a crime wave is unleashed by the evil Shredder (Tohoru Masamune) and his gang of baddies, the Foot Clan. Investigating a mysterious vigilante standing up to the Foot Clan, TV reporter April O'Neil (Megan Fox) runs into not one crime fighter but four: masked talking turtles named Leonardo (performed by Pete Ploszek, voiced by Johnny Knoxville), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), and Raphael (Alan Ritchson). At first, they make April faint, but later they remind her of an old lab experiment conducted by her dead father and Eric Sacks (William Fichtner), a well-known scientist in the city. As April connects the dots, she agrees to help the Turtles (and break a story about the underground heroes), but they all fall prey to Shredder's master plan to control the city. The only way to save New York is to work together.
Is It Any Good?
Tweens and teens are likely to enjoy this fun live-action reboot. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles combines producer Michael Bay's signature explosive thrills (and obsession with objectifying Fox) with the realistic Turtles, thanks to Industrial Light & Magic's performance-capture technology (similar to WETA's tech for Rise of the Planet of the Apes). Younger viewers are unlikely to quibble or care about the various ridiculous plot points or unintentionally funny one-liners -- or the many ways that April is reduced from an all-around awesome character to the object of lust for both the Turtles (specifically Mikey) and her trusted cameraman, Vern (Will Arnett).
But adults may wonder what the point is of rebooting this franchise for a younger generation when the animated series is still popular on television and the movie focuses so much more on April's "hotness" than on the funny, sweet relationship between the four Renaissance-named brothers. Sure, there's just enough about the Turtles to get that Mikey's the one who's got a crush on April, and Donnie's the smart one who can hack or fix or engineer any piece of electronics, but there's no real soul in this installment. Still, the action scenes are cool enough, and the Turtles' movements are fun to watch. And maybe that's enough. But a "totally tubular" reboot this isn't, and it's sad how much of it relies on April being a babe.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Do you think you have to watch the show or be familiar with the comics to fully appreciate the movie? What are some comparisons?
Who is the movie's intended audience? Is it today's kids (and, if so, what age group?), or grown-ups who were kids when the toys were first popular in the 1980s?
Why do you think male characters talk about April in a sexual way so frequently? Is it funny, or unnecessary? Is April more than her looks?
How do the characters in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles demonstrate teamwork? Why is this an important character strength?
If you aren't familiar with the TV show or the comics, does the movie make you want to check them out?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 8, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : December 16, 2014
- Cast : Megan Fox , Will Arnett , William Fichtner
- Director : Jonathan Liebesman
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Superheroes
- Character Strengths : Teamwork
- Run time : 101 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sci-fi action violence
- Last updated : February 14, 2026
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