Directed by newcomer Dave Green and once again produced by Michael Bay, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is the sequel to 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The good news is that this action/comedy is actually better than its predecessor, which had been poorly received by critics and fans alike. The bad news is that the film is still about as appetising as distasteful turtle soup.

In terms of fan service, some of the more obvious improvements include truer characterisation of the turtles Leonardo (Pete Ploszek), Raphael (Alan Ritchson), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), and Donatello (Jeremy Howard) to the ’80s and ’90s cartoons, as well as the inclusion of the beloved villains Rocksteady (Sheamus) and Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams), the super villain Krang (Brad Garrett), and the heroic supporting character Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). Other improvements are a less annoying Master Splinter (Tony Shalhoub/Peter D. Badalamenti), and a Shredder (Brian Tee) character that is finally played by a human rather than a robot.

Unfortunately, some of these bits of fan service feel like an afterthought, as if Michael Bay only begrudgingly decided to listen to fans. Take for example, Casey Jones. As with April O’Neil (Megan Fox), he barely has a significant role in the film. This is a pity because unlike the awful Fox who should consider retiring from acting, Amell is a decent actor. Then there is The Shredder, who also has too small a role in Out of the Shadows. As you may know, the move to make him human in the film is in response to outrage from fans, but he barely makes an impact here. There is also Krang, who is just a CGI mess and not interesting at all.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is an improvement from the last film, but there are still some issues here

Speaking of bad characters, for some inexplicable reason, as Vern Fenwick, Will Arnett continues to get screen time in this franchise. Let’s get this straight; Will Arnett isn’t a likable actor. In fact, the only roles where Arnett excels are negative roles, such as Netflix’s excellent animated TV show, Bo Jack Horseman. Sadly, Arnett is at his annoying worst in Out of the Shadows.

The action is a bit of a mixed bag. Certainly, it is an improvement from the last film, and is more enjoyable. That being said, there are still some issues, including some bad CGI, and a little too much Michael Bay sauce where the film slowly turns into pure noise. Interestingly enough, while there is plenty of slapstick action, fans will be disappointed to note that there is very little in the way of martial arts action.

This is exemplified by the overall direction of the turtles themselves. As I mentioned above, clearly the film-makers tried to pay more attention to what the fans were demanding, but the turtles still look and sound far too obnoxious. Instead of looking like sleek mutant beings, they appear bloated and ugly. And rather than using hand-to-hand combat skills in the action scenes, they resort to other loud tactics.

Speaking of obnoxious, the narrative and dialog is quite poor, while the tired sight of another city being destroyed is enough to leave your eyes rolling. You can praise them for trying, but the turtles should have stayed in the shadows.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, June 26th, 2016