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Comic and not-so-comic characters were hanging around along Hollyweird Blvd. Reminded me of Comic Con...Batman, Pinhead, Marilyn Monroe, Demons, Charley Chaplin....but no Ninja Turtles!
The very front of the theater had a cool area for premiere movie goers...
I met up with Stan, his daughter Hannah, and cartoonist Jim Lujan shortly thereafter picked up our official TMNT movie tickets at will call, and entered the green-carpeted "turtle zone" area just out front.
Stan Sakai and Todd Shogun
Stan getting tix from Will Call
What a cool setup! They were giving away free TMNT masks and pizzas. The big surprise giveaways were copies of the new TMNT video game for X-Box 360, Playstation, and Nintendo Wii, which they had playing on giant plasma screens in the 'zone....seriously! I grabbed a copy of the Wii and XBox versions.
Handing out TMNT masks
TMNT video game area
A green carpet premiere for TMNT
Tons of pizzas were available free to moviegoers
Video game giveaways for all
Stan & Hannah Sakai
Picking out pizzas
My TMNT video games...score!
After some more photos, we proceeded inside. I was lucky they didn't say anything about my camera, as I was able to get some cool shots inside the theater. The consession stand was all TMNT'd out, with posters plastered everywhere, and patrons could help themselves to free popcorn and sodas in official TMNT boxes and cups.
Above:official movie cups!
We then entered the theater itself. Quite an awesome spectacle in it's own right. In each and every seat there was a TMNT gift bag, filled with cool collectibles like a TMNT action figures, pencils, movie-edition Airdheads candy, and other cool stuff. I got a Leonardo figure myself (him being my fave and all).
Jim Lujan poses for the camera
Hannah, Stan, Jim
Stan, Jim, Todd
Jim, Todd
A TMNT-Masked Stan (red of course!)
Stan, Jim, Todd
TMNTodd
TMNT gift bags in all seats
After a few more photos and stuff, Stan spotted Kevin Eastman and his family. We headed over to their seat to say hi and take a photo. Kevin was there with his wife and baby (Shane Eastman was born during last year's San Diego Comic Con!). Peter Laird did not make it, but we heard his wife and daughter were there somewhere...
Todd, Kevin, Shane, Julie
The movie started promptly at noon to an auditorium filled with enthusiatic industry and studio people with their families.
Hannah and Stan
Hannah shows off her mask
Cool
Screen shot of the IMAGI Studios logo
Screen shot of movie logo
At this point it was time to put the camera away for fear of getting kicked out. I was really surprised I was allowed to take it this far, but the TMNT premiere people seemed pretty cool. Several of the staff offered to take pictures for me!
TMNT Movie Review (no spoilers)
The movie was decent, not at all as hokey as I was prepared for. So Kim and Cylnee you guys were right, and I'm sure you'll love it! The CGI animation was totally awesome, with the turtles moving along the rooftops of New York skyscrapers just like they were portrayed in the original Mirage comics from the mid-80s. The character designs of the turtles themselves were great, not perfect but great. I did like the fact that they were in some ways similar to the proportions from the older comics (like large feet and hands). The only thing I didn't like was their legs seemed kinda close together. I dunno, anyway.... The movie itself was epic, maybe a little too epic for the Turtles, but entertaining nonetheless. Don't expect a continuation of the sponge-suit movies of days old. Those are history. This movie pretty much reinvents the Turtles' on-screen personas. TMNT fans will relish in how much action there is...some of the fight scenes were unbelievable. Mike's skateboard through the sewers scene in the beginning was "killer", as were Raph's heavy metal motorcycle vigilante scenes. The Foot Ninja Clan looked great, as did the monsters, but the human characters bared way too much resemblance to characters from Shrek and The Incredibles..a bit too cartoony in comparison with the Turtle's designs. Splinter was okay, but again kinda cartoony. The storyline was solid, and light years past the previous movies in it's epic proportions. This movie contains a LOT of stuff...too much to mention here -- you'll just have to go see it for yourself.
