Though there are actually quite a few Blu-ray titles worth discussing this week (like “I Love You, Man” and “17 Again”), I simply couldn’t pass up the chance of using this week’s column to talk more in-depth about Warner Brothers’ hi-def release of all four “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” films. Anyone who grew up in the late 80s and early 90s was obsessed with the Kevin Eastman/Peter Laird creation – from the animated series and live-action movies to the toys and video games – and that includes me. I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for the first live-action film (don’t blink or you’ll miss Sam Rockwell as a Foot Clan thug), and though the other two movies don’t have nearly as great of a reputation, they’re still pretty decent sequels for being geared almost exclusively towards kids.
So when the studio announced that they would be releasing a special Blu-ray collector’s edition to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their comic book debut, it quickly became one of the year’s most highly anticipated titles. Unfortunately, that news might be a little bittersweet for some fans, because while most people would no doubt love to own the first film (and in some cases, even the sequel) on Blu-ray, they’re not going to like being given the ultimatum of buying all four or none at all. Even worse, the live-action films don’t include any special features, and those that appear on the 2007 CGI installment, “TMNT,” are the same ones from the DVD and HD-DVD release. Warner Bros. is hoping to make up for that with some exclusive extras like an Eastman/Laird comic reprint, a signed sketch, and a beanie (all housed in quasi-pizza box packaging), and to some degree, it does, but that’s not going to quiet the critics.
After all, why celebrate such an event if you’re not going to do your absolute best to deliver a worthwhile box set? Surely they could have found something from the vaults to include as an extra, like the long-rumored director’s cut of the original film, or even some promo material or episodes from the animated series. Instead, we get nothing (save for some theatrical trailers), which really sucks, because the movies themselves look about ten times better than they did on DVD. If nothing else, that should convince diehard fans to make the somewhat steep investment, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be happy about it. Here’s hoping Warner Bros. wises up and releases all four films individually in the future, because you shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s mistake.
