You've probably heard the urban legend concerning the behind-the-scenes action on Poltergeist. While Texas Chainsaw Massacre helmer Tobe Hooper is credited with directing movie, rumors have persisted for decades that producer Steve Spielberg was actually calling the shots. As Spielberg was contractually obligated to not direct another movie that year, due to E.T., he couldn't officially call the shots. (The setting and examination of the suburban lifestyle certainly feel like Spielberg, but the film's mean-spirited nature screams Hooper.) I can't help but wonder if we'll eventually hear similar stories about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Jonathan Liebesman (who, ironically directed 2006's Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) is listed as the director, but the whole thing reeks of producer Michael Bay. And that's not a good thing.

As Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles opens, we learn that New York City is under siege by the Foot Clan. This group has been staging robberies and creating mayhem around the city. TV reporter April O'Neil (Megan Fox), who usually covers puff-pieces, has been investigating the crimes, and she's roped her cameraman, Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett), into helping her. While checking out on of the incidents, April witnesses a large person fighting the clan. Following up on this, she finds that it's actually a group of human-sized turtles who have been combating the Foot. The turtles -- Leonardo (played by Pete Ploszek, voiced by Johnny Knoxville), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), and Raphael (Alan Ritchson) -- can talk and act like teenagers. They take April to their lair in the sewers, where she meets their leader, a rat named Splinter (played by Danny Woodburn, voiced by Tony Shalhoub), who explains their origin. April approaches industrialist Eric Sacks (William Fichtner) for help, and she learns that the Foot have a deadly plan for the City that only the Turtles can stop.

Therefore, I, like many, was very wary when I learned of a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature film being made under the supervision of Michael Bay, and the trailers didn't make me feel any better about the project. So, when I sat down to watch the film for this review, I had to put those prejudices aside. And I was pleasantly surprised that I liked what I saw. The opening credit animation sequence was very well-done. The introduction of the story and the Turtles was handled very well. The individuality of the Turtles came through, somewhat, and they were funny without being overly goofy or "hip". I did have a problem with the character design of the Turtles. They are too bulky, while their faces are too flat. During the first act, I actually found myself enjoying the film and thinking, "I can't believe that I'm going to like this movie."

The other weak link in the film is Megan Fox. I thought that she and Michael Bay hated one another? Well, apparently they made up and we are the lesser for it, as she tries her best to ruin this movie. I guess she's pretty, but her acting remains abysmal and the wooden delivery of her dialogue robs what is already a far-fetched movie of any credibility. She is asked to throw out many scientific terms and it sounds exactly like what it is -- She's reading them instead of acting them. This role need someone with at least a little life in their eyes.

I went into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles expecting a train-wreck, but instead I found a fender-bender. Unfortunately, the movie's bad-points outweigh the good ones. If the overall feeling created by the first act could have continued, this would have been a pleasantly surprising movie. Instead, the emphasis turned to mindless action, and any story or character development fell by the wayside. The Turtle voice-acting was good and the human actors, save for Fox, were fine. The CG Turtles looked good, but they didn't always blend well with the live-action footage. A sequel is inevitable, so hopefully some lessons were learned here and we'll get a smarter Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie next time.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Blu-ray Disc contains several extras. "Digital Reality" (18 minutes) examines how the Turtles were created using visual effects. Liebesman and Visual Effects Supervisor Pablo Helman take us through the process from Pre-visualization to motion-capture acting to the character design to the creation of the CG animation. Along with the interviews, we get a wealth of on-set footage, test animations, and examples of how the shots were layered. "In Your Face! The Turtles in 3D" (4 minutes) looks at how certain 3D shots were designed and executed. Liebesman and Helman break down some specific scenes. This can be played in 3D. "It Ain't Easy Being Green" (7 minutes) has the four actors who play the Turtles discussing their experiences on the film and their childhood exposure to the characters. "Evolutionary Mash-Up" (15 minutes) is an odd featurette, as it looks at the biological growth of the turtles species, as well as the history of marital arts. "Turtle Rock" (6 minutes) focuses on Composer Brian Tyler, as he discusses the music and we see him at work in the studio. "Extended Ending" (1 minute) is a coda which shows April wrapping up the story with a news report. We get the MUSIC VIDEO for the song "Shell Shocked" by Juicy J. Moxie, Ty dolla Sign, and Wiz Khalifa. This is followed by "Making of 'Shell Shocke'" (2 minutes) which shows the artists at work in the studio.