Michelangelo and Leonardo in a scene from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.Lula Carvalho
A posse of freakish superheroes, each member of which possesses a particular charisma and talent, emerges from a lair and skirts around public view as they make their way to Madison Square Garden. Wary of scaring society, they watch a Knicks game from the rafters and eat greasy pizza.
If these aren't the Backstreet Boys, then they must be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, those anthropomorphic reptiles and action-fun stars on the half-shell. They're back for an entertaining enough 3-D sequel to their 2014 franchise revival, and so is the rest of the cast that includes foxy Megan Fox and her ability to wear a naughty schoolgirl outfit. School will soon be out, and so will the children for which this fast-paced CGI exposition is made.
Though a sci-fi Earth-in-peril plot is central, the film's sidebar soul involves purple ooze that could alter turtle-boy DNA back to human. "What would Vin Diesel do?" is asked, but when it comes to life-choice decisions on whether to become "normal" or to embrace one's freakiness, one is best to take tips from the Backstreet Boys, not Mr. Diesel.
Brad Wheeler