Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 2014 Movie Figures

 

Since I was a child, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures have always lured me in, fascinated me, and given me countless hours of enjoyment.  I'll never forget the Christmas morning when I received the TMNT Party Wagon and Sewer Lair from Santa.  I was about 3-years-old and my Parents, as they always did, placed those two big presents toward the back of the tree to make me think I wasn't the good boy I thought I was all year.  I even said to them "Maybe Santa didn't hear me when I asked him for the sewer."  I watch that home video now and think of how awesome it must have felt for my parents to know they absolutely made my year with those two pieces of plastic.  I call them that because that's what they are, literally, but those pieces of plastic mean so much more to a child.  There are countless memories, stories, and imagination that comes in every package.  What's also attached to the box is a whole lot of love.  Even if we don't realize it until years later, there's so much more to toys than simply an exchange of money for corporate profit.  I've never looked at in that way, even when I thought certain products were too expensive.  There's an amazing feeling of nostalgia and the resurrection of forgotten childhood that comes with every toy.  And for kids now, they're in the process of creating those memories now.  They're developing story lines, making up scenarios, using their imagination, developing their minds, and interacting with those around them.  Little do they know how much thought, from them and their parents or guardians, goes into every aspect of buying and playing with toys.  We've all enjoyed them, we've all experienced them, and I don't think you're ever to old to stop appreciating them.

With the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie coming out on Friday, I welcome you to relive the magic of the late 80s and early 90s by picking up some of the newest TMNT toys.  By clicking the link above, you'll be taken to EntertainmentEarth.com.  Personally, whenever I can't find a product in stores, that's where I go and it's my pleasure promoting them through the affiliate program on The Holidaze.  They're a great company and are always there for support.  At the moment, I currently have 11 items on pre-order and love that they don't charge you until the products arrive.  All I need to do is sit back and wait for them to arrive.  If you're looking for new Ninja Turtle figures, you know where to go!

  I chose to pick up the newest April O'Neil and Shredder figures because April is always harder to find than the others and Shredder looks fantastic!  Personally, I'm not a huge fan of how the 2014 movie Turtles look on film and it translates even worse in figure form, but I know I'm going to buy them anyway simply because they're going to be worth something, personally and financially, down the road.  That's worth buying from EntertainmentEarth.com.  But in the meantime, I have these to hold me over..

Although Leonardo was sold out, I couldn't pass up the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 Movie Classics, especially the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classic Collection Original Movie Michelangelo Action Figure   The original feature film was the first movie I ever saw in theaters.  At 3-years-old, I was completely hooked on the TMNT and my Parents thought it was time to bring me to the theater.  For the Turtles, I would surely sit tight and not cause a fuss.  They were right and, since then, the original film has always been my favorite movie of all time.  Sure, there are some that come close, but when it comes to action, humor, memories, and nostalgia, this one takes the pizza.  So when I heard that these new figures were coming out, there was no doubt in my mind that I'd be picking them up.  Are they worth $20 a piece?  Maybe if they had some more detail, but I think the price is fairly reasonable in this economy.  That's the nature of the toy business, today.  Those who grew up in my generation are marketed to at a higher price because those kids are now adults with jobs who are willing to spend a little bit more money than usual to relive a part of their childhood.  Let's face it, that was a simpler time and this is a recollection of what we lived.  That's why they're sitting at home with me.

To conclude, yes I am part of the EntertainmentEarth.com affiliate program, but I would never support, promote or advertise anything that I didn't think was worth time on The Holidaze.  I've done business with them in the past and I truly believe they're second to none.  So if you want to purchase the brand new TMNT figures, that's the place to do it!

TMNT Crush: Donatello Grape

Put on your thinking caps, because today it's all about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle who does machines.  If it weren't for Donatello, who knows where he and his brothers would be.  Let's face it, Steve Jobs didn't invent Face Time, he was only copying Donatello in an attempt to bring us all a real-life Turtle Com.  You can thank Donnie for that!  If not for his brains, the Ninja Turtles may have found themselves in Shredder's Turtle Soup after all.  Luckily, he's a Teenage Mutant Ninja Genius and was smart enough to wear the color purple so all of us can sit back with a refreshing glass of Crush Grape soda!

Much like Michelangelo's 12-pack, the artwork is beautiful.  The crisp color and contrasting hues truly make this a work of art.  What I failed to point out in my last post is the use of mutagen or ooze within the design.  If you look closely, you'll see the flowing green ooze separate the purple from the background.  It's almost as if the mutagen ooze is washing away the green, which represents normality, and replacing it with Donatello's signature purple to symbolize the rise of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle who's smarter than most people I've ever met.  Me included.. have you seen the typos and grammatical error on this site?  Yeah, pretend you didn't.. Sorry, Donnie..

There's not enough I can say about these cans.  In reality, all they had to do was release a few flavors, slap the Ninja Turtles logo on there, and call it a limited-edition can and I would have been sold.  In fact, I would have been happy!  But Crush chose to go the extra mile and individually design each character's can to perfectly represent their look and strategy.  While Mikey had the nun chucks strapped to his belt and wrapped around his shell, Donatello has his bo staff ready to whip out at a moment's notice to kick some shell and crush the foot.  Pun intended?  Pun intended.

On top of every can, it's rimmed with the eye band of that specific turtle.  As you'd expect, the eyes are very similar to that of the original comic and what you'll see in theaters this Friday.  But Donatello is an exception to the rule because they've added something in 2014 that's never been featured before - glasses!  I really haven't discussed the change in Turtle appearance much yet and I probably won't until after I see the movie, but they've clearly changed what I know and love.  Time will tell if it was for the better, but these nerdy glasses are an interesting addition to Donnie's character.  Personally, I don't mind it.  I think it says a lot about who he is and where he stands within the group of four.  He's a geek, but he's also a genius and is capable of out-thinking his brothers when they need him most.  Glasses symbolize his passion for learning and I'm happy they took the time to include that on this can rather than simply throwing on another pair of white eyes.

Grape soda is almost as classic as legendary Orange, but I'm not sure where it falls on the popularity scale.  Personally, I go back and forth.  I've had Orange soda so much more in my life that I'll usually choose Grape over the former, but it all depends on my mood and the temperature.  They're both Summer drinks, but an ice cold Crush Grape goes down nice and easy on a 95 degree day in August!  You can't go wrong with either one, but I can definitely tell you that Michelangelo's Orange looks much cooler inside giant TMNT mugs.  If that has any influence on you at all, then I'm glad you're reading The Holidaze!

Oh, and about those hot days... Ninja Turtle shaped ice doesn't do so well outside in the heat.  Had Shredder known my secret, Krang and I would rule the world.  Good thing Donnie is smarter than me... than I?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Gummy Turtle Power Pizza

Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film will be released three weeks from today!!  I don't know about you, but I couldn't be more excited!  I've been looking forward to this movie since it was first rumored on TheTechnodrome.com's forums.  I remember thinking, "who, a live-action CGI Turtles film?  That's going to be amazinggg."  Now, say what you will about the character designs because, for the most part, I'm right there with ya.  The Turtles that I know and love are obviously not the Turtles who will be gracing the silver screen on August 8th.  But that's okay.. This is a new generation and I'm embracing the new look and hoping for the absolute best.  My hopes are high, no matter how hard I try to keep them low.  I'm pumped and I'm not even attempting to hide it.  The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mean a lot to me, my childhood and the nostalgia I now celebrate.  I'll get more into that as we get closer to the film's release, but any Holidaze fans already know how much I love those four teenage turtles.  

So how do you celebrate such an awesome time in our lives?  How do you celebrate this new film?  How do you celebrate the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?  On The Holidaze, it's simple... dedicate as many posts to The Green Machine as you can between now and August 8th!  Thanks to the power of marketing and Nickelodeon, the Turtles are pretty much everywhere and we have a bunch to discuss!

We'll start off slowly and begin with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles candy featuring Nickelodeon's hit character designs.  While at work, during my lunch break, a group of manly men and I ventured to the local grocery store for a quick sandwich.  These guys don't have any interest in anything I talk about on The Holidaze, so the last thing they were looking for was Ninja Turtle candy.  But me?  I'm a giant man-child and my eyes were moving a mile a minute.  Candy, soda, chips, cereal.. you name it.  I'm always looking for something.  I didn't see much, but when I saw Gummy Turtle Power Candy Pizza, there was nooo way I was passing it up.  At the risk of being ridiculed by men twice my age and size, I grabbed a box and walked over to the cashier like I had just struck gold.  Nobody saw the 27-year-old man pay for his Turtle candy but, even if they did, there was no stopping me.  At that point, I could have easily been confused for Vanilla Ice.

When I got back to work, I did a quick Google search and learned that these aren't all that new, but they're new to me so I couldn't wait to get home and rip open the box.  The Gummy Pizza's don't look like the design pictured on the box, but I actually prefer their actual appearance much more.  There's something about them that reminds me of my childhood.  Do you remember Slime Slurps?  I vaguely remember the slimy, gummy creatures molded into TMNT heroes and villains.  They were strung out in Toys R Us and always drew me in.  Man, I'm having quite the flashback now as I write this.  I knew that these Gummy Pizza's wouldn't share the same texture, but the shape and color surely brings about nostalgia!  That's already a step in the right direction!

Out of the wrapper, you can see the slight detail they added to the Gummy Pizza's.  Again, it's a far cry from what's pictured on the box and looks more like faux vomit you'd find in an old magic shop. The chunky pepperoni pieces a bit less appetizing now that we've crossed that bridge, but I'm willing to accept and overlook that for the Ninja Turtles.  In reality, these don't look, smell, or feel much different than any gummy candies you'd find in your standard candy-by-the-pound stores.  You know, the ones where you fill a plastic bag with more candy that you'll ever eat in your life?  Yeah, well you can't have those without these and, by this point, I had pretty much figured these were Peach Rings without the hole or sugar coating.

I was pretty close.. They're more like those Gummy Strawberries that are red on top and pink on the bottom.  That's the texture, anyway.  But the flavor?  Very bland.  It's a dull battle between cherry and peach, but it's mostly flavorless.  These aren't something I'd eat regularly and they'll probably sit around in my kitchen until I sneak them into theaters on August 8th, but they're just okay..  I love them for being Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' candy, but maybe they're better off in the three-fingered hands of another.

Mikey!  He likes it!