WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The have said for many an era that necessity is the mother of all invention. Now, while this could be applied to just as many creations that have improved our societal comforts for generations, does it actually bear relevance when it comes to entertainment and the mediums through which we find it? It simply leads one to wonder if some “inventions” might have been better left undone, despite them having potential for monumental success–right? This would seem to be the initial reaction garnered by the presentation of two younger but driven hopefuls, Kevin (Nick Piacente) and Pete (Chris D’Amato), as they sit nervously in the office of a high-powered TV station’s waiting room, a dream in hand.
The pitch? Taking a newly designed group of rather odd comic book characters they’ve created and seeing them turned into a TV show aimed at kids. Upon being ushered into a stuffy and purposely “intimidating” conference room, the pair face a team of three high-up station execs–the boss John (Timothy J. Cox) plus his right and left hands, Karl (BJ Gruber) and Pat (Janel Koloski). Looking bored and/or wearily apathetic from the get go, the trio listen as a vision of cartoon-based, ninja skills-endowed, free-spirited, rat-trained turtles is expounded on. At first thinking it utterly ludicrous, the execs soon begin to embrace the concept as Kevin and Pete provide their notions. The only question is–who will actually be the ones to get true credit for creating The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles??
Next, my Mind:
Those in love with the 80’s, rejoice! Those desiring the beauty of uncomplicated, innocent (well, mostly–there are some runs of crude language here and there), silly comedy, again I say rejoice! For those who always wanted to know exactly how that crazy show about a group of outrageous, pizza-fueled, martial arts extraordinaire Testudines came into being–better look it up on Wikipedia or elsewhere! Filled with goofy frivolity and entertaining performances that assuredly elicit the chuckles and laughs it’s intended to, this 9-minute short film effort from writer/director/executive producer Vin Nucatola purposefully takes itself none to seriously in order to deliver a wonderfully charming (albeit fictional, folks), winsome account of the movers and shakers behind what became a massive success that remains to this day, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The interactions between the character’s “creators” and the station execs alone are worth the view, as the overt, intentionally over-the-top excitement of the “creators” battling the totally clueless team of execs who blatantly question everything the pair throw at them in a hilariously desperate attempt to grasp the idea being proposed while clashing with each other in the process is quite a stitch to witness.
As events continue to proceed in this manner, it all begins to gel finally for the execs who then get on board, hashing out their own ideas and virtually ignoring the presenters until they all come together in one big harmonious moment that officially heralds the absolute birth of a cultural phenomenon. In the meantime, the film’s grander farcical nature pokes plenty of generally chaste fun at the decade it’s occurring in and the nature of company management and how ignorant they can be while also then allowing there to be tribute to being a dreamer, having a goal and the fortitude to pursue it, and stepping out of your comfort zones to achieve possible greatness. Additionally, it is a total riot watching as the show’s oh-so-familiar elements and catch-phrases come into existence as the ideas are being tossed around. The effort’s visual presentation is perfectly clear and seemless, while the “poofed” hair and apropos clothing all contribute to a nostalgic trip to yesteryear even as you actually begin to ponder the real circumstances that saw the Turtles’ manifestation arrive. Maybe this isn’t as far off as we might assume it is? Either way, it’s downright funny and engaging to escape into.
As the duo who bring about the conceptualization for the Turtles that they hope will lead to new fame in seeing it become a TV show, Piacente and D’Amato work together with a synergetic ease that makes them a delight to watch in their roles as Kevin and Pete, two completely regular guys that totally rock 80’s geek chic, one wearing the John Oates hair and mustache while the evokes a tribute to George Costanza, while making a valiant appeal to a TV station to have their freshly minted comic heroes becomes staples on the network. Despite the preliminary reactions and evident “OMG!” exasperation the pair receive from the execs, Kevin and Pete firmly plant their ideas in the exec’s heads, even if having to clarify what their intentions are with each statement they make when it comes to describing what on the surface sounds totally absurd and bound for failure. Once the execs start to take over the meeting with their own sudden onslaught of propositions and still-confused comments about the nature of the characters and the any realistic chances they will have for mass appeal, Kevin and Pete stand their ground and when everyone present finally seems to agree they’ve got a blossoming future hit on their hands, it’s all catch-phrases, laughter, and a final nod to an essential element from “Turtles” cannon. Throughout, Piacente and D’Amato play it appropriately understated and cheeky, which is perfect for the atmosphere created by the film.
As the “ominous” trio of TV network execs who agree to take a listen to Kevin & Pete’s pitch, there is quite an engaging group of actors in Cox, Gruber, and Koloski whom all provide their own unique portrait of what we might all think stuffy higher-ups at a major network might actually be like, especially when faced with an idea so preposterous to them that it seems fortunate the “sellers” aren’t kicked out of the room almost immediately after starting their presentation. How many times this critic has stated that Cox is truly the character actor’s character actor, and here, while it may not necessarily rank in what I would term his top overall performances, he still causes plenty of laughs in playing head exec John, whose comically arrogant, holier-than-thou attitude and playfully exaggerated reactions to the “Turtles” is just spot on and so witty via Cox’s ever-emotive body language and facial expressions. It’s a character who thinks he knows it all, acts it, yet is kind of ignorant and sometimes amusingly profane, and Cox nails it again to a “T” with his trademark bravado. Likewise, Gruber’s Karl and Koloski’s Pat banter back and forth like two at-odds siblings, whether “chastising” one another for silly and seemingly inane remarks that are thrown out, especially by Karl, or otherwise finding brief times of shared victory when actually agreeing on something. Gruber’s wide-smiled, overly-excited quips when thinking he has a grasp on a concept or a supposed solution is filled with waggish delight and Koloski’s eye-rolls and “give me a break” reactions are quite amusing as well.
A sole supporting roll arrives from Mary Ortega as the network’s secretary who actually has a beautifully orchestrated moment during the film’s finale that elicits a good guffaw. In total, “Italian Turtles” wears its silliness on its sleeve and provides that perfect little comedic escape from normalcy that so often we need in today’s wayward world. I suppose at this point there’s only one thing left to say–“COWABUNGA, dude!!!”
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
