Michael Bay. A name that strikes dread into the hearts of film critics the world over. According to his own website, he is “The man behind cinematic hits such as The Rock, Armageddon, and the Transformers series… known for creating thrilling action sequences that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. As one of Hollywood’s boldest and most bankable feature film directors, Bay’s repertoire has grossed $6.4 billion in worldwide ticket sales.”

He is credited with directing 21 titles and producing 42, including this second Turtles installment. One thing he generally delivers is a box office earner that satisfies the appetites of fans of action and 80’s nostalgia. Gievn 2016 is overburdened with unwanted sequels, this might not be a film that features in his online profile in time to come.

Featuring a new face, albeit one hidden at times behind a hockey mask, Arrow’s Stephen Amell debuts as Casey Jones, an ally and love interest for Megan Fox’s April O’Neill and the four titular heroes.

With an opening scene taking place at a New York Knicks basketball game and another utilising a new York Day of The Dead parade (Hello Spectre!), the film delivers plenty in the way of eye-catching sequences. If you think Megan Fox is hot (as I do) then you’ll enjoy her tribute to Britney Spears in an early scene.

As far as villains go, Krang is pretty awesome, reminiscent of Total Recall’s Kuato, and Shredder and Rocksteady are amusing too.

All in all it serves up nothing new, but that’s not what this audience is looking for, if indeed they were looking for another TMNT film at al. In terms of box office results on debut, the numbers are down on the first film.

According to http://www.boxofficemojo.com – “Of course, box office grosses are just half the story with a film like this as ancillary merchandise is a big revenue driver for a film of this sort.”

It is mostly harmless nonsense and you know what you are in for if you buy a ticket.

3 Stars.